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Who we are

GOVERNANCE

The NAAAN is comprised of ten Steering Committee members, Senior Staff, and a Secretariat hosted by the Colorado State University System office located in Denver, Colorado.

STEERING COMMITTEE

The NAAAN Steering Committee has ten members: one ex officio and two committee members from each country — Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. NAAAN ex officios include the Ministers or Secretaries of Agriculture across the three counties. The Steering Committee provides strategic guidance to NAAAN Secretariat and programming activities.

CANADA

THE HONOURABLE MARIE-CLAUDE BIBEAU (EX OFFICIO)

Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
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DR. DAVID GRAY

Professor, Dalhousie University
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BRODIE BERRIGAN

Director of Government Relations and Farm Policy, Canadian Federation of Agriculture

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MEXICO

SECRETARY VICTOR VILLALOBOS (EX OFFICIO)

Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development
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CARLOS VAZQUEZ OCHOA

Minister Counselor, Agricultural Office, Embassy of Mexico to the United States
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LOURDES CRUZ TRINIDAD

General Coordinator of International Affairs, Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development
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UNITED STATES

SECRETARY TOM VILSACK (EX OFFICIO)

Secretary of Agriculture
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DR. DOUGLAS STEELE

Vice President Food, Agriculture & Natural Resources, Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities
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DR. CATHIE WOTEKI

Professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Iowa State University
Visiting Distinguished Institute Professor, Biocomplexity Institute, University of Virginia
President, Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation
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DR. TONY FRANK

Chancellor, Colorado State University System (host institution)
Chair of the NAAAN Steering Committee 
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SENIOR STAFF

NAAAN senior staff report to the institutions, or serve directly under the Ministers and Secretaries of Agriculture across Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. The senior staff’s work with NAAAN builds and maintains mutually beneficial relationships, facilitates communications, and coordinates key activities in agricultural policies and programs for their countries.

ANNE-MARIE CROUX (CANADA)

Deputy Director, Americas Division of Agriculture, Canada’s International Affairs Branch

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WALLACE IP (CANADA)

Vice-consul and Trade Commissioner (Agriculture), Consulate General of Canada, Denver, Colo.
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MARIE-PIER SABOURIN (CANADA)

Trade Policy Analyst, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
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LETICIA ALBARRAN (MEXICO)

Head of Department of Communication and Interpretation, General Coordination of International Affairs of the Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development
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SALVADOR FERNÁNDEZ RIVERA (MEXICO)

General Coordinator for Rural Development, Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development
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LUIS MARTÍNEZ SENTÍES (MEXICO)

Counselor for Agricultural Affairs, Embassy of Mexico to the United States
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JUAN BERNARDO OROZCO SÁNCHEZ (MEXICO)

Director of Economic Studies in the Agricultural Sector, Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development
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DIONNE TOOMBS (U.S.)

Acting Director, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA
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DANIEL WHITLEY (U.S.)

Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA
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REGINA BLACK (U.S.) 

Chief of Staff, Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, USDA

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DAVIDA TENGEY (U.S.)

Acting Chief of Staff, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA

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BRENT ELROD (U.S.)

Acting Associate Director for Programs, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA
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JON HURST (U.S.)

Special Assistant, Office of External & Intergovernmental Affairs, USDA
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SECRETARIAT

The NAAAN Secretariat, established in 2019, provides administrative guidance and is hosted by the Colorado State University System office located in Denver, Colorado. 

KERRI CONWAY (U.S.)

Special Advisor to the Chancellor and Director of International Agriculture, CSU Spur
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DAVID NIELSON (U.S.)

Senior Advisor to the NAAAN
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LAUREN WELLER (U.S.)

Assistant Director of International Agriculture, CSU Spur
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REBECCA POPARA (U.S.)

Program Associate, International Agriculture, CSU Spur 
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