News Article
The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture is excited to congratulate three staff members on their recent promotions. On the policy team, Stephanie McBath has been promoted to director of public policy and Josie Montoney-Crawford has been promoted to associate director of public policy. On the trade team, Blake Ramsey has been promoted to director of trade shows.
Stephanie joined the NASDA team in December 2022 as the associate director of public policy where she focused on issues related to agricultural labor, conservation, animal disease and climate. In the past year, Stephanie built and developed many relationships that she used to progress the understanding of NASDA’s policy priorities. She helped plan and execute the policy team’s first-ever “NASDA 101” briefing for Capitol Hill staff, compiled and facilitated a nationwide survey on African Swine Fever preparedness, and continues her engagement with lawmakers to discuss farm bill priorities. Stephanie is currently the staff lead for the policy committees on animal agriculture and natural resources and environment.
“The past year at NASDA has flown by – and it is an exciting time to be with an organization that is taking our advocacy abilities to new heights,” Stephanie said. “I will continue to help NASDA team members navigate a challenging regulatory environment, forge new relationships and keep the pressure on Congress to deliver results for state departments of agriculture, farmers and ranchers across the country.”
Josie Montoney-Crawford also joined the public policy team in December 2022 as manager of public policy . During her time in this position, Josie spearheaded NASDA’s Plant and Pesticides Policy Committee and Rural Development & Financial Security Policy Committee. She received the 2023 USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Administrator’s Award for her work on the Spotted Lanternfly Strategic Plan, an initiative to limit the spread and environmental impacts of the invasive spotted lanternfly. Josie is passionate about the issues she works on and has been a recognized leader on pesticide policy issues as she helped NASDA members communicate federal regulations to local farmers and pesticide applicators. Throughout her time at NASDA, Josie has also worked to connect state departments of agriculture with federal agencies to combine efforts in areas such as rural mental health and renewable energy.
“A year ago when I began my time at NASDA, I was thrilled to be joining an organization that was tackling both the most exciting opportunities and most difficult challenges, facing the food and agriculture sector today,” Josie said. “As I assume my new title, I’m reminded that now more than ever, NASDA members are uniquely poised to provide innovative solutions and steadfast leadership – delivering results that secure a bright future for the industry we love. It is humbling to be a part of the charge, and I look forward to the good work to come.”
Blake joined NASDA’s trade show team in March 2018. Over the past seven years, he greatly contributed to the growth of NASDA’s trade show presence, helping small and medium-sized U.S. food and beverage companies reach new global markets. In 2023, Blake helped launch the “A Taste of the States” branding for NASDA trade show pavilions at the Americas Food and Beverage Show, the National Restaurant Association Show and the SIAL America Food & Beverage Show. As the lead team member for the trade show pavilions, Blake worked closely with state departments of agriculture to bring products from their state to the shows and increased participation from 16 state departments of agriculture in 2022 to 25 in 2023.
“I am excited to continue elevating ‘A Taste of the States’ to serve the diverse agriculture produced in our member states,” Blake said. “NASDA’s trade show pavilions provide an incredible platform for small food and beverage companies to reach markets all across the globe and I look forward to continue helping these companies through trade shows.”
