USMEF’s Hanes Elected Chairman of USAEDC

Greg Hanes, USMEF’s assistant vice president for international marketing and programs, was elected chairman of the U.S. Agricultural Export Development Council (USAEDC) this week at the organization’s annual workshop in Baltimore, Maryland.

USAEDC, which is made up of commodity trade associations, farmer cooperatives and state regional trade groups, has roughly 80 members that represent producers and processors exporting a variety of U.S. agricultural products around the world.

“It’s a great honor to be selected chairman of USAEDC, a great organization whose members are making agricultural exports grow and expand to record levels,” said Hanes, who will serve a two-year term.

As USAEDC chairman, Hanes will work with members to develop unified messages to the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and to promote programs that benefit ag exporters.

The timing of his election places Hanes in the chairman’s role at a very crucial time for U.S. agricultural exports.

“As the new Farm Bill is being crafted, the next year will be extremely important to USMEF and all the cooperator organizations like us,” Hanes said.

Greg Hanes

“It is imperative we are all on the same page and are explaining the impact of and how important the Market Access Program, Foreign Market Development, and other programs are to the agriculture community. Decision makers around the country need to hear the cooperators’ success stories that are boosting value back to the producers.”

Hanes has been with USMEF for a total of 15 years, including four years as USMEF’s director in Japan.

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