The Fertilizer Institute has promoted some key staff members. Megan Costello was named chief of staff. She has been with the group since 2024, recently as senior vice president of member and public affairs. Earlier, Costello worked for the Global Cold Chain Alliance for over a decade, including a year as interim president and CEO. Catharine Perry was promoted to chief operating officer. She has been with the group for five years, recently as senior vice president of membership programs and services.
William Hohenstein is retiring from USDA where he served as director of the Office of Energy and Environmental Policy. He has worked for the department nearly 26 years. His last day in the office will be Friday. He represented the United States at international climate change negotiations and served as a U.S. representative to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Prior to joining USDA, he served as a division director in EPA’s National Center for Environmental Economics.
Ashley McKeon joined the Environmental Defense Fund as director of agriculture policy. Most recently McKeon led Growing Strategy, an independent consulting firm dedicated to helping businesses and nonprofits advance sustainability and public policy solutions. She also served as director of regenerative agriculture at Cargill where she developed the company’s first global regenerative strategy.
The National Association of Wheat Growers promoted Anthony Peña to vice president of policy and communications focused on leading NAWG’s policy and communications strategy. He has been with the organization nearly a year, recently in a manager role. Earlier, Peña was a government relations manager at the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association and worked for Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., as a regional district director and representative.
Anthony Peña (LinkedIn photo)
Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture elected new officers and board members for terms beginning in 2026. Officers include: Jack Scott of Nestlé Purina as chair, Sally Flis of Nutrien as vice chair, Jennifer Nelligan of the National Association of Conservation Districts as treasurer, and farmer Brandon Hunnicutt representing the Nebraska Corn Board as secretary. Board members newly elected for three-year terms include: Sarah Alexander of the Keystone Policy Center, Sally Flis of Nutrien, Caitlin Colegrove of PepsiCo, Ellen Herbert of Ducks Unlimited, and Michaela McGinn of the United Soybean Board. Members of Field to Market’s board of directors for two-year terms include Mindy Montgomery of CoBank and Josh Hankins of USA Rice.
Jess McCarron was promoted to managing director of Signal Outdoors at Signal Group DC. She was previously press secretary and a strategic communications adviser on the Senate Agriculture Committee’s Democratic staff for four years. Earlier, McCarron was deputy press secretary at USDA during the Obama administration.
Kyle Larkin was named president and CEO of the Canadian Meat Council. He has served as executive director of the Grain Growers of Canada for the past two and a half years. Earlier, he worked for Impact Public Affairs Corporation.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association promoted Hunter Ihrman to executive director of strategic engagement and government affairs focused on leading political strategy, building strategic partnerships, and overseeing the group’s political action committee. Most recently, Ihrman was NCBA’s senior director of policy communications.
David Elrod is now vice president of government affairs at the National Chicken Council. He has been with the group over eight years, recently in a senior director role.
Muhammad Ibrahim (IICA photo)Muhammad Ibrahim is the new director general of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) for the 2026-2030 period. The Guyanese agronomist said he plans to work for all regions of the Americas and strives to build more competitive and efficient science-based agrifood systems. Ibrahim succeeds Manuel Otero as IICA’s director general.
The Potato Sustainability Alliance elected new members to the board of directors and executive committee. The following individuals will join PSA’s board of directors: Jane Canales of Basic American Foods, Kartika Charan of Sysco, Canadian grower JP Claassen of Claassen Farms, U.S. grower Tony Macklin of Walther Farms, Canadian grower Lincoln Neufeld of WJ Siemens Farming Co., and Ariel Wiegard of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. On the executive committee, Tracy Shinners-Carnelley, the vice president of research, quality, and sustainability at Peak of the Market was named PSA chair. Erika Wagner, agronomy solutions manager at Yara North America, was named vice chair. Ryan Vroegindewey of the Campbell Soup Co., and Mike Wenkel of the National Potato Council were also named to the executive committee.
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The Agriculture Department appointed four members to serve on the 13-member American Lamb Board for three-year terms beginning in January. Lee Bruner of Whitehall, Montana, will represent producers with 100 head or less, and Garrett Julian of Kemmerer, Wyoming, will represent producers with more than 500 head. Tucker West of Crawfordville, Georiga, will be the at-large feeder representative and Karissa A. Isaacs of Carr, Colorado, will be first handler.
The Association of American Railroads hired Emily Pasi as director of public affairs. She was previously senior director for public affairs at PLUS Communications. Earlier, she led public affairs for the American Planning Association.
The Wilderness Land Trust hired Anders Reynolds as president. He previously worked for the Southern Environmental Law Center as federal legislative director.
Brad Griffith (Midwestern BioAg photo)Midwestern BioAg hired Brad Griffith as CEO. A board member for the past three years, Griffith brings nearly three decades of leadership experience in life sciences and agriculture with a background in sales, product management, and executive leadership. He serves as CEO and founder of Stephen B. Griffith Consulting Services. Earlier, he was president and CEO of Freight Farms and senior vice president and chief commercial officer at LIBERTY Steel Group.
Three dairy farmers were re-elected to the Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative board of directors during the 2026 Dairy Strong conference. Michael Crinion of Ash Grove Dairy in Lake Benton, Minnesota, was re-elected to the board. He continues to serve as Edge’s vice president and also serves as the chair of the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action. Heidi Fischer of Fischer-Clark Dairy Farm in Hatley, Wisconsin, was re-elected to the board to serve another term as president, a role she was initially elected to in 2025. Along with her family, Fischer milks over 1,000 cows and farms 2,800 acres. Josh Meissner of Norm-E-Lane in Chili, Wisconsin, was re-elected to the board as secretary. He farms on a multi-site dairy encompassing 4,100 cows and 7,000 acres of cropland. Meissner’s father, Jerry, was one of the founding members of Edge. Other board members include: Jamie Witcpalek of Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy as treasurer, Mitch Davis of Davis Family Dairies as adviser; Justin Peterson of Creamery Creek, Brady Janzen of Riverview; Jay Stauffacher of Highway Dairy; Christina Zuiderveen of Black Soil Dairy; dairy economist Marin Bozic of Bozic as an adviser; and Brody Stapel of Double Dutch Dairy as president emeritus.
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