Former Biotechnology Innovation Organization staff member Beth Ellikidis joined Syngenta as director of federal affairs in its Washington office. She was vice president of agriculture and environment at BIO and earlier headed U.S. public affairs at global animal health firm Zoetis and worked at the National Corn Growers Association and the National Grain and Feed Association.
Darin Guries will join the Futures Industry Association as vice president of U.S. government relations Sept. 2. He worked for JPMorganChase as vice president of federal government relations shaping legislative strategies across artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital assets. His 15 years on the Hill included tenure with the Senate Agriculture Committee Republican staff focused on cryptocurrencies, derivatives markets and CFTC.
The Pet Food Institute promoted Atalie Ebersole to vice president of government relations and Dana Waters to director of international affairs. Ebersole has been with the organization for nearly six years. Earlier, she worked for Rescue:Freedom International and Grant Thornton. Waters has been with PFI for over three years, recently in a manager position.
The Northeast Dairy Producers Association hired Allyson Jones-Brimmer as executive director. She has been with the organization since 2023, recently as vice president of regulatory and legislative affairs. She has held roles with the Animal Agriculture Alliance, Farm Credit East and the U.S. Beet Sugar Association. Jones-Brimmer is a 2020 graduate of the Virginia Agriculture Obtaining Results program and a 2016 graduate of the Young Dairy Leaders Institute. She is an active member of the New York State FFA Leadership Training Foundation board of directors.
Left to right: Clark Hamilton (Idaho), past chair; Mike Carstensen (Washington), secretary-treasurer; Jim Pellman (North Dakota), chair; Gary Millershaski (Kansas), vice chair; Mike Spier, president and CEO. (Photo: USW)North Dakota wheat, barley, canola, corn and soybean farmer Jim Pellman took the gavel as the chair of the U.S. Wheat Associates board at the organization’s summer meeting. He has worked as an ag lender and county supervisor with Farmers Home Administration as well as a community banker, volunteer firefighter department chief and chair of a local nonprofit housing organization. Gary Millershaski, of Lakin, Kansas, moved up to vice chair, and Clark Hamilton of Ririe, Idaho, moved to the past chair position. Mike Carstensen of Almira, Washington, the newest USW board officer, was installed as secretary-treasurer.
Former U.S. Agency for International Development staff member Grace Burton joined the Farm Journal Foundation as director of government affairs. She managed the congressional portfolio for USAID’s Bureau for Resilience and Food Security for the past four years. Earlier, she worked in government relations positions at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
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Reed Middleton joined Monument Advocacy as a government relations manager on the food and agriculture team. She was previously program coordinator at the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Climate Resilient Cereals at Kansas State University.
Former Dairy West CEO Karianne Fallow joined AARP as Idaho state director. She led Dairy West for more than a decade before leaving to provide strategic advisory and consultant services for Valerian Partners last fall.
Megan Striegel-Thomas was promoted to senior director of public policy at the National Pest Management Association. She has been with the organization more than a year, recently as director of legislative and regulatory affairs. She also worked for Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment as a government affairs and grassroots manager and was a special adviser at the Environmental Protection Agency.
Aimee Wertz-Lutz (Iowa Beef Center photo)The Iowa Beef Center at Iowa State University hired Aimee Wertz-Lutz as program director and extension feedlot specialist. She was a ruminant nutritionist for Devenish Nutrition North America, manager of ruminant nutrition research at ADM Animal Nutrition, and a faculty member in the animal and range sciences department at South Dakota State University. At Iowa State, she earlier worked as a postdoctoral research associate in ruminant nutrition and nutritional physiology.
Carlos Flores was promoted to director of governmental issues at Van Ness Feldman. He has been with the firm more than two years, recently as a legislative assistant. Flores completed internships with the Senate Agriculture Committee Republican staff, Torrey Advisory Group and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Steven Dearden joined Midwestern BioAg as a sales development manager. He was previously a regen success agronomist for Continuum Ag.
Bob Frazee joined the Chesapeake Bay Trust as a board member. He is president and CEO of J. R. Frazee Strategic Consulting, which he’s led since 2017. Frazee also is vice president of the Delmarva Land and Litter Collaborative.
Robyn Shapiro is now a senior adviser for the Senate Democratic Steering and Policy Committee. She was acting chief of staff for the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division.
Amy Linhardt was promoted to legislative assistant in the office of Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., covering agriculture, food, natural resources and public lands. She has been with the office since 2024, recently as a legislative correspondent.
House Agriculture Committee member Rep. Tracey Mann, R-Kan., hired Elizabeth Svec as a staff assistant. A recent Missouri State University grad, Svec interned with Mann and Rep. Jake LaTurner, R-Kan.
Obituaries
Lia Biondo (U.S. Cattlemen's Association photo)Longtime U.S. Cattlemen’s Association lobbyist Lia Biondo died July 24 while riding horses in Montana. She worked for Western Skies Strategies representing the USCA for nearly a decade in a variety of government affairs roles, including as executive vice president. Biondo was lately an analyst for the Congressional Research Service focused on agriculture. Western Skies Strategies will establish a scholarship in her name to support women pursuing education in agriculture and natural resources. A memorial service celebrating her life was July 29 in Billings, Montana.
David Nabarro, 2018 World Food Prize laureate, died July 25. A physician, his work centered on improving nutrition for mothers and children through the child’s second birthday. Nabarro was responsible for uniting 54 countries under the UN Scaling Up Nutrition Movement and led the organization in the 2007-2008 global food crisis. “He knew how to connect science with humanity and policy with purpose,” said Tom Vilsack, World Food Prize Foundation CEO. “His loss is profound, but his vision will continue to guide those working to build stronger food systems.”
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