President Donald Trump has designated Jeffery Hall as chair and CEO of the Farm Credit Administration Board. He is the longest-serving member of the current FCA board since being appointed by former President Barack Obama in 2015. Hall succeeds Vincent Logan, who served as FCA board chair and CEO since 2022.
Glen Smith of Iowa was elected chair of the Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation board of directors. He succeeds Hall.
Former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has been named CEO of the World Food Prize Foundation. After leading USDA for 12 of the last 16 years, he told Agri-Pulse he will use his diplomatic experience to expand the foundation’s global network and advance the organization’s youth institute programming. He will assume the position on March 1.
The American Peanut Council hired Kate Maher as membership manager. She previously worked in membership and communications for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, U.S. Meat Export Federation and North American Limousin Foundation.
Kate Maher, American Peanut CouncilThe president appointed USDA wildfire prevention staff ahead of his Friday visit to California. Capitol Hill veteran Kristin Sleeper will be deputy undersecretary for natural resources and environment. She previously held positions on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources and House Agriculture committees focused on natural resource and environmental policy initiatives. Tom Schultz was appointed chief of staff for natural resources and environment. He most recently worked as vice president of resources and government affairs at the Idaho Forest Group for seven years, overseeing timber procurement and managing relationships with government officials.
After 36 years with Hormel, CEO Jim Snee will retire at the end of fiscal year 2025. He has been CEO since 2016. Snee oversaw the $3.3 billion purchase of Planters in 2021, the company's largest acquisition in history. He and his wife, Tammy, created the Hormel Hometown Food Security Project addressing local hunger in the company's Minnesota county.
Victoria Maloch returned to Capitol Hill as a senior policy adviser for Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo. She was chief of staff chief for the USDA Marketing and Regulatory Programs mission area and has worked as communications director for House Agriculture Committee Democrats.
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The American Sheep Industry Association elected fifth-generation rancher Ben Lehfeldt president. He previously was vice president and is a past member of the ASI wool council. Other officers include Joe Pozzi of California as vice president, Tammy Fisher of Texas as secretary/treasurer and Brad Boner of Wyoming as past president.
Mac Marshall joined Apeel Sciences as Americas product director. He recently launched a personal consulting business, Balcony View Consulting, and previously was vice president of market intelligence at the United Soybean Board.
Surface Transportation Board Chair Patrick Fuchs announced several staff selections. Lisa Novins will be his chief of staff, overseeing many managerial functions and day-to-day operations. Thomas Quinn will be attorney-adviser providing legal counsel to the chair, and Stephanie Borges will serve as Fuchs’s administrative assistant.
Pivot hired Richard Kottmeyer as managing director and practice leader for food, agriculture and beverage. He is a Farm Foundation round table fellow and previously worked at FTI Consulting and Farm to Fork Advisory Services, among other organizations.
Julie Busse joined the United Soybean Board as director of marketing communications. She previously worked at the National Corn Growers Association as communications director and most recently as director of renewable fuels leading the Ethanol Action Team.
The National Pork Board hired Naomi Mortensen as director of state association communications. She owns her own freelancing business, N.Marie Communications, and previously worked at Curious Plot for seven years.
The International Dairy Foods Association announced new executive council members. Daragh Maccabee, CEO of Idaho Milk Products, was elected chair. Joe Diglio, president and CEO of Michigan Milk Producers Association, was elected vice chair. Additional officers include Louie Gentine, CEO of Sargento Foods, secretary; Rich Draper, CEO of The Ice Cream Club, treasurer, and Terry Brockman, chief business officer at Saputo USA, immediate past chair.
Amanda Spoo launched her own consulting business, AJAE Communications. She previously worked in communications at U.S. Wheat Associates for seven years and was director of communications at the Pac/West Lobby Group.
Cotton Incorporated appointed 
William Kimbrell, Cotton IncorporatedWilliam Kimbrell as CEO and president. He has been with the organization for 22 years, most recently as vice president of Asia supply chain marketing.
Ann Wright has left the Commodity Futures Trading Commission after 10 years with the agency. She was most recently director of the office of legislative and intergovernmental affairs.
Maria Caranfa joined PepsiCo as an associate principal of life sciences insights and innovation. She will provide strategic nutrition leadership for PepsiCo North American Foods. She has worked for Kellanova, the Kellogg Co. and Bloomin’ Brands.
The Livestock Conservancy named Allison Kincaid executive director. She was previously executive director at the Colorado Parks and Recreation Association and Impact Association Management. Kincaid will work remotely from Tennessee.
Farmers Edge hired Sean McMahon as head of U.S. sustainability. He was previously executive director of the Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance for nine years.
Mary Kendall Mixon joined InformedAg as a marketing communications specialist in Opelika, Ala. She was previously a communications specialist at the Alabama Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils.
National Association of Water Companies hired Ted Stiger as senior director of public affairs. He was recently chief external affairs and policy officer for the Rural Community Assistance Partnership and previously worked at the National Association of Development Organizations.
Jenna Lansing joined Conagra Brands as a procurement manager for spices and seasonings, based in Omaha. Lansing leaves Aimpoint Research and The Directions Group, where she worked for five years.
Gregory Jaffe launched his own consulting company, Jaffe Policy Consulting, focused on agriculture, food and environmental policy. He has more than 35 years of experience in Washington, including 22 years at the Center for Science in the Public Interest and, until last month, senior adviser to the secretary of agriculture handling regulatory policy.
Abby Snyder joined AgSpire as director of environmental assets. She has worked in greenhouse gas accounting and regenerative agriculture for 15 years, most recently as senior manager of supply chain innovation at Verra, co-managing its Scope 3 emissions program.
Jeff Caldwell, Stratovation GroupStratovation Group hired Jeff Caldwell as vice president of strategy and content. He was an editor at Successful Farming for 10 years and previously an editor for the High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal.
Tom Poole was promoted to international marketing specialist at the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. He was an international program specialist for the past three years.
Halle Herbert joined the office of newly elected Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe as a senior policy adviser. She was legislative director at the Missouri Department of Public Safety for two years and previously director of operations for former Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Mo.
Valent appointed Tiffany Dean as vice president of sustainable solutions to oversee the company’s corporate and commercial sustainability initiatives across North America. She most recently held leadership positions at DSM in global performance solutions animal health in Vienna, Austria.
Diane Wray-Cahen was named deputy director of the trade support team at USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. She has been with the Foreign Agricultural Service for nearly 15 years, most recently as senior trade adviser for the animal division.
Hans Coetzee of Kansas State University received the National Academy of Sciences Prize in Food and Agriculture Sciences for transformative research into safe and cost-effective pain relief solutions for livestock. He will receive a $100,000 award.
Jim Furnish, retired deputy chief of the Forest Service, died Jan. 11. He was 79. During his 34-year career with the agency, he helped craft protections for tens of millions of acres of roadless areas in national forests. He was a Forest Service leader creating both the Roadless Area Conservation Rule (2001) and the revised National Forest Planning Rule (2000). He served on advisory boards for the Western Environmental Law Center and Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics. A memorial service is being planned for the Spring in Iowa City, Iowa.
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