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Governor Gavin Newsom has appointed Haig Baghdassarian as the deputy secretary and chief counsel at the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the Arizona Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement has hired Kevin Watson as a new compliance officer.

Mike Seyfert has been tapped to lead the National Grain and Feed Association, President-elect Joe Biden has added additional members to the White House COVID-19 Response Team, and Carrie Castille becomes the permanent director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Longtime Washington farm hand Mike Seyfert has been tapped as the next president and CEO of the National Grain and Feed Association. The agribusiness lobbyist and former congressional staffer will officially assume his new duties March 1.

The coronavirus pandemic was top of mind for nearly every aspect of the global economy in 2020, and farm policy stakeholders were keeping a close eye on Agri-Pulse’s coverage of the virus and legislative efforts to lessen its blow throughout the year.

Richard Rominger, deputy secretary of agriculture during the Clinton administration and former secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, died Sunday of a heart attack suffered at a restaurant in Winters, Calif., his home town. He was 93.

Governor Gavin Newsom has appointed Liane Randolph as the new chair of the California Air Resources Board and Dee Dee Myers to serve as senior advisor to the Governor and director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development.

President-elect Joe Biden has selected some familiar names to lead key agencies in his new administration, including Tom Vilsack to lead the Department of Agriculture.

Seth Meyer will be returning to the Department of Agriculture to assume the position of chief economist.

The United Soybean Board reflected on the challenges and highlights of 2020 and elected new leadership during their board meeting this week.

A new coalition of businesses has announced the formation of OneTen, an organization that aims to upskill, hire and promote 1 million Black Americans over the next 10 years.