OTA Appoints New Executive Director
The Organic Trade Association yesterday named the third executive director in its 23-year history, Christine Bushway.
"Her passion for this opportunity, combined with her outstanding leadership skills, association experience and great energy will help the OTA move to the next level," said Julia Sabin, president of OTA's board of directors. "With recent strengthening of OTA's organizational infrastructure and policy success with passage of the organic provisions in the 2008 Farm Bill, the association is well positioned to continue on a growth trajectory, and Christine is the right leader for OTA at this time."
Before Bushway's appointment, David Gagnon was the interim executive director after Caren Wilcox's departure at the end of June. The organization's original executive director, Katherine DiMatteo, occupied the position from 1990 to 2006.
Bushway's career has been spent in the food and agriculture industries. She has held such high-profile positions as agricultural trade association c.e.o., chief Washington lobbyist for the egg industry, and media spokeswoman on topics ranging from nutrition to food contamination and production. As the head of a full-service advertising, public relations, and marketing strategies agency dedicated to food and agriculture clients and issues, she has worked with the American Egg Board, the Pennsylvania Beef Council, Radlo Foods, the New England Brown Egg Council, Great River Cooperative, Texas Peanut Producers, Penn Ag Industries Association, the New Hampshire Apple Growers, and the New Hampshire Audubon Society.
Most recently, Bushway, a native New Englander who's returning to the region for her new job, was director of state programs for the American Egg Board in Park Ridge, Ill.
Greenfield, Mass.-based OTA is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. Its more than 1,700 members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, and retailers.
"Her passion for this opportunity, combined with her outstanding leadership skills, association experience and great energy will help the OTA move to the next level," said Julia Sabin, president of OTA's board of directors. "With recent strengthening of OTA's organizational infrastructure and policy success with passage of the organic provisions in the 2008 Farm Bill, the association is well positioned to continue on a growth trajectory, and Christine is the right leader for OTA at this time."
Before Bushway's appointment, David Gagnon was the interim executive director after Caren Wilcox's departure at the end of June. The organization's original executive director, Katherine DiMatteo, occupied the position from 1990 to 2006.
Bushway's career has been spent in the food and agriculture industries. She has held such high-profile positions as agricultural trade association c.e.o., chief Washington lobbyist for the egg industry, and media spokeswoman on topics ranging from nutrition to food contamination and production. As the head of a full-service advertising, public relations, and marketing strategies agency dedicated to food and agriculture clients and issues, she has worked with the American Egg Board, the Pennsylvania Beef Council, Radlo Foods, the New England Brown Egg Council, Great River Cooperative, Texas Peanut Producers, Penn Ag Industries Association, the New Hampshire Apple Growers, and the New Hampshire Audubon Society.
Most recently, Bushway, a native New Englander who's returning to the region for her new job, was director of state programs for the American Egg Board in Park Ridge, Ill.
Greenfield, Mass.-based OTA is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. Its more than 1,700 members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, and retailers.