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Republican Rep. Vince Fong has taken the seat of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy after winning a special election in May, and Derek Neilson, head of the agriculture division at Case New Holland Industrial, has left the company to pursue entrepreneurial interests.

Republican Rep. Vince Fong was sworn in Monday to fill the seat of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Fong won a special election in May to represent California’s 20th congressional district, including parts of Fresno, Tulare, Kern and Kings counties in the Central Valley. The district accounts for 9% of California’s annual agriculture sales and ranks 24th of all congressional districts in the value of agricultural products sold, according to 2022 Ag Census data published by the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Melinda Cep has started a new role as the senior director of lands, water, and agriculture in the White House’s climate policy office and John MacDonald has been named vice president of marketing for The Giant Co.

Sheryl Wallace has been named CEO of Ardent Mills, the flour milling joint venture of ConAgra, Cargill and CHS, and the U.S. Grains Council has named Ankit Chandra as senior manager of global ethanol market development.

Gardner Hatch has been selected as the new executive director of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting, while the Biotechnology Innovation Organization has laid off 30 employees, including some in senior leadership positions.

Gardner Hatch has been selected as the new executive director of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting, and Jared Andrews has been named to supervise the Michigan State University Plant Pathology and Entomology Research Centers.

Scott Herndon has joined Corteva as the new head of U.S. government and industry affairs effective May 20.

Scott Herndon has joined Corteva as the new head of US Government and Industry Affairs and Jill LeVake has accepted the role of Corteva’s state government and industry affairs western regional director.

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,