WASHINGTON – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk recently announced the appointment of 148 private-sector members to the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee (APAC) and six Agricultural Technical Advisory Committees (ATACs).
“With U.S. agricultural exports reaching record highs as our farmers and ranchers bring the American brand to more of the world consumers, agricultural trade is demonstrating once again its vital role in the health of our nation’s economy,” said Vilsack. “Members of these seven committees understand the importance of open markets to the U.S. economy. By serving on these committees, they have the opportunity to provide their expertise and knowledge to deliberations that influence U.S. trade policy, ultimately helping to grow, innovate and out-compete the rest of the world.”
“These appointments are an important step in the Obama Administration’s ongoing efforts to expand trade and bring new opportunities to America’s farmers and ranchers, as well as the businesses and workers they support,” said Ambassador Kirk. “Agricultural exports are a critical component of America’s economy, and the input and advice these individuals will provide in the coming years will be indispensible in helping to identify and capitalize on new and emerging trade opportunities.”
Congress established the advisory committee system in 1974 to ensure a private-sector voice in establishing U.S. agricultural trade policy objectives to reflect U.S. commercial and economic interests. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative jointly manage the committees.
The APAC provides advice and information to the Secretary of Agriculture and the U.S. Trade Representative on negotiating objectives, positions and other matters related to the development, implementation and administration of U.S. agricultural trade policy. The ATACs offer technical advice and information on specific commodities.
The six ATACs are:
· Animals and Animal Products
· Fruits and Vegetables
· Grains, Feed, Oilseeds and Planting Seeds
· Processed Foods
· Sweeteners and Sweetener Products
· Tobacco, Cotton and Peanuts
This initial group of committee members will serve until June 9, 2015. They will be supplemented by additional appointments over the next four years. Applications are encouraged at any time and will be reviewed periodically for additional appointments going forward. Information about applying is available HERE
Questions may be directed to Steffon Brown at 202-720-6219 or via e-mail to
Lists of appointed members by committee are as follows.
Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee
NAME COMPANY
Laura Batcha Organic Trade Association
Jon Caspers Pig Farmer
Nancy Cook Pet Food Institute
Marsha Echols World Food Law Institute
Audrae Erickson Corn Refiners Association
Hezekiah Gibson United Farmers USA, Inc.
Thomas Hammer National Oilseed Processors Association
Shannon Herzfeld Archer Daniels Midland
Leonard Johnson National Farmers Union
Peter Kappelman Meadow Brook Dairy Farms
Alan Kemper Kemper Farms
Robert Koch The Wine Institute
Ronald Litterer Litterer Farms
Rik Miller DuPont Crop Protection
Brenda Morris Morris Farms
Daniel Moss Moss Farms Partnership
Gary Murphy U.S. Rice Producers Association
Thomas Nassif Western Growers Association
Forrest Roberts National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
Christian Schlect Northwest Horticultural Council
Philip Seng U.S. Meat Export Federation
Michael Stuart Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association
James Sumner USA Poultry & Egg Export Council
Alan Tracy U.S. Wheat Associates
Larry Wooten North Carolina Farm Bureau
Michael Wootton Sunkist Growers
Van Yeutter Cargill
Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Animals and Animal Products
NAME COMPANY
Jill Appell Appell’s Pork Farms, Inc.
Elwood Barth North Dakota’s Farmers Union
John Bauer Basic Food International, Inc. & Global Food Corporation
Joe Bezerra California State University Agricultural Research Institute
Edward Blair Blair Brothers Angus
Theresa Brophy Maryland Department of Agriculture
Donald Butler Murphy-Brown LLC
Jaime Castaneda National Milk Producers Federation
Anthony Clayton Clayton Agri-Marketing, Inc.
Mark Davis Davisco Foods International, Inc.
Stephen Foglesong Black Gold Ranch & Feedlot
Alvaro Garcia, Ph.D. South Dakota State University
Luisa Jaca Jaca Livestock
Elizabeth Krushinskie Mountaire Farms, Inc.
Michael Lemmon Whiteshire Hamroc, LLC
Richard Lively U.S. Meat Export Federation
Mark Lobstein USA Poultry & Egg Export Council
James McCan McFaddin Enterprises
Philip Nelson Illinois Farm Bureau
John Reddington U.S. Hides, Skin and Leather Association
Duane Lawrence Rhodes Tyson Foods, Inc.
Errol Rice Montana Stockgrowers Association, Inc.
Paul Rodgers American Sheep Industry Association
William Roenigk National Chicken Council
Neal Schuman Arthur Schuman, Inc.
Harold Shenson Nature’s SunGrown Foods, Inc.
Thomas Suber U.S. Dairy Export Council
Kent Swisher National Renderers Association
Constance Tipton International Dairy Foods Association
John Wilson Dairy Farmers of America, Inc.
Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Fruits and Vegetables
NAME COMPANY
Julie Adams Almond Board of California
Dennis Balint California Walnut Board
Barry Bedwell California Grape and Tree Fruit League
Susan Brauner Blue Diamond Growers
Jon Brekken Seneca Foods Corporation
Reginald Brown Florida Tomato Exchange
James Cranney California Citrus Quality Council
George Davis Porter Creek Vineyards
Mathew Harris Washington State Potato Commission
John Hoblick Florida Farm Bureau Federation
Richard Hudgins California Canning Peach Association
Thomas LaFaille The Wine Institute
Jeanette Lombardo Mission Community Bank
John McClung Texas Produce Association
Katherine Means Produce Marketing Association
Todd Michael Michael Farms Inc.
Mark Murai California Strawberry Commission
Joel Nelson California Citrus Mutual
Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Grains, Feed, Oilseeds and Planting Seeds
NAME COMPANY
Mark Anderson Anderson Hay & Grain Company, Inc.
Stanley Baker Infinity Lawn and Garden
Rebecca Bratter-Coleman U.S. Grains Council
Robert Cummings USA Rice Federation
Dennis DeLaughter Progressive Farm Management
Neal Fisher North Dakota Wheat Commission
Scott Fritz Fritz Black Sand Farms, Inc.
Michael Gumina Pioneer Hi-Bred International
Lurlin Hoelscher Hoelscher Ag Distributer, Inc.
William Hoffman Farmer
Joe Kapraun GROWMARK, Inc.
Kevin Kaufman BNSF Railway
Kendall Keith National Grain & Feed Association
Daniel Kidd Kidd Brothers Farms
Donald Latham DTB Farms, LLC
Daniel Murphy American Soybean Association
Joel Newman American Feed Industry Association
Michael Nichols Nichols Family Farms LLC, Nichols Farms Corp., Inc. LLC
John Reynolds Novus International, Inc.
Candace Roper CoBank Agricultural Credit Bank
Claude Rosson, III Texas A&M University
Michael Rue Catlett Warehouse
Shannon Schlecht U.S. Wheat Associates
Doug Sombke Sombke Farms
Larry Stenberg Dow Agro-Sciences
Teodoro Verver Texas Department of Agriculture
Mary Waters North American Millers' Association
Steven Wellman Wellman Farms, Inc.
David Winkles, Jr. South Carolina Farm Bureau
Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Processed Foods
NAME COMPANY
Robert Anderson Sustainable Strategies, LLC
Robert Bauer Association of Food Industries
Alison Bodor National Confectioners Association
James Finkle Constellation Brands Inc.
Robert Garfield Food Marketing Institute
Ann Grappin Yum! Restaurants
Timothy Hamilton Food Export Association of the Midwest/Northeast U.S.A.
Elizabeth Hill Ocean Spray International Services, Inc.
Jerry Hingle Southern United States Trade Association
Shawn Jarosz Trade Moves, LLC
Sudip Jhaveri Starbucks Coffee Company
Carolyn Kitchen Land O’ Lakes, Inc.
Christine LoCascio Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S.
Kasey Moctezuma Quality Assurance International
Carlos Pena Pepperidge Farm, Inc.
Rebecca Rasdall ConAgra Foods, Inc.
Peggy Rochette Grocery Manufacturers Association
Ronald Tanner National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, Inc.
Peter Thornton North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Sweeteners
and Sweetener Products
NAME COMPANY
Thomas Astrup American Crystal Sugar Company
Frank Day The Hershey Company
Patrick Henneberry Imperial Sugar Company
Roland Hoch Global Organics Ltd.
William Krause McKee Foods Corporation
David Long Goetze Candy Company, Inc.
Dale Murden Rio Farms, Inc.
David Rosenthal Corn Refiners Association
Judy Sanchez United States Sugar Corporation
James Simon American Sugar Cane League of the U.S.A., Inc.
Ray Van Driessche Michigan Sugar Company
John Yonover Indiana Sugars, Inc.
Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Tobacco, Cotton and Peanuts
NAME COMPANY
Thomas Archer American Peanut Council
Dale Artho Dale and Kathy Artho Farms
Kenneth Dierschke Dierschke Farms
Donald Koehler Georgia Peanut Commission
Dana Huffman National Cotton Council of America
John Mitchell Cargill India Pvt., Ltd.
Monique Muggli Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
Roger Quarles Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative Association
James Quinn Carolinas Cotton Growers Cooperative, Inc.
Harry Schroeder Oklahoma Cotton Council
Sledge Taylor, III Buckeye Farms
Clyde Wayne, Jr. Tobacco Associates, Inc.
DuBoise White Jr. Golden Peanut Company