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Lindsay Tello joined the Almond Board of California as senior adviser for trade policy based in Washington. The Public Policy Institute of California added former Ag Secretary Ann Veneman to the group’s board of directors. The Western Canal Water District hired Jenny Scheer as general manager. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., hired Emilio Contreras as a senior legislative assistant covering agriculture issues. 

SNAC International hired Matt Grill as vice president of advocacy. Ohio corn and soybean farmer Jed Bower begins his tenure as president of the National Corn Growers Association today, Oct. 1. Farmers National Company promoted Grant Fitzgerald to senior vice president of farm and ranch management. Former Housing and Urban Development secretary Ben Carson was named a national nutrition, health and housing adviser at the Agriculture Department.

Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Jaime Lee to the California Coastal Commission. American Forests named Hilary Franz as chief executive officer.  Alyssa Houtby was promoted to senior director of government affairs and public policy at the North American Blueberry Council.  

Shirley Bloomfield is leaving NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association after 35 years, the last 15 as CEO.  Angie Krieger exits the National Pork Board to join Landus Cooperative as general counsel.

California Air Resources Board chair Liane Randolph will retire from state service at the end of September. Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Lauren Sanchez as the next CARB chair. Spiro Stefanou has stepped down as administrator of the USDA Economic Research Service after five years leading the agency.

Fall Creek Farm & Nursery appointed Marc de Beer as CEO. Market Basket named longtime chief financial officer Donald T. Mulligan as interim chief executive officer. Ann Patterson of Sacramento was appointed to the Delta Stewardship Council. The American Seed Trade Association hired Brandon Pachman as director of government affairs.

Spiro Stefanou stepped down as administrator of the USDA Economic Research Service. The Bockorny Group hired John Torres as a principal. Laura Hensley was promoted to chief marketing officer at Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative. The American Seed Trade Association hired Brandon Pachman as director of government affairs.

Kim Chipman, an award-winning journalist with more than two decades of experience covering markets, companies, policy and politics with Bloomberg News, is joining Agri-Pulse as congressional editor.

The California State Senate unanimously confirmed Karen Morrison as director of the Department of Pesticide Regulation. She has been with DPR since 2018, recently as chief deputy director. Earlier in her career, Morrison was a senior environmental scientist at the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) and was city commissioner for the City of West Sacramento Environment and Utilities Commission. 

Amanda De Jong was named CEO of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. Mary Beth Schultz joined Wiley’s food & drug practice as a partner. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee named Andy Holt Tennessee agriculture commissioner effective Oct. 1. Missouri Farm Bureau hired TaylorAnn Washburn as director of marketing and commodities. 

Former USDA deputy undersecretary for food, nutrition and consumer services Cindy Long joined Manatt, Phelps & Phillips as a national adviser in the firm’s health care group. Devin Cole was named chief operating officer at Tyson Foods. Combest, Sell & Associates hired Greyson Castillo as an associate. Sarah Ash Simpson will join the Indiana Soybean Alliance as senior director of public policy and industry affairs. 

Parker Litterick, a senior at Iowa State University majoring in agricultural communications, has joined Agri-Pulse as an intern.