ASSOCIATIONS/ORGANIZATIONS:
Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO), Canada Graham Lloyd was appointed general manager, effective Aug. 1, taking over for Peter Gould, who is retiring. Lloyd started his career with the dairy industry as DFO's general counsel and secretary to the board in July 2011, and eventually became director of communications, where he became heavily involved in government relations and managed the activities of the communication division. Lloyd has been instrumental in implementing the national ingredient strategy and seizing significant market growth opportunities.
International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Washington, D.C. Tony Eberhard, former deputy chief of staff and legislative director for Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), joined as vice president of legislative affairs, responsible for working with IDFA members on policy development and legislative strategy while advocating for dairy processors and the dairy industry before the Congress and the Administration. Most recently, Eberhard guided Senator Hoeven’s legislative agenda, overseeing efforts on the Agriculture Act of 2014, also known as the farm bill, as well as biotechnology labeling issues, immigration reform and White House budget negotiations. Before that, he was a senior principal, responsible for legislative affairs at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, where he spearheaded advocacy efforts to restore and protect lending by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utility Service and advocate for legislation on financial regulatory reform. His experience before NRECA included working for two senators and two representatives in the House with an emphasis on agriculture. Eberhard was a staff member to Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), and prior to that, was deputy legislative director and then acting legislative director for Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN), where he established the senator as a leader on agricultural issues with a focus on dairy and rural development. Eberhard began his career on Capitol Hill in the House of Representatives, working first for Rep. Kenny Hulshof (R-MO) and then Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO), where he addressed constituent concerns and helped to develop policy positions for her role on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture.