Daniel Enoch

Chris Novak is taking over as CropLife America’s next president and CEO effective Aug. 20. Novak, who’s been serving as CEO of the National Corn Growers Association, will replace Jay Vroom, who’s held the top job at CropLife since 1989.

The Grocery Manufacturers Association named Geoff Freeman as the organization’s new president and chief executive officer effective Aug. 1.

The National Alfalfa & Forage Alliance has chosen five research projects to be funded through the Alfalfa Checkoff, aimed at driving innovation and profitability in the alfalfa industry.

Wendy Brannen is the new director of policy communication for the American Soybean Association, working out of ASA’s Washington office. Brannen joins ASA after two years as executive director of the Lodi Winegrape Commission in California.

The American Feed Industry Association’s board of directors elected Bruce Crutcher as its new chairman at the board’s spring meeting recently in Washington.

Legendary musician Bob Dylan is the latest celebrity to license his name and persona to a brand of alcohol, in Dylan’s case a line of craft American whiskeys under the name Heaven’s Door.

Poultry giant Pilgrim’s Pride this week posted earnings of $119.4 million for the first quarter of 2018, up from $93.9 million in the same period in 2017, a 27 percent increase driven by increased consumer demand for chicken in the U.S., Mexico and Europe.