The World Food Prize Foundation announced that former Iowa Governor and U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad will retire as its president Jan. 31, 2025, and be succeeded by Mashal Husain, now the group's chief operating officer. The foundation, based in Des Moines, Iowa, said it would conduct a global search to fill a newly created chief executive officer position.
Trevor Reuschel, former chief of staff for former Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Illinois, joined ADM as vice president of federal government relations. He previously worked at USDA and was director of congressional and public affairs at the Farm Credit Administration.
Mashal Husain, World Food PrizeRuth Bradley was promoted to director of federal government affairs at Tyson Foods. She was senior manager of federal government relations after 11 years at Tyson.
Oliver Ward has joined the Agri-Pulse team on Capitol Hill as international trade editor. He has extensive experience in trade and international economics at Inside U.S. Trade and the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a non-partisan think tank. He can be reached at oliver@agri-pulse.com.
CropLife America added Victoria Yell as a science policy fellow. She recently got a Ph.D. in plant biology from North Carolina State.
Teddy Tanzer left as senior counsel on the House Energy and Commerce Committee Republican staff to become senior director at Invariant.
USDA appointed five new members of the United Soybean Board: Steve Pitstick, Maple Park, Illinois; Suzanne H. Shirbroun, Farmersburg, Iowa; Keith N. Tapp, Sebree, Kentucky; Gregg Fujan, Weston, Nebraska, and Justin Jones, Wyalusing, Pennsylvania. Twelve other members were reappointed.
Randy Duckworth has been appointed executive director of the Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance, effective Jan. 6. He has held positions with the International Agri-Food Network and the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Legume Systems Research at Michigan State. He succeeds Eric Wenberg, who retired in September after leading the organization for its first five and a half years.
Adam Ward completed his tenure as director of government affairs for Ohio State's College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. He worked earlier for the Ohio Soybean Council and Ohio Department of Agriculture.
USDA named 27 new members to its Task Force on Agricultural Air Quality Research. The group examines the intersection of agriculture and air quality and advises the secretary on solutions to improve air quality. Among them are Frank Mitloehner, an extension air quality specialist at California-Davis; Sheryl Magzamen, professor at Colorado State whose research focuses on how social factors and environmental exposures contribute to chronic disease; and Lara Moody, executive director at the Institute for Feed Education and Research. A list of members is here.
Kip Pendleton was selected as executive chairman at Exacto, a chemical manufacturing firm in Sharon, Wisconsin. He was president, CEO and executive chairman at Jord BioScience.
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Paul Lewis, International Fresh Produce AssociationPaul Lewis is the new vice president of food safety standards and regulatory compliance at the International Fresh Produce Association. Lewis worked at USDA, EPA, NIH and as director of policy and advocacy for seeds and traits at Bayer Crop Science.
CropLife America promoted Susana Zloczower to science policy and regulatory affairs specialist. She was legal and regulatory affairs administrative assistant.
Steven Graham has started as assistant director of agricultural innovation projects at Kansas State, a part-time position after nearly 30 years of working full-time. He recently was emeritus assistant to the dean and director of research and extension.
Tracy Sagan joined Komatsu as marketing communications manager in Milwaukee. She worked for Case New Holland and recently was marketing director for Kress Outdoor Power Equipment.
The Irrigation Association named Luke Reynolds associate director of government and public affairs. He will support policy and public affairs initiatives with focus on state and local issues.
The Paulsen agency in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, hired Brett Somsen as director of paid media. Somsen comes from IDC Networks where he worked in performance marketing. Early in his career, Somsen worked for Paulsen on what was then an emerging web team.
Haley Bickelhaupt started as a multimedia journalist at WQAD News in Moline, Illinois. She worked for Illinois Corn as policy communications manager and interned with Agri-Pulse.
IntelliTrans tapped Matt Everson as senior vice president of sales and marketing. He previously worked in marketing and sales at Freightwise, Kewill, Oracle and Infor.
EPA appointed 18 new members and reappointed six to its Farm, Ranch and Rural Communities Advisory Committee. Beth Sauerhaft of the American Farmland Trust will remain chair and Michael Crowder from Ducks Unlimited will be vice chair. A list of committee members is here.
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