Mace Thornton, Stratovation Group
Mace Thornton has joined Stratovation Group as partner and COO to lead integrated client services. He will be based in St. Louis, where he will establish a new Stratovation field office. Thornton previously worked at the United Soybean Board, where he was vice president of communications and marketing strategy. Before that, he worked in Washington, D.C. at the American Farm Bureau Federation, where he served as executive director of communications.
Christopher Galen has been selected to serve as the executive director of the American Butter Institute in addition to his responsibilities as the senior vice president of member services and strategic initiatives at the National Milk Producers Federation.
Brenda Burman has been tapped to take over as general manager for the Central Arizona Project at the beginning of the year. Burman was commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation during the Trump administration.
Whitney Forman-Cook is set to leave her position at the National Association of State Foresters Nov. 18 for a new role as the chief operations officer at Society of American Foresters. She’ll start her new job Nov. 28. In addition to being a former Agri-Pulse reporter, Forman-Cook was the communications director for NASF and previously held the same role for the National Association of Conservation Districts.
Leah Cochran Mulcahy has been elevated to director of global marketing at the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council. She has been with the council for the last 10 years and previously served as the director of Latin America, Caribbean, and Oceania. Before coming to the council, Mulcahy worked at USDA as an international trade specialist in the Foreign Agricultural Service.
Isabel Acevedo became the new manager of community innovation at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center Nov. 1. She has worked for DDPSC for two years, most recently as the corporate and foundation relations specialist.
Turner Bridgforth has accepted a new role with Corteva Agriscience as the government and industry affairs manager. He previously worked on Capitol Hill as the senior policy adviser for Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La.
Kelli Wicks has been hired as the new manager of international market development at the National Pork Board. Wicks has been working as the Pork Checkoff’s intern for international market development since May. She is a recent graduate of Oklahoma State University’s Master of International Agriculture Program.
Leslie Sims, Impossible FoodsGregor Catto now serves as the senior trade policy officer in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office at the British Embassy in Washington. He previously served as the agriculture policy adviser and before that worked on Capitol Hill in the office of Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., as his legislative assistant covering the portfolio for agriculture, telecommunications, transportation, homeland security and FEMA.
Mondelēz International has made additions to its senior management team. Frank Cervi, who most recently served as the company’s head of supply chain strategy, has been named chief supply chain operations officer. Daniel Ramos has been named chief research and development officer. He previously worked for The Estée Lauder Companies, where he had a strong focus on advancing sustainable packaging initiatives. Javier Polit has been added to the Mondelēz International Leadership Team. He serves as the company’s chief digital and information officer.
Jodie Anderson has been selected to serve as the new executive director of the South Dakota Beef Industry Council. In her career, Anderson was executive director of the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association for 16 years and also headed up the National Lamb Feeders Association. Anderson replaces Suzy Geppert, who resigned at the end of September.
Carrie Dodds has been promoted to vice president of grower development at Iowa Corn. She previously served as the director of grower services.
Impossible Foods has hired Leslie Sims as the new chief marketing and creative officer, effective Jan. 1. She previously served as the U.S. chief creative officer of Deloitte Digital.
CD Glin has been tapped to serve as PepsiCo Foundation’s new president. He previously was the foundation’s vice president and global head of philanthropy. He will remain the head of philanthropy.
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Terrain, a new source of agricultural industry analysis for U.S. farmers and ranchers, launched this week and has brought on a team of agriculture professionals. American AgCredit, Farm Credit Services of America and Frontier Farm Credit have partnered to establish and offer Terrain to their customers. Leading the Terrain team is Don Close, serving as the chief research and analytics officer. Other hires include David Weaber, senior animal protein analyst; Ben Laine, senior dairy analyst; Matthew Roberts, Ph.D., senior grain and oilseed analyst; Cody Barilla, grain and oilseed analyst; Matthew Clark, senior rural economy analyst; and Heather Stettner as engagement director.
CD Glin, PepsiCo Foundation
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has selected new individuals to serve on the Agricultural Advisory Committee. The new appointments are as follows: Tim Andriesen, CME Group; Layne Carlson, Minneapolis Grain Exchange; Robert Chesler, United Dairymen of Arizona; Gerald Corcoran, Futures Industry Association; Edward Gallagher, National Milk Producers Federation; Tom Haag, National Corn Growers Association; Scott Herndon, Field to Market; Jered Hooker, American Soybean Association; Bryan Humphreys, National Pork Producers Council; Willis Kidd, Citadel; Jeff Lloyd, Archer Daniels Midland; Michelle Mapes, Green Plains Inc.; Mark McHargue, American Farm Bureau Federation; Edward Prosser, The Scoular Company; Michael Ricks, Cargill; Bella Rozenberg, ISDA; Troy Sander, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association; Liam Smith, Futures Industry Association, Principal Traders Group; Curt Strubhar, Grain and Feed Association of Illinois; Wes Uhlmeyer, Demeter Logistics; and Jason Wheeler, USA Rice Federation.
The Department of Agriculture has appointed 25 industry representatives to serve on the Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee. The representatives will serve two-year terms beginning immediately and ending in October 2024. Newly appointed members are: Alyssa Melendez, Single Origin Spices; Angel Santiago Colon, Caribbean Produce Exchange; David Einstandig, Mastronardi Produce-USA Inc.; Isabel Freeland, Coast Citrus Distributors; Jorge Vazquez, Latin Specialties; Donna Garren, American Frozen Food Institute; Kay Swartz Rentzel, U.S. Sweet Potato Council and the American Sweet Potato Marketing Institute; David Van Eeckhout, The Good Acre; Haven Baker, Pairwise; Jenifer DeAtley, Sustainable Food Center; Nathan Pumplin, Norfolk Healthy Produce Inc.; Rebecca Serratos, Prescott Farmers Market; Susan Sutphin, Sutphin Tahoe Food Hub; Anthony Mirisciotta, GrowFood Carolina; Amy Baker, Peterson Farms; Bruce Frasier, Dixondale Farms; Christopher Cirulim, Ciruli Brothers; Darwin Inman, Horizon Nut Company; James Benson, Hronis Inc.; Michael Briano, Harris Woolf California Almonds; Morris Hodges, Morris Watermelon Farm; Reginald Marshall, Reggies Veggies; and Andrew Garcia, Altar Produce. Reappointed members include: Karla J. Stockli, California Fig Advisory Board, and Julie Masser Ballay, Sterman Masser.
The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research has selected David Donnan as the newest member of its board of directors. Donnan is a business leader and a Northwestern University adjunct professor, leading a class on the Future of Sustainable Food and Agriculture for engineering and business students. He is also the president of Silvertip Management, where he advises venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and small businesses on food and agriculture innovation.
Western Growers elected new members to serve on its board of directors at its annual meeting last week. Click here for the new board members.
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