Aubrey Bettencourt is the new global director of government relations and external affairs at Netafim, Orbia's precision agriculture business group. Aubrey will direct Netafim’s advocacy strategy as well lead government relations and efforts to develop strategic partnerships. She had been president and CEO of the Almond Alliance of California since 2021.
Chris Turner has been appointed chief commercial officer at Pivot Bio, a biotechnology company in Berkeley, California. He previously served as head of the U.S. crop science division for Bayer, where he also was senior vice president of U.S. commercial operations. Before joining Bayer, he was with Monsanto Co. for more than 20 years.
Chris Turner, Pivot BioThe Office of the United States Trade Representative has tapped Neil Beck as acting assistant U.S. Trade Representative for World Trade Organization and multilateral affairs. Beck previously served as deputy assistant USTR in the same office.
John Steeves has been named head of rural business economics for North America at Rabo AgriFinance. Steeves recently was executive vice president of banking at Canadian Western Bank following his role as senior vice president for Prairies-Northern Alberta Regions.
Scott Herndon is leaving Field to Market May 14 for a new opportunity. He has been president of the group since 2022. The Field to Market board is in the process of hiring a new leader.
Kellye Walker is now senior vice president, chief legal officer and worldwide public affairs officer of John Deere. She previously worked for Eastman Chemical Co. as executive vice president and chief legal officer.
CropLife America has hired Jeff Blackwood as vice president of government relations effective May 28. He was BASF Corp. government affairs policy lead and at The Fertilizer Institute.
Kellie Bray has announced she is leaving CropLife after more than 16 years with the organization, effective May 24. She plans to take a break before announcing her next endeavor.
Kylie Gregory has transitioned from CropLife America to RISE, the Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment, to be government relations manager. She previously was government relations coordinator and CLPAC manager at CropLife.
Megan Striegel-Thomas has left RISE, where she was government affairs and grassroots engagement manager. She is now director of legislative and regulatory affairs of the National Pest Management Association.
Aimee Smith is now the director of partnerships and account development for the Healthy Family Project. She previously was the senior vice president of business development at Category Partners. She also was a sales manager at Highland Ag Solutions and held positions with Mission Produce, the California Blueberry Committee and the California Apple Commission.
Sigrid Johannes has been promoted to senior director of government affairs at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Previously director of the Public Lands Council and NCBA government affairs, she will no longer be working for PLC. Her new portfolio will include lab-grown meat, cattle health and welfare, food safety and animal disease traceability.
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The U.S. Grains Council has brought on Samantha Redfern to be global ethanol program coordinator. Redfern had worked with her regional county district focusing on grant writing, research initiatives and community support programs.
Sigrid Johannes, NCBAKamron Newberry has been named advocacy project coordinator for AmericanHort. A Texas Tech University alumnus, Newberry graduated with a bachelor of science degree in plant and soil science and a master of science in horticulture science.
The National Academy of Sciences has elected 120 new members and 24 non-voting international members for their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. Two with food and agricultural backgrounds are among those honored: William J. Murphy is a professor of genetics and James E. Womack University professor in the Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences at Texas A&M University. A specialist in genetics, gene editing and evolution in small animal species, Murphy is also a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Jessica Fanzo, professor of climate and director of the Food for Humanity Initiative in the Columbia Climate School at Columbia University in New York City, focuses on linkage of agriculture, health and the environment in climate-impacted countries with limited resources. She has been an adviser to the International Food Policy Research Institute, USAID, the World Bank and the World Health Organization, and collaborates with governments to regain food security in post-conflict regions. Fanzo earlier was director of the Johns Hopkins University Global Food Policy and Ethics Program and worked at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Food Program, Biodiversity International, the World Agroforestry Center and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
Kellen Stailey Martin has joined Index Fresh as vice president of marketing. She recently was vice president of marketing for Hazel Technologies and brings over 18 years of experience in the produce industry to the role.
Legendary Amarillo, Texas, cattle feeder Paul F. Engler died May 3. He was 94. Engler gained international fame in 1996 when he sued television’s Oprah Winfrey under a state food defamation law for her pledge to avoid hamburgers after the discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, in the United Kingdom. An Amarillo jury ruled unanimously in Winfrey’s favor in 1998. A former Iowa Beef Packers executive, he founded Cactus Feeders in 1975, building it into the world’s largest cattle feeding operation. Today, at least one of every 25 fed cattle in the United States is from Cactus. West Texas A&M University named both its College of Business and College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences after Engler.
