WASHINGTON, Jan. 8, 2025 – U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai today announced the appointment or reappointment of 53 members to serve on seven agricultural trade advisory committees.
The advisory committee system was created by Congress in 1974 to ensure that U.S. agricultural stakeholders have input and insight into U.S. trade policy and negotiating objectives. The Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee is comprised of senior representatives from the U.S. agricultural community who advise USDA and USTR on trade policy matters, while members of the six Agricultural Technical Advisory Committees offer input and guidance from the perspectives of their respective product sectors.
Members consult and advise USDA and USTR on U.S. policy that impacts global access to valuable markets. Since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA and USTR have helped open and preserve billions in agricultural exports. To learn more about these achievements, visit this Biden-Harris Administration Advances Agricultural Exports in Support of the U.S. Economy Fact Sheet.
The appointees announced today will serve until December 2028. A complete roster of members and additional information about the committees is available at www.fas.usda.gov/atacs.
The following is a list of the newly appointed or reappointed advisors, by committee:
Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee
| John Bode | Corn Refiners Association |
| Alexandra Dunn | CropLife America |
| Michael Dykes | International Dairy Foods Association |
| Karis Gutter | Corteva AgriScience |
| Ryan LeGrand | U.S. Grains Council |
| Andrew Muhammad | University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture |
| Vince Peterson | U.S. Wheat Associates |
| Julie Anna Potts | Meat Institute |
| Mike Stranz | National Farmers Union |
| James Sutter | U.S. Soybean Export Council |
| Elaine Trevino | Sunkist Growers, Inc. |
| William “Colin” Woodall | National Cattlemen’s Beef Association |
ATAC for Trade in Animals and Animal Products
| Kent Bacus | National Cattlemen’s Beef Association |
| Colleen Coyne | Food Export USA-Northeast |
| Rachel Cumberbatch | Animal Health Institute |
| Warren Gfeller | Stranger Valley Ranch |
| Jon Gianini | HarbyrCo, LLC |
| Laurie Hueneka | Merck Animal Health |
| Kyle Jensen | Hilmar Cheese Company |
| Cassandra Kuball | Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative |
| Stephen Neel | Lineage, Inc. |
| Michael Schumpp | Meat Institute |
| Patricia Smith | Dairy America |
ATAC for Trade in Fruits and Vegetables
| Jeffrey Brandenburg | QFresh Lab |
| Adam Hollowell | California Cherry Board |
| Laura Johnson | Idaho State Department of Agriculture |
| Molly O’Connor | CropLife America |
| Kenneth Parker | Florida Strawberry Growers Association |
| Kam Quarles | National Potato Council |
| Alicia Rockwell | Blue Diamond Growers |
| David Schumacher | Schumacher Ginseng |
ATAC for Trade in Grains, Feed, Oilseeds, and Planting Seeds
| Guy Allen | Kansas State University |
| Asif Chaudry | Washington State University |
| Courtney Kingery | Indiana Soybean Alliance, Inc. |
| Rosalind Leeck | U.S. Soybean Export Council |
| Jess McCluer | National Grain and Feed Association |
| Matthew Rekeweg | Corteva Agriscience |
ATAC for Trade in Processed Foods
| Carlos Gonzalez | Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. |
| Jason Grove | Abbott |
| Kimberly Houlding | American Olive Oil Producers Association |
| Elizabeth Johnson | SNAC International |
| William O’Connor | Tyson Foods, Inc. |
| Rebecca Rasdall | International Dairy Foods Association |
| Seth Wilen | American Trading International, Inc. |
ATAC for Trade in Sweeteners and Sweetener Products
| Casey Bean | American Sugar Alliance |
| Jennifer Cervantes | Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida |
| Lonnie Champagne | Sugar Growers & Refiners, Inc. |
| Matt Dyer | Amerikoa Ingredients, Inc. |
| Paul Farmer | CSC Sugar, LLC |
| Jonathan Taylor | Sucro Limited |
| Nigel Willerton | Wholesome Sweeteners |
ATAC for Trade in Tobacco, Cotton, Peanuts, and Hemp
| Brian Furnish | Furnish Farms |
| Michael Klumpp | MAK Enterprises, LLC |
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, and building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices. USDA is making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit USDA.gov.
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