California FFA Foundation has refreshed its board leadership. Kristi Silkwood Mattes, an agricultural educator and FFA advisor at Minarets High School who also serves as President of The Ponderosa Telephone Company, is now chair. In 1971, she made history as California FFA's first female state officer. She succeeds Agricultural Council of California President Emily Rooney, who had served as board chair since 2022. Rooney will continue serving on the Board and Executive Committee as Past Chair. The foundation also added Daniel Meza to its executive committee. Meza has served as vice president and commercial lender at Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California since 2011.
Felipe Grimaldi Avileis will step into the role of assistant professor at the University of California-Davis in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. He was previously taught agricultural banking and finance at the University of Nebraska.
Felipe Grimaldi Avileis (LinkedIn Photo)AgWest Farm Credit has promoted Megan Huber Hill to be a senior credit review analyst. She was previously a branch manager and vice president relationship manager after starting with the company as a senior loan officer.
The U.S. Apple Association (USApple) promoted Lynsee Gibbons to vice president, communications. She originally joined USApple in May 2023 as director of communications.
USA Rice has added Mollie Buckler as the senior director of grower and international relations and Caroline Slack as the communications and content manager. Buckler left the US Rice Producers Association, where she served as president and CEO, in May. Slack was a freelance writer.
Jacee Lancaster is the new sales and marketing manager for the western region at ImmuCell. Prior to joining ImmuCell, Lancaster was the livestock director at the Utah State Fair.
The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives has hired RJ Karney as the vice president and head of government affairs. He previously worked for the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture for over five years as the senior director of public policy. Prior to that, he spent almost 17 years working for the American Farm Bureau Federation, most recently as the director of congressional relations.
RJ Karney (LinkedIn Photo)Paycen Brouillette has started as the director for public and media affairs at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. He worked previously for the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs committee for Chairman Tim Scott, R-S.C., after being promoted from being a press assistant.
Mary Fales is the new U.S. Director of Agriculture at Winrock International. She previously spent almost 14 years at the Nature Conservancy, most recently as the midwest division regenerative cropping systems program director.
Nofence's new chairman is Damien Lepoutre. He has been a senior consultant at ASDIC and an adviser at Kom-Unity since 2020.
Kevin Sheaffer will be an environmental solutions business leader within Corteva Agriscience. He has been with the company for almost nine years, most recently as the North America business development leader. Environmental Solutions will be official when Corteva’s split wraps up.
Jenni Badding is moving from John Deere’s public relations team to lead media execution and creative production for the company’s Agriculture and Turf business in the U.S. and Canada. Derik Morgan will step into her former role as production and precision agriculture public relations manager.
Marion Grimes has been promoted to growth lead at William Reed’s agriculture division. She has been with the company for over five years, most recently as the commercial director.
Maureen Ryan was hired as the media relations manager at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. She started May 18. She has been the associate director of strategic communications at the Chronicle of Higher Education and the senior communications outreach manager at ICF Next.
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers has hired Alexis Ekker as a marketing communications coordinator. She was previously a marketing coordinator for Knapp Chiropractic.
Amelia Rinderle has been promoted to director of events and member engagement at the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. She has been with the association for almost three years and previously held the role of assistant director of events and member engagement. She has worked for the U.S. Grains Council and American Farm Bureau Federation.
The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy has added Matt Kinsella-Walsh as a food and trade policy analyst. He previously was a chef and cook for eight years in restaurants and mutual aid kitchens.
Carly Jones, the communications adviser for House Agriculture Committee member Rep. Eric Sorensen, D-Ill., will be leaving his office. She will be working on the campaign of Rebecca Bennett, who is vying for the congressional seat currently held by Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., who was absent from Congress for months following a depression diagnosis.
Mollie Buckler (LinkedIn Photo)The Russell Group’s newest legislative assistant is Andrew Angulo. He has a background in 4-H and FFA, and he recently graduated from California Polytechnic State University. He has completed an internship at CropLife America and was the national president of National Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow.
Louise Calderwood will retire from the American Feed Industry Association as the director of regulatory affairs. Meghan Dicks will succeed her, starting Sept. 1. Dicks has been with the association for almost two years, but before, she was with ADM for almost 18 years. She currently is the director of membership and engagement at the association.
Becky Guinn will retire after 34 years at John Deere, most recently as vice president of supply chain. Zach Wenzel will succeed her. He has been with the company for 27 years, and most recently served as the director, supply chain, for the ag and turf division.
The Georgetown Presbyterian Church reported on July 5 that “regular visitor” Brian Baenig died suddenly last week. Baenig began his career as deputy staff director on the Senate Agriculture Committee and senior policy adviser to former Sen. Pat Leahy, D-Vt. He also worked as a legislative assistant for Sen. Paul Wellstone, D-Minn. He held various positions at USDA, including assistant secretary for congressional relations and deputy undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs before serving as chief of staff for Secretary Tom Vilsack from 2013-2015. He later joined the Biotechnology Innovation Organization as executive vice president of the company's Food and Agriculture Section and served as president of the U.S. Beet Sugar Association from 2016-2021.
OFW Law, a firm specializing in FDA and USDA regulatory compliance, reported on July 6 that one of its founders, Phil Olsson, has died at age 87. Olsson received his undergraduate degree from Harvard and his law degree from Harvard Law School. Following his graduation, he worked in the House of Representatives and then moved to USDA, where he was deputy to the assistant secretary for marketing and consumer services. He co-founded Olsson Frank and Weeda in 1979. A service in Olsson's honor will be held this fall. Contributions in his memory should be directed to the Plimoth-Patuxet Museums and the Michael J Fox Foundation.
