The Port of Oakland named Andre Basler director of utilities. In the newly created executive level position, he will be responsible for the Port’s Utilities Division which is upgrading port facilities and adjusting to a zero emission goal. Basler will lead the division’s activities including short- and long-term strategic planning, infrastructure management and compliance. Basler was assistant general manager of engineering and operations at Alameda Municipal Power.
Christina Coen was named chief technology officer, chief transformation officer and sustainability lead at UPL Corp. She was previously chief marketing officer at UPL based in London. Earlier in her career, Coen worked for Dow Agrosciences and FMC Corporation.
Rack & Riddle, the largest custom sparkling wine producer in the U.S., hired Jeff Tuttle as CEO. Rack & Riddle has an annual production capacity of 3.5 million cases from four wineries in Northern California specializing in Méthode Champenoise and Charmat sparkling wine processes. Tuttle worked
Andre Basler (Port of Oakland photo) for Bellisio Foods for the last 18 years, recently leading its North America brands .
CropLife America hired Stacy Southard as an executive assistant. She was a legal secretary at Baker Botts for 28 years.
Fair Trade USA named Felipe Arango CEO. He was chief operating officer and interim CEO since FTUSA founder Paul Rice stepped down in September. Prior to joining the organization in 2023, Arango co-founded an international network of consultancy firms providing knowledge and solutions for sustainable development. He also worked for the International Finance Corp.
The Russell Group hired Alex Smith as a legislative assistant. He previously worked for CropLife America as a government affairs coordinator and PAC manager. A Texas A&M University graduate, Smith also completed an internship with the USA Rice Federation.
The Agriculture Department announced a slate of new political appointments, including many names familiar to the food and agriculture community: Trey Forsyth, Kelsey Barnes, Bill Beam and Tucker Stewart, among others.
Maggie Linden was named senior adviser for marketing and regulatory programs. She previously worked in government relations for food and ag clients. Bailey Archey was named a policy adviser in the same mission area with a focus on Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issues. She was previously a legislative assistant to Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith focused on agriculture issues.
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Former Senate Ag Committee professional staff member Trey Forsyth was named chief of staff for food safety. During the first Trump administration, Forsyth was a policy adviser to Gregg Doud, the Chief Agricultural Negotiator at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
Jordan Bonfitto, former director of government affairs at the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, was named chief of staff for marketing and regulatory programs. He is an alumnus of the University of Florida.
Ricki Schroeder is chief of staff for research, education and economics. An Oklahoma State University graduate, Schroeder was previously a professional staff member for the House Agriculture Committee.
Kelsey Barn
Kelsey Barnes swearing in at the USDA headquarters (USDA photo)es, former director of government affairs at the Farm Journal Foundation, was named senior adviser to the secretary for rural development, biofuels, and research, education, and economics. During the first Trump administration she served as chief of staff to the Rural Business-Cooperative Service at USDA.
The Office of Communications staff has been named. Seth Christensen, who was assistant agency director and chief of media, communications and preparedness for the Texas Division of Emergency Management, is director of communications. He has a law degree from South Texas College of Law. Alec Varsamis has returned to USDA as deputy director of communications. He was press secretary during the first Trump administration. Natalie Ihrman was named press secretary. She previously worked for Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.
Audra Weeks, the interim communications staffer for the Agriculture Department, will now serve as director of external and intergovernmental affairs. She served as deputy press secretary at USDA during the first Trump administration.
Alveda King was named senior adviser on faith and community outreach. She is chair of the Rollins-launched American First Policy Institute Center for the American Dream and is co-founder of She Leads Georgia and Speak for Life.
David Matthews was appointed director of state operations for Rural Development. He was previously appointed by President Trump to the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development, which is dedicated to advising USAID on agricultural and food security programs in developing countries. He has also previously served in roles at the Food and Nutrition Service, the Farm Service Agency, and as a representative of the White House.
Tucker Stewart was named deputy assistant secretary for congressional relations. A Kansas native, he was general counsel and senior agriculture policy adviser to Sen. Roger Marshall. R-Kan.
T.W. Shannon was named senior adviser to the secretary for rural prosperity. Previously speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, Shannon has worked in various banking and economic development positions in his home state.
Joe Gilson was named chief of staff for Rural Development in the office of the undersecretary. He is returning to the agency after serving as an RD policy adviser at USDA during the first Trump administration. Gilson most recently worked for the American Farm Bureau Federation as a director of government affairs and previously was a legislative assistant for Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, covering agriculture, energy and environmental issues.
Carlee Tousman was named director of special projects. She was previously deputy communications director for the Senate Judiciary Committee and was director of events at Teneo.
Liz Friedlander was promoted to managing director at FGS Global. 
Liz Friedlander (FGS Global photo)She has been with the organization for nearly three years. Earlier in her career, Friedlander was director of policy communications at the National Corn Growers Association.
Michawn Nastro joined P2 Public Affairs as a vice president. She served as USDA communications director during the first Trump administration and later as communications director for Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan.
ZimmComm principals Chuck and Cindy Zimmerman are retiring from business travel at the end of 2025. The couple has snapped nearly 225,000 photos and thousands of interviews during their 20 years of “agriblogging” at an array of industry events and meetings, both in the U.S. and dozens of countries abroad. They plan to continue their news release services AgWired and Energy AgWired, along with their podcasting and audio production services. The Zimmermans plan to spend their new free time with their three daughters and four grandchildren.
Rebecca Lambert was promoted to senior vice president of U.S. petcare marketing at Zoetis. She has been with the company for 12 years, most recently as head of U.S. livestock marketing.
Case New Holland named Jim Nickolas as chief financial officer. He joins the company from Martin Marietta, a U.S.-based supplier of construction materials, where he served as CFO and executive vice president. Previously, he worked at Caterpillar for nearly a decade as head of corporate development and CFO of the resources industries segment. Nickolas succeeds Oddone Incisa, who stepped down from the role as CFO.
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