Kirsten Hillman has been appointed as Canada’s Ambassador to the United States. Hillman has served as Canada’s acting envoy to the U.S. since August 2019. Before that, she served as deputy ambassador in Washington from August 2017 to August 2019. Before joining the Embassy, Hillman was the assistant deputy minister of the Trade Agreements and Negotiations Branch at Global Affairs Canada, overseeing all of Canada’s trade policy and trade negotiations. She was also Canada’s chief negotiator for the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Kirsten Hillman
Kelly Ann Shaw has joined Hogan Lovells as a new partner. Shaw comes to the firm after serving at the White House as the president’s deputy assistant for international economic affairs and deputy director of the National Economic Council. She was a senior adviser to the president on matters of international economic policy, including trade, investment, development, global economics, energy and the environment. In these roles, Shaw worked on negotiations and agreements, including the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and the China "phase one" agreement.
Alma Crumm Golden has been sworn in as USAID's assistant administrator for global health. A trained pediatrician, Golden has worked in private pediatrics, indigent health services, academic medicine, public health, healthcare administration, and health policy. She served as the director of pediatric services for the maternal and child health program at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.
Doug Edge has signed on with Aimpoint Research as the new senior vice president of business solutions for Aimpoint Farm Reach Vision. He previously was the vice president of new business development at Farm Journal.
Atashi Mukherjee Bell has joined the Biotechnology Innovation Organization as the new director of scientific and regulatory affairs, industrial and environmental. She previously was the global regulatory specialist for BASF.
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has appointed Kathy Simmons, chief veterinarian of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, to the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program's (NADPRP) consultation board. NADPRP was created by the 2018 Farm Bill to fund projects that will help prevent animal pests and diseases from entering and spreading in the U.S.
Former Congresswoman from Kansas and Ways and Means Committee Member, Lynn Jenkins, has joined the Capitol Hill Policy Group as a senior policy adviser. She will focus on tax, trade, and healthcare issues for the Capitol Hill Policy Group. Jenkins was first elected to the House in 2008 from the 2nd District of Kansas and served for 10 years.
Corinne Momal-Vanian is the new executive director at the Kofi Annan Foundation. Momal-Vanian currently serves as the director of conference management at the United Nations Offices in Geneva. She succeeds Alan Doss, who is stepping down from his position as president after more than eight years of service.
Atashi Mukherjee Bell
Nedap Livestock Management has welcomed Ron Dehli to its North American dairy team as the technical business development manager. Dehli has spent the last 17 years working in the dairy industry, with experience in technical and sales support, product development, and marketing.
Charlene Finck has been named president of Farm Journal, effective April 1. She succeeds Steve Custer, who retired as president on Jan. 1. Finck has been with the company for 31 years, first starting as the machinery editor for Farm Journal’s magazine.
Locus Agricultural Solutions has brought on Grant Aldridge as the new CEO. Aldridge will take over from acting CEO Paul Zorner, who will now focus exclusively on his role as the company’s Chief Agronomist. Aldridge was previously vice president of agricultural operations for Arcadia Biosciences.
The United Sorghum Checkoff board of directors has named Kira Everhart-Valentin as the organization’s first sustainability director. Her responsibilities will include developing and leading the sorghum industry’s sustainability initiatives and assessing opportunities for investment and collaboration. Most recently, Everhart-Valentin served as the program coordinator with the USAID Feed the Future Innovation Lab on Collaborative Research on Sorghum and Millet at Kansas State University.
The Minnesota Turkey Growers Association and Research and Promotion Council have tapped Sarah Anderson to serve as the new executive director. Before joining the team, Anderson was the executive director at Literacy Matters Foundation. Anderson served in the Minnesota Legislature from 2007 to 2019 and chaired the Senate Government Finance Committee.
Jed Dearborn has left the Hill where he served as senior counsel to Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, for the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. He has joined Cassidy & Associates as senior vice president working with clients on energy and natural resource policy.
Billy Constangy now serves as the chief of staff for Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C. He previously was the district director.
Tiffany Haverly has joined the House Energy and Commerce Committee as the new minority communications director under Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore. She previously was the director of public affairs at Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.
Lynn Hatcher is the new communications director for Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.V. Hatcher previously worked for Nahigian Strategies as a communications associate.
Zach Weber has been promoted to senior legislative assistant for Rep. Brenda Lawrence, D-Mich. Weber covers the portfolio for environmental protection, public lands and natural resources, and transportation and public works.
Julia Convertini now serves as a legislative assistant for Rep. Jim Hagedorn, R-Minn., covering the portfolio of foreign trade and international finance.
Loren Naldoza has been promoted to legislative aide from correspondent for Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., covering the portfolio for telecommunications and commerce.
Bruce Scherr
Rachel Harris has moved to the office of Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., as the new communications director. She previously was the communications director for Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla.
Ethan Strickland has been elevated to deputy legislative assistant for Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C. covering the portfolio of animal welfare and appropriations.
Tom Coburn, former U.S. senator representing the state of Oklahoma, passed away at the age of 72, due to prostate cancer. Before serving in Congress, Coburn was an obstetrician. He was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994, then returned to his practice in Muskogee. He returned to Washington D.C. in 2004 after winning an open U.S. Senate seat. Coburn was known as a fiscal conservative and an advocate for reducing the amount of wasteful spending in the federal government.
The former CEO of Informa Economics, Bruce Scherr, passed away Sunday after suffering a heart attack. As a divisional vice president at Data Resources Inc. from 1974 to 1979, the agricultural economist developed and utilized the first commercially available econometric model for U.S. agriculture — a fully interactive forecasting tool designed to provide problem-solving information. This breakthrough led to advisory roles with numerous government agencies, including the President’s Council of Economic Advisers and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Dr. Scherr received his bachelor's degree from Rutgers University and his master's and doctorate degrees from Purdue University, all in agricultural economics. A celebration of life service will be held in the fall. Family has requested that, in lieu of flowers, contributions be sent to St. Jude’s Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.
In the past week, the following individuals have tested positive for COVID-19:
Ronnie Anderson, Louisiana Farm Bureau President, has been put in a medically induced coma and has been on ventilator support. As of March 31, Anderson has been starting to wake up from the coma and doctors say his vitals are good, but he has yet to meet the requirements for ventilator removal.
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