The National Oilseed Processors Association hired Ryan Locke as vice president of engagement. He worked for Nutrien Ag Solutions as director of sustainability partnerships and business development and previously held roles at Bayer, Novozymes and Syngenta.
Nebraska cattleman Buck Wehrbein was elected president of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. Other officers are Gene Copenhaver of Virginia as president-elect, Kim Brackett of Idaho as vice president and Brad Hastings of Texas as treasurer. For the NCBA policy division, Skye Krebs of Oregon was named chair and Kenny Rogers of Colorado was elected vice chair. Nancy Jackson of Mississippi and Travis Maddock of North Dakota were elected as chair and vice chair of the NCBA Federation Division, respectively.
Ashley Boles rejoined CropLife America as legal counsel. She was recently an attorney-adviser at USDA and previously was counsel at CLA for four years.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., made changes to the communications staff in his personal office. Michael Finan is press secretary. He was previously communications director for Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J. Trenton Armstrong joined the staff as digital director. He was previously creative director for Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb.
Lizzie Haskell was promoted to operations director in the personal office of Senate Ag Committee Ranking Member Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. Haskell was most recently scheduling director in the office and previously worked for Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., promoted Mimi Vance to legislative assistant covering agriculture and food. She was recently legislative aide in the office and previously worked for the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee as a research assistant.
The National Corn Growers Association hired Lane Howard as director of biofuels. He previously managed market development at the Missouri Corn Merchandising Council and Missouri Corn Growers Association. Howard is an alumnus of the University of Missouri.
Lane Howard, NCGAJulie Lassa was hired as administrator of the Division of Agricultural Development at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. A Wisconsin native, she was a Wisconsin state legislator and USDA state rural development director.
FMI - The Food Industry Association named new executive committee members. Craig Boyan of H-E-B in San Antonio, Texas, was selected as chairman. Additional officers include Leslie G. Sarasin of FMI as president and CEO, Brian George of Alex Lee Inc. as immediate past chairman and Oscar Gonzalez of Northgate Gonzalez Market as vice chairman.
Andrea Travnicek has been nominated as assistant secretary of the interior for water and science. She previously worked in the cabinet of former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, now secretary of the interior. Travnicek was deputy assistant secretary of land and minerals management during Trump's first term.
The Michigan Retailers Association hired Andrew Beardslee as vice president of government affairs. He was previously director of state policy at the National Pork Producers Council.
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Aves Mocek joined the office of newly elected Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., as legislative assistant covering national security and energy. Previously, Mocek was a legislative correspondent in the office of Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb.
The Department of Energy hired Emery Washington as deputy press secretary. She previously held top communications positions in President Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and in the office of Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala.
Cornerstone Government Affairs added Prescott Martin to the government relations team. Martin was formerly deputy general counsel at USDA.
Will Bensur left the office of Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, where he served as press secretary. Bensur joined Firehouse Strategies as a vice president.
California Democratic Rep. Josh Harder’s former communications director Jen Fox joined the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network as associate director of federal media advocacy. She worked on Capitol Hill for nearly a decade.
Tom Brandt left the office of Kansas Republican Sen. Jerry Moran, where he had been communications director and deputy chief of staff. Brandt joined the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as a communications professional.
The National Council of Far
Chuck Conner, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
mer Cooperatives elected Kevin Brinkley, president and CEO of Plains Cotton Cooperative Association, as chairman. He succeeds Jay Debertin of CHS. Tom Astrup of American Crystal Sugar Co. was named vice chair. Chuck Conner continues as president until he retires at the end of the year; Marlis Carson remains secretary/treasurer.
Travis Martinez joined Land O’Lakes as government relations manager. He was previously legislative director for Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., and recently was the agriculture legislative assistant for Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan.
Former House Natural Resources Committee Democratic staffers launched a communications and lobbying firm: Snyder Gressard Strategy. Lora Snyder and Lindsay Gressard served as the staff director and communications director, respectively, for the committee under the leadership of ranking member Raúl Grijalva of Arizona.
Mason Justice was promoted to legislative assistant in the office of Oregon Republican Cliff Bentz covering agriculture, food and animal issues. Justice has been with the office for a year and previously worked for Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark.
House Budget Committee Republicans named Evan Dixon communications director. Dixon was vice president of communications at Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions and before that, press secretary for the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
Alaska Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan hired Joe Byrnes as a policy adviser covering energy, public lands and natural resources. He was previously legislative liaison at the Alaska Department of Natural Resources.
Madeline Wright joined the Senate Special Committee on Aging's Republican staff as policy analyst. She was assistant director of legislative affairs at the Florida Farm Bureau.
Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall hired Mary Kirchner as scheduling director. Kirchner previously worked at TAG Strategies LLC and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Colin Diersing joined the staff of Texas Democrat Rep. Greg Casar as communications director. Diersing previously worked as a communications aide on the Kamala Harris presidential campaign and for the American Bridge 21st Century political action committee.
Craig Roberts, former chief of staff to Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill., for his full 24 years in office, died recently. Roberts was a senior vice president at Milne, Wiener & Shofe Global Strategies, which announced his death without further information. “He has mentored literally hundreds of staff who are mourning his loss,” colleagues wrote in a post.
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