The Agriculture Workforce Coalition elected American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall and Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia as the new coalition co-chairs. The pair succeeds Chuck Conner, who retired as CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives earlier this year.
The U.S. Agricultural Export Development Council announced new officers. Karen Horan, vice president of global business development at the National Confectioners Association, was named chair. Donn Zea, executive director at the California Prune Board, was selected as vice chair, and Rose Braden, president at the Softwood Export Council, was named secretary/treasurer.
Seth Meyer, USDA's chief economist for nearly five years, will lead the University of Missouri’s Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute effective Jan. 1. He will succeed Pat Westhoff, who has held the position since 2011 and is retiring March 1, the university said in a statement Tuesday. Prior to Meyer’s appointment as the USDA's top economist, he served as associate director for FAPRI and also headed USDA’s World Agricultural Outlook Board, a key office in assessing supply and demand for domestic and global crops.
The Seed Innovation Protection Alliance tapped Chris Reat as executive director to drive expanded business opportunities in the U.S. seed market. He has been working in agriculture-related areas for 30 years where he gained experience with crop inputs, seed, biotechnology, intellectual property protection, and strategic partnerships from an array of industry companies including Meristem Crop Performance, FMC Corp. and UPL, among others. Reat succeeds retiring executive director Eloy R. Corona. 
Dave Puglia (Western Growers photo)
The Department of Health and Human Services announced five new leaders to advance the Make America Healthy Again agenda. Brian Christine is now assistant secretary for health. Christine completed his residency in urology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He will lead the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps composed of more than 5,000 public health professionals. Alex J. Adams was confirmed as assistant secretary for family support, administration for children and families. He was previously the Idaho state department of health and welfare director.
Additional HHS leaders include Gustav Chiarello as assistant secretary for financial resources. He was previously senior special counsel to the House Committee on the Judiciary. He has also served as an attorney at the Federal Trade Commission and as an attorney adviser to acting FTC Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen during the first Trump administration. Michael Stuart is now general counsel. He was confirmed as a U.S. attorney in 2017 and then directed and led all federal enforcement throughout the southern district of West Virginia. Stuart has also served as partner of two major law firms and as a West Virginia state senator. Alicia Jackson is now director of the advanced research projects agency for health. She previously worked for Evernow, a company she founded focused on enhancing women's health and longevity.
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Former USDA political appointee Anne Knapke is now a fellow at the Food Security Leadership Council. She served as deputy chief of staff at USDA during the Biden administration. Earlier, Knapke was legislative director for Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.
The National Confectioners Association added new staff. Julie Moss was named vice president of food safety and scientific affairs. She was previously director of the FDA’s human foods program in the office of international engagement. Sarah Brandmeier also joined NCA as director of nutrition policy and scientific affairs. She previously worked for the Consumer Brands Association and the American Frozen Food Institute.
The U.S. Soybean Export Council hired Randall Wanke as industry affairs manager. He was previously industry relations lead at Corteva.
The Wisconsin Grocers Association hired Michelle Stangler as member engagement coordinator. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, Stangler grew up on her family’s dairy farm in Watertown, Wisconsin.
Matthew Perin was promoted to vice president of government relations and regulatory affairs at Kroger. He has been with the company nearly nine years, recently as head of government relations and regulatory affairs. Earlier, Perin focused on agriculture and environment federal relations for Bayer.
Darrin Monteiro was promoted to chief member relations officer at California Dairies. He has been with the group nearly 15 years, recently as senior vice president of sustainability and member relations.
Harrison Pittman receives the American Agricultural Law Association symposium's distinguished service award. (AALA photo)National Ag Law Center Director Harrison Pittman was awarded the distinguished service award at the American Agricultural Law Association 2025 symposium. He has been with the center for more than 20 years.
Faegre Drinker hired Jake Hamlin as senior director based in Des Moines, Iowa. He will be focused on agriculture, food, energy, manufacturing and transportation issues. Hamlin was previously director of state government affairs for CHS.
National Grange elected new officers. Christine Hamp of Spokane, Washington, was selected to serve a second term as president. A fourth-generation Grange member, Hamp oversaw the launch of the Rural Life Initiative and Project Sustenance focused on strengthening communities during her first term. Additional officers include John Benedik of New Jersey as vice president. William “Buddy” Overstreet of Texas and Walter Hartley of North Scituate, Rhode Island, were named to the two additional executive committee seats. Richard Stonebraker of Hagerstown, Maryland, was elected lecturer and program director. Susan Noah of Oregon and Joseph Stefenoni of California are continuing their service on the executive committee.
The American Clean Power Association hired Ashley Smith as director of federal government affairs. She was previously deputy staff director for the House Agriculture Committee.
The Healthy Family Project promoted Amanda Keefer as vice president to lead strategy, operations, marketing and partnerships. She has been with the group for nearly 15 years, recently as senior director of marketing and communications.
Molly Lee was named director of the Center for Food Security and Public Health and the executive director of the Institute for International Cooperation of Veterinary Medicine. She serves as associate director and lead public health veterinarian at Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Lee replaces Jim Roth, distinguished professor of veterinary medicine at the university, who retired last summer.
Sarah Orr (Dairy West photo)Dairy West hired Sarah Orr as director of human resources. She previously worked for Boise Cascade Co. as a regional human resources business partner and project manager.
Missouri farmer Nathan White was appointed treasurer of the Soy Transportation Coalition board of directors. White grows corn and soybeans and raises Angus cattle with his family on their Norborne, Missouri, farm.
Phil Sgro left the American Clean Power Association where he served as director of media relations. Sgro is now vice president of the climate and energy public affairs practice at Antenna Group.
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture appointed Maria Ramsey as assistant commissioner for public affairs. She will oversee internal and external communications for the department, including overseeing media relations, directing the public affairs office and supporting programs that support Tennessee’s agricultural industry. She previously worked for Merck and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture.
