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Mary Hitchcock
Manager of Arbitration/Mediation Services

Mary was promoted to Manager of Arbitration/Mediation Services in 2014. In this role she is responsible for managing the case load within NGFA’s arbitration system as well as assisting with the administration of NGFA’s Trade Rules Committee, Arbitration Appeals Committee, Rail Arbitration Rules Committee and Legal Council.

Before joining NGFA, she was a business development manager at Cirrus Pharmaceuticals in Durham, N.C., office manager for Country Squire Realty in Unadilla, N.Y. and administrative assistant to the chief executive officer at Silicon Solar in Bainbridge, N.Y.

A native of New York, Mary graduated from Le Moyne College in Syracuse, N.Y. with a bachelor of science degree in psychology.

Contact Mary for:

Arbitration rules and procedures
Status of arbitration cases
Trade Rules/Arbitration Seminar information

Faith Silvers
Manager, Database/Member Services

Faith manages the NGFA’s membership database and assists the director of marketing/treasurer in membership-recruitment and retention programs. She also serves as registrar for NGFA conventions, conferences and seminars, and assists in coordinating the NGFA Trade Show conducted in conjunction with the annual December Country Elevator Conference.

She joined the NGFA’s staff in June 2008 with more than 15 years’ experience in office administration and management, including event planning, membership coordination and customer service. Most recently, she spent 10 years as membership coordinator and database manager for the National Consumers League, where she also was involved in membership recruitment, database management, sponsorships and fund-raising initiatives. Prior to that, Faith served nine years with the Computer and Communications Industry Association, the last four of which were spent as its manager of event planning and information services. She attended the College of Charleston (S.C.), and the Northern Virginia Community College.

Contact Faith for:

Changing membership records in NGFA database
Membership materials
Membership rosters
Convention and conference registration
NGFA Trade Show

Bobby Frederick
Director of Legislative Affairs and Public Policy

Bobby Frederick is NGFA’s director of legislative affairs and public policy.

Frederick previously held a position as legislative director for Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Ill., serving as his lead staff member for agricultural biotechnology and research issues, as well as rail, waterway and surface transportation policy.

Frederick has more than 11 years of experience on Capitol Hill, having previously worked as senior legislative assistant for then-Rep. Tim Johnson, R-Ill., and as acting chief of staff and legislative director for then-Rep. Bobby Schilling, R-Ill.

As NGFA director of legislative affairs and public policy, Frederick serves as the Association’s principal policy advocate on Capitol Hill, and is intimately involved in developing and executing the association’s overall legislative strategy. He is the lead staff member on agricultural biotechnology issues, and serves as principal staff liaison to NGFA’s Biotechnology Committee. He also leads NGFA’s staff efforts on inland waterway and port issues, and serves as principal staff liaison to the Waterborne Commerce Committee. In addition, he is responsible for operating Grain and Feed PAC.

A native of Champaign, Ill., Frederick received his undergraduate degree with a major in political science from DePauw University in Indiana, and received a certificate in political management and political action committees from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Rebecca Grubbs
Director, Meetings and Marketing

rgrubbs@ngfa.org

Rebecca supervises and manages the logistical and contractual arrangements, planning, and execution for the Association’s meetings, conferences, and special events. Rebecca also manages all marketing campaigns including meeting branding, and print, web, and email communications and creates and executes all aspects of the Association’s sponsorship plan. Additionally, Rebecca oversees the Committee Apprentice Program and Next Generation Agribusiness Leaders program, the Association’s two initiatives aimed at engaging early-career members in professional development and networking.

Prior to joining NGFA in 2010, Rebecca was catering sales and conference services manager for the Melrose Hotel in Washington, where she sold catering service and hotel meeting space to corporate, association and other clients. Prior to that, she was sales manager for two other Washington-based catering firms during the period of 2003-08.

Rebecca is a native of the Washington, DC area and received an undergraduate degree in English and political science from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pa.

Contact Rebecca for:

NGFA Annual Convention
NGFA Country Elevator Conference
NGFA Board of Directors and committee meetings
Other NGFA conferences and seminars
Meeting and event sponsorship
Committee Apprentice Program
Next Generation Agribusiness Leaders (NextGen) program
Directory advertising

Charles Delacruz
Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

cdelacruz@ngfa.org

Charlie was promoted to vice president in March 2012, and is the NGFA’s in-house legal counsel and corporate secretary. In this capacity, he administers the association’s arbitration system and works with the Trade Rules Committee. He also is principal staff liaison to the Arbitration Appeals Panel, Legal Council, Rail Arbitration Rules Committee and Trade Rules Committee. He has an extensive background in business law and private legal practice serving clients in the food industry. Prior to joining the NGFA’s staff in 2002, he was an attorney with a consulting firm – EHA Consulting Group Inc., Baltimore, Md. – providing services for Fortune 500 food industry clients on regulatory, import-export, safety and quality, and business and litigation issues.

A Virginia native, Delacruz is a magna cum laude graduate of James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va., with degrees in history and political science. He received his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in Charlottesville, Va., where among other things he was an editor of the Virginia Journal of International Law.

Charlie is the staff person to contact if you need information on:

Arbitration/Rules and procedures
Contracts issues
Legal issues
Trade Rules

Todd Kemp
Senior Vice President of Marketing and Treasurer

Todd was promoted to vice president of marketing in March 2012 after having served as director since 1997. He was elected corporate treasurer in 2000. He is responsible for the overall management and direction of the NGFA’s membership recruitment, development and retention programs. He is principal staff liaison to the Membership and Marketing Committee, Risk Management Committee and Finance and Administration Committee. He also spearheads the marketing of NGFA products and services. Todd joined the NGFA’s staff in 1991 as director of legislative affairs. Before that, he worked for the Agency for International Development, as a budget analyst at USDA and as legislative assistant for then-Sen. Nancy Landon Kassebaum-Baker, R-Kan. A Kansas native, he is a graduate of Kansas State University, with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics and a masters in business administration.

Todd is the staff person to contact if you need information on:

Commodity Futures/Exchanges
Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Dues investment
Membership recruitment/retention
Meeting sponsorships
NGFA Trade Show
Membership benefits and services
Membership categories
Risk management

Randall Gordon, President
President

Randy was elected as the NGFA’s top executive staff officer in September 2012, after having served as acting president since October 2011 upon the retirement of former President Kendell Keith. As chief operating officer, he is responsible for implementing the policies of the Board of Directors and for planning, coordinating and implementing the NGFA’s programs, services and budget. Prior to assuming his current responsibilities, he had served as vice president of communications and government relations since 1987. In that capacity, Randy had overall communications responsibility, and his government relations duties involved working with the Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies. He authored and edited the NGFA Newsletter, NGFA E-Alerts and other publications, and worked with the print and broadcast media to convey the NGFA’s policy views.

He joined the NGFA’s staff in 1978. A Nebraska native, he received an undergraduate degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in journalism, history and political science. He received the distinguished service award from the Association of American Feed Control Officials in 1999 and the Food and Drug Administration’s Collaboration Award in 2005.

Randy is the staff person to contact if you need information on:

Agroterrorism and Facility Security
Association of Grain Regulatory Officials
Country elevators
Department of Homeland Security
Food and Drug Administration Historical NGFA structure/committees NGFA policies and positions
Surface Transportation Board Transportation issues
Warehousing issues

Registration is now open for the 2018 Feed & Pet Food Joint Conference

NGFA has launched its new membership database

Registration is Now Open for the 2018 Country Elevator Conference & Trade Show

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