RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment) has named Aaron Hobbs as the association’s new director of legislative affairs and grassroots outreach. In his new role, Hobbs will identify, track, and take action on legislative activities that affect the specialty pesticide and fertilizer industries and grow membership in the RISE grassroots network to help ensure that industry voices are heard in the political process.
“There are several challenges facing our industry in the near future, and Aaron’s addition along with his expertise in public policy, coalition building and natural resource conservation will help strengthen our nationwide grassroots effort to meet them head on,” said Allen James, RISE president. “Aaron has a unique set of skills that will help us continue to build momentum as the pesticide and fertilizer industries make strides to reclaim their rightful place at the head of the national green movement.”
Prior to joining RISE, Hobbs served as director of the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses for the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. He has also served in past positions as an international trade economist and presidential management fellow with the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service, resource economist with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, and a legislative intern in the U.S. House of Representatives.
This addition to the RISE team allows Jim Skillen to refocus his efforts on monitoring the association’s regulatory and scientific issues programs and enables Karen Reardon to turn her attention to expanding RISE’s communication capacity. Originally from Kaufman, Texas, Hobbs graduated from Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in agricultural economics.
Starting immediately, all inquiries about RISE grassroots efforts should now be directed to Aaron Hobbs, who can be reached by telephone at (202) 872-3843 or by email at ahobbs@pestfacts.org. For more information about RISE, visit www.pestfacts.org.