AGree, an organization which brings together stakeholders and leaders to elevate food and agriculture policy as a national priority and to create positive change in the food system, announced last month that Dr. Kathleen Merrigan will be replacing Gary Hirschberg as a Co-Chair of the organization.
Merrigan is well known for her work on food and agriculture policy, having served as Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating Officer of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Merrigan also served as senior staff on the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, where she wrote the law establishing national standards for organic food. Currently, Merrigan is Executive Director of Sustainability at The George Washington University.
Of her appointment to AGree, Merrigan says, “AGree is identifying new approaches to food and agriculture policy that are supported by diverse interests and serve the common good – and then implementing them. That’s not easy. I look forward to the challenge and having the opportunity to work alongside Dan, Emmy, Jim, Deb, and the many others who participate in AGree’s work.”
The AGree Co-Chairs, Dan Glickman, Jim Moseley, and Emmy Simmons, and Executive Director Deborah Atwood, all expressed enthusiasm about Merrigan joining the organization, describing her as a bridge builder, a deep thinker, and forward looking, and conveying their eagerness to begin working with her on food and agriculture policy.
