The California Retailers Association made staff promotions. Sarah Pollo Moo is now vice president of operations and sustainability compliance. She has been with the group for three years, recently as director of communications and public affairs. Also at the organization, Ryan Allain was promoted to vice president of government relations. He’s been with the group for over six years, recently in a director role.
Alexa Fox joined Monument Advocacy as vice president on the food and agriculture team. She worked for Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif., for nearly 10 years, recently as a senior legislative assistant covering agriculture, food, immigration, trade, and transportation issues.
Kristin Heidelbach is now vice president of government and public affairs at cannabis retail company, Embarc. She was recently legislative director for the United Food and Commercial Workers Western States Council.
Jenica Maldonado, a labor and employment attorney in California, rejoined Hanson Bridgett LLP as a partner in the
Michael Brune (Sierra Club photo) employer services section. She previously worked for Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo and earlier was a deputy city attorney in the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office where she advised on employment and government law matters. Maldonado began her legal career at Hanson Bridgett, making this a return to the firm.
Longtime Sierra Club leader Michael Brune launched a climate change-focused investment and philanthropy fund called Clean Break. The initiative is backed by cryptocurrency executive Chris Larsen, according to POLITICO’s E&E News. Jodie Van Horn, who also previously worked at the Sierra Club, is the fund’s managing director. Brune departed from his role as executive director at the Sierra Club in 2021 after leading the group for 10 years, and now is an adjunct professor at the University of California, Berkeley’s Goldman School for Public Policy.
In a LinkedIn post, Jared Blumenfeld announced he is leaving the climate philanthropy he joined as president in 2022, the Waverley Street Foundation. Earlier, Blumenfeld was Newsom’s environmental protection secretary.
Ellise Fallon joined Clean Works, an advanced food-safety technology company, as a senior sales executive. She previously held roles at Pivot Bio, Apeel, and Wyatt Technology.
Audra Weeks, who was deputy chief of staff for policy at the Agriculture Department, departed USDA. She joined the department at the beginning of the second Trump administration as deputy communications director. She also served as director of the Office of External and Intergovernmental Affairs.
Barbara O’Brie
Barbara O'Brien (DMI Photo)n, president and CEO of Dairy Management Inc. and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, announced that she will retire this fall at the conclusion of her five-year term. She has led the organization since October 2021. During that tenure, she has overseen 39 companies representing 77% of U.S. milk production adopt the U.S. Dairy Stewardship Commitment. The DMI Board of Directors has begun succession planning efforts to support a smooth transition. O’Brien will continue leading the organization through this period and work closely with the board and leadership teams to support continuity and execution of strategic priorities.
The Center for American Food Power, a nonpartisan think tank supported by U.S. agriculture and policy leaders, launched Tuesday to advance a domestic agrifood strategy aligned with national security priorities. Brett Sciotto, who originally founded Aimpoint Research and now serves as CEO of Idealyst Innovation, co-founded the initiative with Ray Starling, general counsel for the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce and an ag policy adviser in the first Trump administration. “All this begins with the discussions around the importance of agrifood to Americans and to America in general, and food security being foundational to our national security,” Sciotto said in an interview with Agri-Pulse. “If you believe that, then it makes sense to take the time to establish a common vision and a national strategy in a way that we can collaboratively work together to advance.” The initiative will be driven by input from the Food Power Council, a group of agriculture industry and policy experts. Sciotto said they’re actively adding members to the group.
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James C. Collins Jr. was appointed to the AgCO board of directors, effective April 1. He previously served as CEO of Corteva Agriscience after he led its creation in 2019 following the Dow-DuPont merger. Collins joined DuPont in 1984 and held senior leadership roles across multiple businesses, including chief operating officer of DowDuPont's Agriculture Division and executive vice presiden
Rob Larew is sworn in as President of National Farmers Union for a fourth term by NFU General Counsel Dave Velde. (NFU photo)t of DuPont's agricultural segments.
Halee Fischer was promoted to chief of staff for the Research, Education, and Economics mission area in the Agriculture Department supporting REE Undersecretary Scott Hutchins. She has been with USDA for a year, recently as a senior adviser to Hutchins. Earlier, she worked on the House Agriculture Committee.
Delegates to National Farmers Union’s 124th Anniversary Convention unanimously re-elected Rob Larew and Jeff Kippley as the organization’s president and vice president, respectively. Each will serve another two-year term. Larew has spearheaded the development and launch of NFU’s Fairness for Farmers campaign and focused on member engagement among the next generation of Farmers Union members during his first three terms as NFU president. Kippley is beginning his fourth term as NFU vice president.
Torrey Advisory Group announced staff promotions. Olivia Lucanie, who advances the firm's food, nutrition, and agriculture policy work at the state and federal levels, was promoted to policy director. She has been with the firm for nearly three years. Caroline Sowinski was promoted to senior policy manager, a role where she supports clients through advocacy campaigns, Hill engagement and appropriations efforts, with a focus on sustainable agricultural policy. She has been with the firm for four years. Eden Lambert, who joined the firm last spring, was promoted to economist and policy manager. She will expand the firm’s economic analysis capabilities with a specialization in agricultural economics and policy analysis, including crop insurance and rural policy.
Nicki Hardy joins Animal Agriculture Alliance as manager of partnerships and programs. She will lead the alliance’s membership and sponsorship growth strategy while overseeing the planning and execution of the College Aggies Online and Animal Ag Allies programs. Prior to joining the alliance, Hardy worked in field operations for American Humane Society and business support and sales for Adisseo. Also at the organization, Emily Ellis was promoted to director of communications and marketing, and Grace Simpson was promoted to manager of member relations and communications.
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