USA Rice’s board of directors has tapped Peter Bachmann as the next CEO of the organization, succeeding Betsy Ward, who has been at the helm for the last 16 years.
Bachmann will take over on Nov. 15. Ward will remain on as an adviser through mid-December.
Bachmann has been USA Rice’s vice president of policy and government affairs since 2019. He began with the organization in 2015 and worked on domestic farm policy issues before leaving in 2017 to take on a senior adviser role at the Department of Agriculture under then-Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. In that role, he helped lead the department through the 2018 farm bill process and helped implement the 2018 and 2019 trade mitigation packages.
Ward announced earlier this year she would retire from USA Rice after serving the organization for over 18 years. She previously chaired the U.S. Agricultural Export Development Council.
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“I speak for the entire industry when I say we are eternally grateful for the guidance, leadership, and dedication of Betsy Ward,” said Kirk Satterfield, a Mississippi rice farmer and chair of the USA Rice board.
“Her accomplishments are too many to list, but one of the most important things Betsy did for us was to build a strong organization with skilled and smart leaders outside and in, who could take the reins from her when she decided it was time to retire. We have full confidence that Peter will continue to build on Betsy's legacy.”
USA Rice plans to celebrate Ward’s retirement on Dec. 8 at the end of the USA Rice Outlook Conference in Indian Wells, California.
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