Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Jaime Lee to the California Coastal Commission. She will replace Effie Turnbull Sanders. Lee has been with the Jamison Group since 2007, most recently holding the role of chief executive officer. She also is an independent director of the James Campell Company at the University of Southern California and a board member for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games. Earlier, Lee was president of the Board of Harbor Commissioners at the Port of Los Angeles and president and commissioner of the Los Angeles City Employees Retirement System Board of Administration.
Hazel Miranda of Sacramento was appointed chief policy adviser to president Alice Reynolds at the California Public Utilities Commission. She previously worked at the California Air Resources Board as chief of staff to the chair since 2024. Earlier, Miranda was legislative director in the Office of Government Affairs at the California Public Utilities Commission from 2016 to 2021. She also previously served as an adviser to Commissioner Andrew McAllister at the
Jamie Lee (California Coastal Commission photo) California Energy Commission.
Phil Ginsburg was named president of Resources Legacy Fund. He recently led the city of San Francisco’s Recreation and Parks Department.
Dennis Alfieri of Pasadena was reappointed to the California Horse Racing Board. He has been a member since 2018. Outside of the board, he is vice president of West Cost Planning and Management, Inc. He is a board of directors member for the Children’s Burn Foundation of Los Angeles, the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation and the Knights of Malta Western Association.
Alyssa Houtby was promoted to senior director of government affairs and public policy at the North American Blueberry Council. She has been with the organization since 2023, recently in a director role. Earlier, she was senior director of federal affairs at California Citrus Mutual.
Shirley Bloomfield announced that she will leave NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association in the spring. Bloomfield has worked for the organization for over 35 years, the last 15 as CEO. Earlier in her career, she held roles in federal relations at Qwest and Verizon.
The Women in Agribusiness Demeter Award recipients were honored at the organization’s conference in Orlando. Those recognized include: Sarah Neagu-Reed, director of production and environmental policy at the International Fresh Produce Association; Leah Anderson, president of WinField United and senior vice president of Land O’Lakes; and Frances Churchill, professor of practice at the University of Kansas.
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Fervo Energy hired Tom Erb as a government affairs and policy manager. He was previously a climate, energy and critical minerals senior policy adviser to Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo.
American Forests named Hilary Franz as chief executive officer. She comes from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, where she was commissioner of public lands. Before that, she was executive director of a non-profit, Futurewise. 
Hilary Franz (American Forests photo)
Angie Krieger will depart the National Pork Board to join Landus Cooperative as general counsel effective Oct. 13. In addition to NPB, she has held leadership roles at Cargill Meat Solutions and JBS Live Pork.
National Association of State Departments of Agriculture members elected Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Commissioner Amanda Beal as NASDA’s 2025–2026 President. As part of her presidency, Beal will host NASDA’s annual meeting Sept. 13 -16, in Portland, Maine. NASDA’s 2026 board of directors include: Washington Director Derek Sandison as vice president, Iowa Secretary Mike Naig as second vice president, Georgia Commissioner Tyler Harper as secretary-treasurer, Arkansas Secretary Wes Ward as past president, and Montana Director Jillien Streit as at-large member.
Massachusetts Commissioner Ashley Randle, Maryland Secretary Kevin Atticks, Wisconsin Secretary Randy Romanski and Arizona Director Paul Brierley will serve as the Northeastern, Southern, Midwestern and Western NASDA representatives, respectively.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association added new staff. Brodee McCormick was named associate director of operations for government affairs. An alumnus of the University of Illinois, McCormick was a policy intern at the organization. Beth Hornstein was named associate director of housing for meetings and events. She has recently worked as an independent event consultant. Earlier, Hornstein worked for the American Cancer Society and Staenberg-Loup Jewish Community Center. Zach Banko was named associate director of sponsorship fulfilment and events for the meeting and events team. He has previous experience working at the University of Notre Dame Athletics Department and for the Denver Broncos. Banko will be based in the Denver office.
Courtney Knupp was detailed by USDA to the White House National Security Council as director of global supply chains. She has been serving as a senior adviser to Deputy Ag Secretary Stephen Vaden since February. Earlier in her career, Knupp was vice president of international market development at the National Pork Board and director of animal and aquaculture nutrition meal at the U.S. Soybean Export Council. She was a political appointee at USDA during the first Trump administration.
Audra Weeks was pro
Summer Lanier (NCPF photo)moted to deputy chief of staff for policy at the Agriculture Department. She has been with USDA since January, recently as director of external and intergovernmental affairs and earlier as an interim communications staffer. Weeks served as deputy press secretary at USDA during the first Trump administration.
Katie Avant has left RFD-TV, where she held roles as director of original content, news director and executive producer. She is now director of content production and client strategy at Treeline Bamboo Partners in Nashville.
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association hired Amber Allman as vice president of advocacy, press and member communications. She will lead the team responsible for earned, paid, social media and member communications efforts at the organization. Allman previously held roles at alliantgroup, Gannett/USA Today, and Yahoo.
The North Carolina Poultry Federation named Summer Lanier as executive director. She is replacing Robert L. Ford upon his retirement later this year. Lanier spent 19 years at Prestage Farms including time as public relations director and recently as antibiotic-free turkey production manager.
Christine Cochran will step down as president and CEO of SNAC International on Dec. 2 to transition to a new role. She has led the organization for the past four years. Earlier in her career, Cochran led the Grain Foods Foundation and Commodity Markets Council.
John Deere Power Systems appointed Julien Le Vély as director of global marketing and sales. He will lead portfolio planning and marketing for JDPS, John Deere Electric Power and the global original equipment manufacturer business. He’s been with the company over 20 years, recently as a director of production systems in high value and small acre crops.
Samuel Berry was named chief information officer at USDA. He previously worked in the private sector and has led 0-to-1 software startups for the last decade.
Ken Verheyen was named senior adviser for the Forest Service. He has focused on building a technology service company for more than 40 years in his career.
Layne Bangerter was appointed senior adviser at the Forest Service. A farmer and rancher, he created and runs operations in Utah, Nevada and Idaho. He was deputy associate administrator and Idaho Rural Development State Director during the first Trump administration.
Monica Mason was named senior adviser for the Rural Housing Service. She previously worked in the private sector focused on financial services, real estate, marketing and media.
Steve Messeh was appointed director of the Center of Faith. He was previously a government consultant for KPMG and Deloitte. Recently, he was founder and the executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based HOPE Association, a faith-based nonprofit focused on transforming the lives of children in need.
Ted Hanson was named chief of staff for the office of the assistant secretary for administration at USDA. He was previously manager of the North Dakota Governor’s Residence. Hanson is the fourth generation on his family’s cow calf operation in the Badlands of southwestern North Dakota.
USDA-appointed state directors:
Joyce White, state director of Georgia Rural Development
Richard "Buddy" Nichols, state executive director of the Hawaii Farm Service Agency
Wade Lee, state director of Hawaii Rural Development
Mike Sexton, state director of Iowa Rural Development
Ronald Russell, state Director of the Missouri Farm Service Agency
Bill Warden, state director of Montana Rural Development
Former Nebraska State Sen. Loran Schmit, hailed as the father of the state’s ethanol industry, died Wednesday at his home in Bellwood. He was 96. A Republican who served in the nonpartisan legislature from 1969 to 1993, Schmit pushed legislation that built Nebraska’s $8 billion ethanol industry. Schmit also challenged the nation’s supermarkets, claiming they were involved in price fixing of meat to the detriment of cattle producers. In 1978, he lost to then-fellow State Sen. Doug Bereuter in a primary election for the U.S. House of Representative. Then-Gov. Charlie Thone once said Schmit “can make an entire nation, which is overly dependent upon foreign oil, stop in its tracks and examine an alternate idea such as gasohol.”
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