McKinney to lead NASDA

ARLINGTON, Va. — Hoosier native Ted McKinney has been selected as CEO of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture.

He previously served as undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs at U.S. Department of Agriculture. Before that, he worked as director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture.

Now he will lead NASDA in amplifying the voice of state departments of agriculture in Washington, D.C.

“Representing a unified voice from all 50 states and four territories, NASDA is a leader and problem solver on our nation’s most important agricultural issues,” McKinney said.

“I am honored to be chosen for this position, and I am delighted to continue serving our country through advocating for state departments of agriculture. Moving forward, I’m excited to set new horizons for NASDA and ensure agriculture thrives in our states and territories.”

McKinney began his new role on Sept. 27.

Policy Updates

NASDA recently held its annual meeting, where members decided on new policy stances. They voted to support the free flow of interstate trade and reiterated the importance of states’ ability to create regulations that best suit their particular needs.

• NASDA members voted to promote agricultural workforce reform. Specifically, NASDA members adopted policy to support amending the H-2A and H-2B visa programs to include year-round workers for the agriculture and forestry industries.

• NASDA members amended the organization’s policy on the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. Members voted to advocate for USDA to allow hemp to be designed as both a specialty crop and an agronomic commodity depending its intended use.

• NASDA members adopted an action item to support and expand emergency food supply networks. Specifically, NASDA members emphasized the importance of ensuring state agriculture departments can utilize new USDA funds as they become available to support their states’ communities.

Learn more about NASDA at www.nasda.org.