Iowa Cattlemen’s Association names policy director

AMES — Iowa Cattlemen’s Association recently named Kelli Wicks its new director of government relations and public policy.

Wicks brings a unique background of experience and skills that will complement the association’s policy work and continue to drive legislative efforts promoting Iowa cattle producer’s profitability and productivity, said the Cattlemen’s Association in a press release.

Wicks' most recent roles were as the manager of market growth and manager of international market development with the National Pork Board. She was responsible for international initiatives, consumer segmentation insight integration, innovation and the introduction of new technologies.

Prior to the serving on the National Pork Board, Wicks was a two-time Wallace-Carver Fellow with the USDA Agricultural Research Service and Foreign Agricultural Service and a farmer relations intern with Midwest Dairy.

She was a Borlaug-Ruan International Intern in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at the International Livestock Research Institute.

Wicks holds a master's degree in international agriculture with a focus on international trade and development from Oklahoma State University. She has a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University where she double-majored in agriculture and society and international agriculture with a minor in animal science.

Wicks grew up on a small cattle operation in north central Iowa. She raised and showed purebred cattle across the state and the nation.

The Cattlemen’s Association is working on policy development and priorities for the coming year. Wicks joins the team to take part in this process.

Wicks’ first day in her new position will be Nov. 4.