U.S. Wheat Associates announced a West Coast Office staff promotion and two new staff members following Tyllor Ledford’s move to Manila to assume the new role of assistant regional director for South and Southeast Asia. In the transition, Luke Muller was promoted to market analyst. He joined the organization in 2023 as assistant director of the USW West Coast Office, and earlier was a research assistant in the Department of Agriculture, Food and Resource Economics at Michigan State University and a consultant for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome, Italy.
New USW staff hires include Kate Stephens as assistant director and Tereza Edwards as assistant program manager. Edwards joined the team March 16 after previously serving as director of member services for the Columbia River Steamship Operators’ Association and as the communications and membership manager for the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association. Stephens will begin her role in late June after graduating from Cornell University. While in college, Stephens completed an internship with United Grain Corporation.
Scott Reasons, head of Syngenta Professional Solutions North America, will retire on May 31 after a 40-year career with the company. He held leadership roles across sales, sales management and marketing before assuming leadership of the Professional Solutions business 16 years ago. Dave Ravel, currently head of sales for Syngenta Professional Solutions, will assume the role of head of Syngenta Professional Solutions North America effective June 1. He brings more than 30 years of experience in the turf, ornamental and pest management industries and has spent more than 25 years with Syngenta and its legacy companies, including holding leadership roles across sales, marketing and key accounts.
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The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association hired Zoe Wallace as director of government affairs. She has been a policy manager at Gordley Associates for nearly two years.
2026 TSCRA officers (TSCRA photo)Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association elected Stephen Diebel of Victoria, Texas, as president during the 2026 Cattle Raisers Convention & Expo. A fifth-generation rancher and co-owner and manager of Diebel Cattle Company, Diebel will guide the association during a two-year term as president. He was elected as a TSCRA director in 2011 and has served the association in numerous capacities since. Diebel succeeds Carl Ray Polk Jr., who has led TSCRA for the last two years.
Additional officers approved during the meeting include: Dan Gattis of Georgetown as first vice-president and Wayne Cockrell of College Station as second vice-president. The association added three members to its executive committee: James Henderson of Memphis, John Malazzo of Caldwell, and Wesley Welch of Lubbock. Nine members were newly elected to serve on the TSCRA board of directors: Foster Burchett of Jourdanton, Matthew Crow of Corpus Christi, Jared Dangelmayr of Muenster, Sarah Franklin of Pleasanton, August “Auggie” McCan of Victoria, Andrew Polk of Lufkin, Joey Ramirez of Armstrong, Martha Santos of Laredo, and Fay Fitzsimons Walker of Houston.
J.P. Freire is now chief of strategic communications and public affairs for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. He was previously communications director for the House Ways and Means Committee.
The National 4-H Council hired Angie Freel as director of youth learning. She has worked for 4-H in the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture for nearly 30 years.
The American Royal announced new staff appointments, including Jackie McClaskey as both president and chief innovation officer. She will oversee the design-build team, spearheading capital campaign fundraising and public financing strategies as well as forming partnerships. Pat Macy, who has been with the organization for more than a year in a managing director role, has been promoted to CEO. Prior to joining the organization, Macy held leadership roles at Oracle and Cerner. Additionally, Jessica Marsh was tapped as director of events. She has more than 15 years of event production experience from previous roles at KCU and MTI Events. The new American Royal campus is set to be complete in 2027 or early 2028.
Stephen Andrews has left the office of Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., where he served as general counsel. Andrews is now deputy general counsel for regulation at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
ADAMA US appointed Matt Jones as head of sales. He brings more than 25 years of leadership experience across the crop protection and agriculture industries, including senior roles with BASF Agricultural Solutions, Syngenta Crop Protection, Landus, and UPL. At ADAMA, Jones will oversee the U.S. sales organization with a focus on strengthening customer relationships, enhancing channel partnerships, and accelerating growth through strategic execution and market responsiveness. Jones succeeds Brian Cardin, who is retiring after an over 40-year career serving the ag industry.
Matt Jones (ADAMA photo)
Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., hired Alyssa Holguin as legislative director. She worked at the Conservative Partnership Institute for the past year, recently as leadership development manager. Earlier, Holguin was legislative director for Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla.
Farm Progress named Raymond Bianchi as senior vice president of agriculture to oversee the company's portfolio of agricultural events and media properties, including the Farm Progress Show and both digital and print publications. He brings over 20 years of experience in the international trade show, event and media industry space. Most recently, he was managing director for corporate relations at The Water Environment Federation. Bianchi succeeds Greg Frey, who worked for the company for over 34 years.
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