February 6, 2009

NCFC’s Conner Joins Board

ACDI/VOCA welcomes Charles F. Conner onto its board of directors. Conner is the new president and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC), a Washington, D.C., trade association that represents the interests of agricultural cooperatives. NCFC is a longtime affiliate of ACDI/VOCA and enjoys ex officio board membership.

Conner, who has more than 25 years of national and state government, agricultural and trade association experience, was named to head NCFC Jan. 2 and attended his first ACDI/VOCA board meeting Jan. 27.

He was welcomed by Chairman Mort Neufville and other members. He indicated that he was happy to serve. He said he was affirmed by ACDI/VOCA’s good reputation, which he said was “a tribute to the board, President Carl Leonard and staff.”

Prior to joining NCFC, from May 2005 to January 2009, Conner served as deputy secretary of agriculture, where, as chief operating officer of USDA, he oversaw day-to-day operations, including development of a $95 billion budget for 26 agencies representing 300 programs and more than 100,000 employees. Conner also represented USDA on the President’s Management Council, providing food, trade, security and energy policy expertise. He led the development of the 2008 Farm Bill.

While at USDA he also headed delegations on global food and trade issues to Colombia and to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization’s meeting in Rome, Italy. Conner was special assistant to the president George W. Bush from October 2001 to May 2005. From May 1997 to October 2001 he headed the Corn Refiners Association, working on issues involved with the World Trade Organization and NAFTA. He is the recipient of Purdue’s Distinguished Alumni Award.

Conner replaces NCFC President and CEO Jean-Mari Peltier, who had served on the ACDI/VOCA board since early 2004, including one and a half years as chairperson.

To learn more about ACDI/VOCA’s board of directors and executive team, click here.