Agricultural News
Atkins, USGC Vice President And COO, To Leave Council
Tue, 08 Mar 2022 08:35:54 CST
The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) announced today that Kimberly Atkins, vice president and chief operating officer since 2015, will be leaving the Council on April 13. She will remain in the agricultural space, serving as vice president, public affairs and policy at Laura Wood Peterson Consulting, a consulting firm focused on sustainability issues and agricultural policy.
"We are very sad to see Kim leave the organization and are eternally grateful for the 16 years she has dedicated to working on behalf of the U.S. producer and agribusiness sector," said Ryan LeGrand, USGC president and CEO.
"I want to personally thank Kim for dedicating nearly her entire career to the U.S. Grains Council. A tenure of 16 years is very uncommon in this day and age, and we are fortunate to have had Kim work as a steady pillar of this organization. She started as a coordinator in 2005 and rose to the highest ranks of the organization by demonstrating hard work, integrity, determination and trustworthiness throughout her time at the Council."
Atkins leaves the organization with a long list of achievements, one of the most memorable including discussing renewable fuels possibilities with the Vice President of Ecuador in 2019 and again in 2020.
"The Council has such a wonderful and powerful mission," Atkins said. "It has been my true honor to serve our members for 16 years."
"I love how the Council's mission is truly focused on improving lives of people both in the U.S. and overseas. Coming from a farming community myself, it has been inspiring to see the benefit of the Council's work first-hand."
After graduating from the University of Montana with a degree in political science and communications, Atkins' Council career began in 2005 as a communications coordinator. She quickly matriculated through the ranks, serving as the executive assistant and then was promoted to manager of international operations-Asia. In 2011, she left the Council to work for World Perspectives Inc. as a consulting projects manager. Atkins returned to the Council in 2012, serving as the director of global programs before being promoted to her current position in 2015.
The Council will open the search for Atkins' replacement both internally and externally immediately.
"I have met some of the most talented, creative and professional people in the world through my work with USGC," Atkins said. "I'm so grateful for the opportunity."
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