Alexandria, Virginia
November 16, 2007
The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) is pleased to
announce the addition of Ms. Gretchen Flanley and Dr.
Ric Dunkle. Ms. Flanley will join ASTA as Vice President for
Communications, and Dr. Dunkle will serve as Senior Director of
Seed Health and Trade. Both will start with ASTA after the first
of the year.
 Ms. Flanley comes to ASTA
from the U.S. Grains Council where she served as the Director of
Biotechnology Programs and was responsible for implementing the
Council’s efforts related to the acceptance of biotechnology and
reducing barriers to trade for grains derived from this
technology.
Prior to the Grains Council,
Gretchen served as an International Affairs Specialist for the
U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service
(USDA-ARS). She focused principally on designing and
facilitating cooperative research programs between USDA-ARS and
key Latin American countries. In addition, Gretchen brings to
ASTA previous experience with USDA-Foreign Agriculture Service
and Bunge Corporation. She is a graduate of West Virginia
University with a B.A. in International Studies.
 Dr. Dunkle will join ASTA
following 28 years with USDA and 7 years with the California
Department of Food and Agriculture. He has spent the last 8
years as the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS) Deputy Administrator for Plant Protection and
Quarantine. In addition to his service at the USDA-APHIS, Dr.
Dunkle also worked for the USDA-ARS. With a Ph.D. in Entomology
from University of California-Davis, Ric brings a great deal of
experience with plant and pest disease issues, import/export
regulations, and methodologies impacting the movement of
agriculture products both domestically and internationally.
“The addition of Ms. Flanley and
Dr. Dunkle to the ASTA team will greatly assist us in meeting
the directives of the ASTA Board through the association’s
strategic plan,” said ASTA President and CEO Andy LaVigne.
“Communicating with the seed industry’s core constituencies and
improving the ability of seed companies to move seed
domestically and internationally are fundamental to the
continued success of the American seed industry.”
Founded in 1883, the American
Seed Trade Association (ASTA), located in Alexandria, VA, is one
of the oldest trade organizations in the United States. Its
membership consists of about 800 companies involved in seed
production and distribution, plant breeding, and related
industries in North America. As an authority on plant germplasm,
ASTA advocates science and policy issues of industry importance.
Its mission is to enhance the development and free movement of
quality seed worldwide. |
