Ken Barbic, InvariantKen Barbic has joined Invariant as a new principal of the food and agriculture practice group. He previously was the vice president and head of policy and global government relations at Farmers Business Network. During the Trump administration, he was tapped to serve as the assistant secretary for congressional relations at the Department of Agriculture. Before that, he worked for Western Growers as the senior director of federal government affairs.
Invariant also has another new principal at the firm: Adam Tarr, previously a senior director, has also been promoted to the new role.
Joanna Girardin Shapiro has been named chief member engagement officer for the American Bankers Association. She previously worked for the Bank of New York Mellon’s corporate trust division as the managing director of securities services and digital.
Andrew Smith has been selected as the new chief scientific officer of the Rodale Institute. Smith moved to the newly created position after serving as the chief operating officer. He has over 20 years of experience with the organization.
Phil Graves is the new chief financial officer of Meati Foods. He previously was the CEO of Wild Idea Buffalo Co.
Smithfield Foods has named Brendan Smith as its new chief marketing officer and Allyson Bouldon as the chief ethics and compliance officer. Smith most recently was the chief marketing officer for New Realm Brewing and Distilling. Bouldon previously served as the managing counsel for Wolters Kluwer.
Garland Reiter Jr. has been chosen as the new chief commercial officer of Driscoll’s of the Americas. He previously was the vice president of global blueberry leadership.
The Department of Agriculture has announced new senior staff positions and state level leadership.
Anna Gore, The Minor Use FoundationUSDA has named Angie Snyder as the new deputy administrator of the Agricultural Marketing Service Cotton and Tobacco Program, which is part of the Marketing and Regulatory Programs mission area. She most recently was rebuilding and directing the agency’s budget office. Before that, she was the associate deputy administrator of the AMS Fair Trade Practices Program, overseeing Packers and Stockyards, the country-of-origin labeling, and the national bioengineered food disclosure standard.
Betsy Dirksen Londrigan has accepted the new role of USDA’s Rural Business-Cooperative Service administrator. She previously was the state rural development director for Illinois. Molly Hammond, deputy state director, is stepping in as the acting state director for Illinois.
Malcom Shorter has been named assistant secretary for administration. Shorter was selected as the acting assistant secretary for administration in February 2023. He previously served as the deputy assistant secretary for administration from March 2021 and from June 2013 through December 2016.
Richard Rush has been appointed Idaho state director for Rural Development. Rush served as Idaho’s state executive director for USDA’s Farm Service Agency in the Obama Administration, and he also served in the same position in the Clinton Administration.
Arnold Hernandez has been selected as the new Idaho state executive director for the Farm Service Agency. Previously, Hernandez was the assistant dean of students, founder, and director of the diversity, equity, and inclusion department at the College of Idaho where he worked for 27 years.
Leroy M. Garcia has been tapped as the chief of staff for the Rural Business Cooperative Service. Garcia most recently served as the special assistant to the assistant secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs at the Department of Defense.
Shawn Campbell has been named policy adviser for the Farm Service Agency. Campbell previously served as lead legislative analyst for USDA’s Office of Congressional Relations.
Anna Gore has taken over as executive director of the Minor Use Foundation Board of Directors. She previously served as the director of operations since May 2022.
Cole Spain has moved to Washington, D.C., to be the manager of international affairs for the National Pork Producers Council. Spain worked for NPPC in Iowa as the regional manager of producer services.
Isabelle Ausdal has started a new position with the U.S. Grains Council as the regional ethanol manager for the European Union, United Kingdom, and Canada. She previously was the manager of global ethanol policy and economics.
Govind Kannan has been tapped as the new head of the Department of Poultry Science and director of the Charles C. Miller Poultry Research and Education Center at Auburn University. The appointment goes into effect June 1. Kannan currently serves as Fort Valley State University’s vice president for land-grant affairs and economic development.
The Department of Agriculture has appointed six new members to serve on the Christmas Tree Promotion Board. JoLynn Stroda, Monroe, Oregon, and Chris Aldrich, Onalaska, Washington, will represent the western area of Producer Region #1. Jane Neubauer, Chardon, Ohio, will represent the central area of Producer Region #2. Renee Beutell, Tuckasegee, North Carolina, and Chuck Berry, Covington, Georgia, will represent the eastern area of Producer Region #3. Lastly, Larry Downey, Cookshire-Eaton, Quebec Canada, has been selected to serve on the board as an importer.
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Mark Eisele, a Wyoming rancher, has taken over the gavel as president of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. Eisele and his wife and kids operate the King Ranch near Cheyenne, Wyoming, grazing both public and private lands. Buck Wehrbein, Nebraska, was named president-elect, Gene Copenhaver, Virginia, was elected vice president, and Brad Hastings, Texas, will continue to serve as NCBA treasurer. Kim Brackett, Idaho, was elected chair of the NCBA Policy Division, and Skye Krebs, Oregon, was elected policy vice chair. Dan Gattis of Texas is the new chair and Nancy Jackson of Mississippi is vice chair of the NCBA Federation division.
The American Sugarbeet Growers Association has elected Neil Rockstad of Ada, Minnesota, as president and Tim Deal from Doran, Minnesota, as vice president. Rockstad has served on the ASGA board of directors since 2015 and previously was the association’s vice president for the last two years. Deal also currently serves as chairman of Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative in Wahpeton, North Dakota. He has served on the Minn-Dak Board of Directors and in various leadership positions since 2012.
The Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau has elected Lindsey Rinkenberger as the new chairwoman. Rinkenberger has served as the director of commercial agribusiness underwriting operations at COUNTRY Financial since 2020.
Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture has selected new board members and officers. Jack Scott, vice president of sustainable sourcing for Nestlé Purina, has been elected as the new chair, and Michelle French, director of global sustainability programs for Archer Daniels Midland Company, is the new vice-chair. Scott Manley with Ducks Unlimited is the new treasurer and Brandon Hunnicutt with Nebraska Corn Board is the new secretary. Kate Schaffner, Royal Canin, Jennifer Nelligan, National Association of Conservation Districts, and Ceejay Girard, PepsiCo, were newly appointed to sit on the board.
Bill NortheyThe Almond Board of California has announced 18 professionals have been selected to participate in the Almond Leadership Program class of 2024. The members are Ziv Attia of Bakersfield and Phytech; Andy Barahate of Kerman and Central California Almond Growers Association; Gurajan Brar of Madera and Brar & Son Farms; Matthew Brocato of Fresno and Phytech; Mark Cavallero of Madera and Sierra Valley Almonds; Zachary Days of Patterson and Cal Coast Almond Processing Inc.; Mallory Dodds of Fresno and Gowan USA; Ryan Hackett of Modesto and Gold Leaf Farming; Brandon Heinrich of Modesto and B&M Orchards; Amanda Hernandez of Hollister and TriCal Inc.; Victoria Lee of Sacramento and Blue Diamond Growers; Sutter Long of Corning and Bayer Crop Science; Antonio Lopez of Woodland and Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation; Ryan McCoon of Escalon and Cultiva; Edgar Perez of Modesto and American AgCredit; Jeevan Sandhu of Yuba City and Wilbur Ellis; Erik Stanek of Sacramento and Blue Diamond Growers; and Delaney Woolwine of Fresno and Harris Woolf California Almonds.
Bill Northey, former Iowa Ag Secretary and Trump administration USDA leader, has died, leaving behind numerous family and friends and a legacy of farm policy leadership. He was 64. Northey was the CEO of the Agribusiness Association of Iowa, which announced the news Monday. He served 11 years as Iowa’s ag secretary and was the undersecretary for farm production and conservation during the Trump administration. Northey was a fourth-generation farmer who was involved in the Dickinson County Soil and Water Conservation District, Iowa Farm Bureau, and was the president of the National Corn Growers Association in 1995-1996.
Michael Gill, chief of staff at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission during the Trump Administration (2016-2019), died Feb. 3 of gunshot wounds sustained during a Jan. 29 carjacking in Washington. He was 56. Gill had been chief of staff for former CFTC Chairman Christopher Giancarlo with a focus on swap execution rules reform and liaison with the Financial Stability Oversight Council. Before that, he was senior vice president of the American Frozen Food Institute (2000-2004), an attorney at Crowell & Moring, senior vice president at a venture of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to create a platform for issuance and management of mortgage securities, and a staff member for former Sen. John Danforth, R-Mo., and the late Rep. Paul Gillmor, R-Ohio. Recently, he was senior vice president for capital markets at the Housing Policy Council, a financial industry trade association.
Terry Fankhauser, former executive vice president of Colorado Cattlemen's Association from 2001 to 2022, passed away on Jan. 29. Robert Farnam, current CCA president and a long-time friend of Fankhauser's, said in a statement, “We have lost a truly great man today; a loving husband, dad, and friend. He loved this association, its members, and the beef industry in our great state … He was a visionary leader; our state and industry have been blessed with him leading the way for so many years.”
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