History professor. French teacher. Politician.

For Andrea Vaubel, the sky has always been the limit. But Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) Deputy Commissioner? That position never even crossed her mind.

“I didn’t even know this job existed,” Vaubel said. “It’s a very unique experience that I never thought that I’d be able to have.”

Though Vaubel, a native of Verona, Wisconsin, wasn’t actively involved in agriculture growing up, she was exposed to the industry that would later become an integral part of her career through her dad, who was a miller, and friends who were involved in 4-H and FFA.

“It’s funny because my dad did a lot of global travel for his work in agriculture and he thinks it’s hysterical that I’m doing what I’m doing now,” Vaubel said. “I remember visiting his office when I was young and there were corn samples everywhere and I thought, ‘What is this? Why is this important?’”

Today, Vaubel intimately understands the important roles agriculture plays in Minnesota and the world. But her journey to the MDA wasn’t a path she expected to take.

“I really started to fall in love with ag policy when I started working for then Congressman Tim Walz in Washington, D.C., because he was on the (House) Ag Committee,” Vaubel said. “I saw the multi-dimensional side of agriculture and how it touched every part of our lives. So that’s when I really started to fall in love with agriculture.”

Vaubel found herself back in the Midwest when Walz asked her to move to Mankato for his 2012 reelection campaign. In 2013, she switched gears and started working for MDA.

“I thought I’d maybe do this for a year and half and figure something else out, and then just totally fell in love with the agency and everything it was doing,” Vaubel said.

Vaubel was appointed deputy commissioner in 2018 by then Gov. Mark Dayton and stayed in the position when her former boss Tim Walz became governor in 2019. As one of the only females to serve as MDA Deputy Commissioner, Vaubel oversees several of MDA’s core agency functions, including finance and budget, human resources, communications, information technology, government affairs, emergency preparedness and response, data practices, diversity and inclusion and legal affairs.

“The deputy role is unique and changes from agency to agency,” said Vaubel, who lives in Dakota County with her husband and two children. “Along with my internal role, Commissioner Petersen also likes me to have an external role. So, if there’s something he can’t be at, I’ll go to it or I’ll represent the agency on various committees.”

People make a place, and Vaubel credits her colleagues for making MDA such a special workplace.

“I really love working and learning from the people in the agency. They are dedicated public servants who are brilliant and passionate and care about things that we need people to care about,” Vaubel said. “They have a really important role in terms of protecting the food supply and our natural resources and building markets.”

And with a supportive boss and mentor, Vaubel has found herself in a position to grow.

“I’ve been very lucky over my career to work for fantastic people, and I’ve learned a lot from them,” Vaubel said. “Thom is a magnificent leader. He is thoughtful and genuine and authentic. He really tries to understand how his decisions impact those affected.”

Petersen, who has worked alongside Vaubel since becoming commissioner in 2019, said his second in command is indispensable.

“Andrea’s leadership, dedication and support for agriculture are critical to Minnesota’s success on many fronts, including budgeting, trade and biofuels,” Petersen said.

Soy supporter

Throughout her tenure at MDA, Vaubel has been an unwavering supporter for Minnesota agriculture – including the soybean industry. She’s a fixture at events, including MN Ag Expo, and supported the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council’s “Driving Soy” launch in 2021. Vaubel has also joined MSR&PC and the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association (MSGA) on USDA and MDA trade missions to markets in South America, Morocco, Southeast Asia, the U.K. and Australia. In late 2024, she participated in a North African trade mission alongside MSGA Executive Director Joe Smentek.

“Andrea is invaluable to Minnesota agriculture,” MSGA Executive Director Joe Smentek said. “She’s a huge advocate for all Minnesota agriculture and Minnesota products in general. She’s a great ambassador for Minnesota in foreign countries and other states and everywhere she goes.”

Vaubel said she appreciates working alongside farmers with unique perspectives and operations during trade missions.

“Farmers are such amazing people,” Vaubel said. “They’re businesspeople and agronomists and entomologists and mechanics. They have such a wide knowledge base so when they participate in trade missions, they bring such an authenticity to the story that somebody from the Department of Agriculture can’t bring. They speak from the heart and speak genuinely about their experience.”

MSGA President Darin Johnson said Vaubel reflects MDA’s mission to serve Minnesota farmers, even if she hails from a neighboring state.

“Andrea represents Minnesota agriculture with distinction,” Johnson said. “She’s extremely knowledgeable and is so nice and down to earth. She’s from Wisconsin, but we won’t hold that against her.”

Like MSGA, which successfully advocated for increased funding for MDA’s international program, Vaubel understands the importance of expanding export markets for Minnesota agricultural products.

“There are so many types of products that are real needs of economies around the world, and we are in a position to be able to help with that,” Vaubel said. “So much of these trade missions are relationship based, and Minnesota soybean growers have been great about opening up their farms and showing how they do their everyday work and grow the product that they’re trying to sell to the world.”

Wherever she’s at, Vaubel keeps Minnesota agriculture in mind.

“Minnesota couldn’t have a better representative for agriculture than Andrea Vaubel,” Smentek said. “She’s really worked to up the state’s budget on exports and export markets, really helping to grow demand across the world for our products.”

Life has a funny way of working out. But Vaubel has found herself right where she is meant to be.

“I never thought in a million years that this would be something that I was doing,” Vaubel said..