ARLINGTON, Virginia — U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) welcomes a new colleague to its Headquarters Office in Arlington, Va. Shelbi Knisley joined the organization January 1, 2020, as Director of Policy. USW represents the interests of U.S. wheat farmers in export markets.

Knisley comes to USW after spending five years at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Most recently, she worked in the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) as a trade policy advisor for UN-FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) and OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development). In that role, she lead strategy and collaboration on policy covering nutrition, biotechnology, sustainability, antimicrobial resistance, CODEX, plant and animal health and agroecology. Her time with USDA also included experience analyzing wheat markets for FAS and oilseed markets for the Economic Research Service (ERS).

“Shelbi’s experience in international trade while at USDA and her analytical background makes her a valuable asset to USW’s trade policy priorities,” said Dalton Henry, USW Vice President of Policy. “In addition to trade policy, she will be responsible for leading our work in food aid and wheat breeding innovation.”

A native Texan, Knisley earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in agricultural and applied economics from Texas Tech University, where her thesis focused on analyzing China’s impact on Australia’s grain sorghum export market. Knisley also spent time interning on the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture and with the National Sorghum Producers and Sorghum Checkoff.

Knisley fills a position held by Assistant Director of Policy Elizabeth Westendorf who recently left USW to pursue other opportunities.

“We appreciate Elizabeth’s contributions to the organization since joining USW in 2014,” said Henry. “In particular, her work on innovation, sustainability and creating programs for farmer delegations traveling to Africa to focus on food aid are legacy items that will benefit USW long after her departure. We wish the best to Elizabeth in her new endeavors.”

USW’s mission is to “develop, maintain, and expand international markets to enhance wheat’s profitability for U.S. wheat producers and its value for their customers.” USW activities in more than 100 countries are made possible through producer checkoff dollars managed by 17 state wheat commissions and cost-share funding provided by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. USW maintains 15 offices strategically located around the world to help wheat buyers, millers, bakers, wheat food processors and government officials understand the quality, value and reliability of all six U.S. wheat classes. For more information, visit the USW website at www.uswheat.org.

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Nondiscrimination and Alternate Means of Communications
In all its programs, activities and employment, U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, marital or family status, age, disability, political beliefs or sexual orientation. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USW at 202-463-0999 (TDD/TTY – 800-877-8339, or from outside the U.S., 605-331-4923). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to Vice President of Finance, USW, 3103 10th Street, North, Arlington, VA 22201, or call 202-463-0999. USW is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

ARLINGTON, Virginia — U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) has hired Mike Spier to be Vice President of Overseas Operations beginning Oct. 15, 2019. Spier spent 19 years with USW before joining Columbia Grain International (CGI) where, most recently, he was head of CGI’s international wheat trading desk in Portland, Ore. Spier will be based in the USW West Coast Office in Portland.

“We are very pleased that Mike has agreed to come back to work for USW,” said USW President Vince Peterson. “Adding his 27 years of experience with USW and grain companies to the staff gives us proven success in export market development and fills the vacancy left when Mark Fowler assumed his new position as Vice President of Global Technical Services earlier this year. Mike knows our organization, our business and our customers. He will be a great partner, resource and leader for our overseas operations.”

“I am excited to rejoin the USW team and look forward to once again representing U.S. wheat farmers overseas,” Spier said. “Wheat markets around the globe are rapidly changing and creating both new challenges and opportunities. I very much look forward to working with USW’s exceptional staff as well as our wheat industry partners to maintain and expand international markets for U.S. wheat.”

Spier is an Oregon native who has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Seattle Pacific University. He started his career in 1992 as an accountant and then a grain merchandiser with United Grain Corporation in Portland. In 1997, he joined USW as Assistant Director of the West Coast Office. In 1998, Spier relocated to Cairo, Egypt, as Assistant Regional Director for the Middle East and East Africa. After four years in Cairo, he transferred to Manila, Philippines, as Assistant Regional Director for South Asia. In 2009, Spier was promoted to Regional Vice President for South Asia and transferred to USW’s Singapore Regional Office.  He joined CGI in 2015 as Assistant Vice President of International Marketing in Singapore where he was responsible for international wheat sales to end users in Southeast Asia. In 2018, Spier relocated to CGI’s international wheat trading desk in Portland.

Over his career in the grain industry, Spier has traveled to more than 40 countries, implementing wheat export market development activities, providing insight into the U.S. and world wheat markets and assisting buyers with wheat contract terms to meet price and quality expectations.

USW’s mission is to “develop, maintain, and expand international markets to enhance wheat’s profitability for U.S. wheat producers and its value for their customers.” USW activities in more than 100 countries are made possible through producer checkoff dollars managed by 17 state wheat commissions and cost-share funding provided by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. USW maintains 15 offices strategically located around the world to help wheat buyers, millers, bakers, wheat food processors and government officials understand the quality, value and reliability of all six U.S. wheat classes. For more information, visit the USW website at www.uswheat.org.

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Nondiscrimination and Alternate Means of Communications
In all its programs, activities and employment, U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, marital or family status, age, disability, political beliefs or sexual orientation. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USW at 202-463-0999 (TDD/TTY – 800-877-8339, or from outside the U.S., 605-331-4923). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to Vice President of Finance, USW, 3103 10th Street, North, Arlington, VA 22201, or call 202-463-0999. USW is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

ARLINGTON, Virginia — U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) promotes Amanda Spoo to Director of Communications in its Arlington, Va., headquarters. Spoo will continue to direct USW’s online communications efforts while supporting public relations and marketing communications outreach to overseas wheat buyers and U.S. farmer stakeholders. USW is the wheat industry’s export market development organization.

“Amanda continues to demonstrate a highly effective approach to her work with an increasing number of responsibilities,” said USW Vice President of Communications Steve Mercer. “Under her direction, we are reaching a much wider audience of buyers and farmers through social media and online tools. Her leadership on a very successful revision of our website, www.uswheat.org, was a crucial part of that effort and we are pleased to recognize her contribution.”

Spoo was Director of Communications with the Kansas Pork Association before joining USW in 2015 as a Communications Specialist and was promoted to USW Assistant Director of Communications in 2017. She grew up in Hermiston, Ore., and earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications and journalism at Kansas State University. She worked three years as a Student Communications Specialist at the IGP Institute and as a Communications Intern in Government Affairs with ICM, Inc., a Kansas biofuels company. Spoo continues to be active in Agriculture Future of America (AFA) and currently serves as the AFA Alliance Chair and Representative to the AFA board of directors. She is also a member of AAEA-The Ag Communicators Network and the National Association of Farm Broadcasting.

USW’s mission is to “develop, maintain, and expand international markets to enhance wheat’s profitability for U.S. wheat producers and its value for their customers.” USW activities in more than 100 countries are made possible through producer checkoff dollars managed by 17 state wheat commissions and cost-share funding provided by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. USW maintains 15 offices strategically located around the world to help wheat buyers, millers, bakers, wheat food processors and government officials understand the quality, value and reliability of all six U.S. wheat classes. For more information, visit the USW website at www.uswheat.org.

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Nondiscrimination and Alternate Means of Communications
U.S. Wheat Associates prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, marital or family status, age, disability, political beliefs or sexual orientation. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact U.S. Wheat Associates at 202-463-0999 (TDD/TTY – 800-877-8339, or from outside the U.S.- 605-331-4923). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to Vice President of Finance, U.S. Wheat Associates, 3103 10th Street, North, Arlington, VA 22201, or call 202-463-0999. U.S. Wheat Associates is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

ARLINGTON, Virginia – U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) names Chad Weigand as Assistant Regional Director for Sub-Saharan Africa, to be based in Cape Town, South Africa, effective Dec. 1, 2018, and announces that current Market Analyst Stephanie Bryant-Erdmann will replace Weigand as Assistant Regional Director for Mexico, Central America and Caribbean, in Mexico City, Mexico, effective Jan. 15, 2019. USW also announces that Claire Hutchins will join the export market development organization as Market Analyst Nov. 30, 2018, in the Arlington, Va. Headquarters.

“Our organization continues to evolve. It is great to have opportunities for talented, committed managers like Chad and Stephanie to grow within the company and take on more responsibilities with these promotions,” said USW Vice President of Overseas Operations Mark Fowler. “Chad has effectively represented U.S. wheat farmers in the Mexico, Central America and Caribbean region for several years and will work with Regional Director Gerald Theus and our experienced Sub-Saharan Africa team to fight for market share in that important region. Stephanie’s exceptional work as a Planning and Programs Assistant and Market Analyst have prepared her well to join the team in Mexico City where she will report to Regional Vice President Mitch Skalicky.”

“We are very pleased to welcome Claire Hutchins to our communications team,” said USW Vice President of Communications Steve Mercer. “She brings a sincere enthusiasm for the wheat industry developed on her family’s farm in Colorado and for agricultural economics in her graduate work at Utah State University. In her position, Claire will analyze and report on global wheat market supply, demand and price trends.”

Weigand joined USW in 2009 as Market Analyst before transferring to Mexico City in 2011. He earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations and business administration from the University of San Diego and a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University. Weigand spent two years in the Peace Corps as an agribusiness specialist in Ecuador and completed an internship with the Office of Trade Programs at USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service.

Chad Weigand. (Click for high-resolution image.)

Bryant-Erdmann joined USW in 2014. She grew up working on her family’s Nebraska cattle ranch and earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her master’s program thesis at Cornell University’s Institute for Public Affairs focused on the economic feasibility of exporting Kenyan cheese to the United Arab Emirates. She also had an internship at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Trade Information Center where she helped create educational materials for U.S. organizations looking to export products and services.

Stephanie Bryant-Erdmann (Click for high-resolution image.)

Hutchins was raised on an irrigated wheat, soy and alfalfa farm in the high desert near Fruita, Colo. Athletic skill and an interest in Asia brought her to the University of Pennsylvania where she competed in rowing and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Chinese language, history and art history. She was recruited to help manage an established organic farm in New Jersey and a start-up community farm of sustainably grown produce in suburban Philadelphia, Penn. Noting the “disconnection between the ideals of the organic movement and practical reality of farm life for large-scale producers,” Hutchins entered a master’s program in agricultural economics at Utah State University, including coursework at the National Taiwan University, Taipei, and will graduate in December 2018. As a research assistant she measured the effects of Russian weather and policy on the rates of return for U.S. wheat producers. In addition, Hutchins worked as a Government Affairs Intern at Syngenta’s Washington, D.C., office.

Claire Hutchins (Click for high-resolution image.)

USW’s mission is to “develop, maintain, and expand international markets to enhance wheat’s profitability for U.S. wheat producers and its value for their customers.” USW activities in more than 100 countries are made possible through producer checkoff dollars managed by 17 state wheat commissions and cost-share funding provided by USDA/Foreign Agricultural Service.

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Nondiscrimination and Alternate Means of Communications
In all its programs and activities, U.S. Wheat Associates prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, marital or family status, age, disability, political beliefs or sexual orientation. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact U.S. Wheat Associates at 202-463-0999 (TDD/TTY – 800-877-8339, or from outside the U.S.- 605-331-4923). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to Vice President of Finance, U.S. Wheat Associates, 3103 10th Street, North, Arlington, VA 22201, or call 202-463-0999. U.S. Wheat Associates is an equal opportunity provider and employer.