For Immediate Release

NAWG Partners with OFW Law for Government Affairs

NAWG Partners with OFW Law for Government Affairs

The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) is partnering with Olsson-Frank-Weeda-Terman-Matz (OFW) Law to lead the Association’s farm bill implementation efforts. The team from OFW includes Molly O’Connor, Ken Ackerman and Nathan Fretz.

“We are excited to add the leadership and industry expertise that OFW has into our government affairs department. With farm bill implementation fully upon us it is very important that wheat growers’ needs be heard in the many farm bill implementation and crop insurance discussions,” commented Jim Palmer, NAWG CEO.

Molly O’Connor, NAWG Director of Risk Management, has covered agriculture, food and nutrition, international food aid, energy and forestry issues. Before joining OFW, Molly was the Legislative Assistant at the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA). She served as a liaison between NCGA’s public policy action team to industry partners and Congress, focusing on the farm bill and crop insurance issues as well as PAC management. Prior to NCGA, Molly served as the international trade intern with the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC). Molly completed an internship with Ketchum Public Relations in the Food Business to Business department. Graduated in Agriculture Business from Colorado State University.

Ken Ackerman, Crop Insurance Specialist, will be concentrating on Federal crop insurance, agriculture programs and finance. Ken has a crop insurance practice including assisting insurance companies and farmers. He helps grower organizations develop new insurance product proposals. He was Administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) and Manager of its Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC). He also served as Counsel to two U.S. Senate Committees: the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry under then Chairman Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont, and the Committee on Governmental Affairs under Senator Charles H. Percy of Illinois, and held senior legal positions at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Farm Bill Specialist, Nathan Fretz, will be concentrating on food and agriculture legislative, regulatory and policy issues. He recently joined OFW after spending six years as counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture, first as majority counsel and later as minority counsel, for Congressman Peterson. He helped negotiate and draft the 2008 and 2014 farm bills, primarily focusing on meat and poultry, dairy, conservation, and food safety issues. Before working at the Agriculture Committee, Nathan served in the Congressional and Public Affairs Office at USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. About NAWG: The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) is a federation of 22 state wheat grower associations that works to represent the needs and interests of wheat producers before Congress and federal agencies. Based in Washington, D.C., NAWG is grower-governed and grower-funded, and works in areas as diverse as federal farm policy, trade, environmental regulation, agricultural research and sustainability.

About OFW: Founded in 1979, OFW Law is a bipartisan Washington, D.C. firm that specializes in agriculture and FDA issues, including agriculture law as it impacts agriculture. It is a full service firm that counsels clients on regulatory compliance, represents clients before Congress or the executive branch of Government and litigates when necessary. OFW Law strives to anticipate and understand the relevant legislative and regulatory initiatives that face our agriculture clients. The experience of our attorneys and policy advisors, who have backgrounds in government and industry coupled with proactive, responsive and effective service, has helped OFW Law build a reputation for depth and subject matter expertise in representing our clients.

About NAWG

NAWG is the primary policy representative in Washington D.C. for wheat growers, working to ensure a better future for America’s growers, the industry and the general public. NAWG works with a team of 20 state wheat grower organizations to benefit the wheat industry at the national level. From their offices on Capitol Hill, NAWG’s staff members are in constant contact with state association representatives, NAWG grower leaders, Members of Congress, Congressional staff members, Administration officials and the public.