NFU welcomes additions to Washington D.C. office

WASHINGTON – National Farmers Union (NFU) is pleased to welcome five new staff members to positions in the government relations, communications, and education departments, as well as the addition of North Bridge Communications as a media relations consulting firm.

Sarah Campbell, Education Coordinator

Campbell supports the NFU Foundation’s education and development team in initiating growth through a variety of strategies. In addition to developing the annual curriculum, she also assists in planning and preparing youth and adult education programs and events. Campbell studied international policy and economics at Guilford College in Greensboro, N.C.

Zach Clark, Government Relations Representative

Clark advocates for family farmers, ranchers and rural communities in Congress, particularly on crop insurance, commodities, immigration and tax. He joins NFU from the office of Congressman Joe Courtney, where he served as legislative assistant. As staff to a member of the House Agriculture Committee, Clark worked on the 2014 Farm Bill, advocating on a range of issues important to family farmers.

Tom Driscoll, Government Relations Representative

Driscoll asserts the interests of family farmers, ranchers, and rural communities in energy and environmental policy. He also drafts long-form documents, such as comments on agency rulemaking, on a variety of issues that affect family agriculture. Before joining NFU, Driscoll managed the agriculture news clips service AgToGo, wrote articles for Agri-Pulse, and worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Rep. Tim Ryan, and boutique government relations firm Strategies 360.

Andrew Jerome, Communications Coordinator

Jerome serves as the primary media contact, maintains the website and social media platforms, and produces publications such as newsletters, e-newsletters, news clips, and Farmers Share. Jerome is a recent graduate of West Virginia University where he earned a degree in public relations.

Barbara Patterson, Government Relations Representative

Patterson advocates for family farmers, ranchers, and rural communities with a focus on trade, livestock, competition, conservation, nutrition, and food safety. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and recently graduated with a Master of Science in Agriculture and Nutrition Policy from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. Patterson previously worked as a policy associate for New England Farmers Union.

North Bridge Communications

NFU has brought on North Bridge Communications to assist with communication operations and proactive media outreach. Leading the team is partner Phillip Hayes and managing director Dave Ray.