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DACF News Release


The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry is proud to share that Commissioner Amanda Beal has been elected by her peers to serve as the 2025–2026 President of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), a role that underscores both her leadership and Maine’s growing voice in shaping the future of American agriculture.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 17, 2025

*NASDA Members Elect Maine Agriculture Commissioner Amanda Beal as 2025–2026 President*

*ROGERS, Ark. —* During the 2025 National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Annual Meeting [ [link removed] ], members elected their 2026 officers. Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) Commissioner Amanda Beal will be NASDA’s 2025–2026 President.

“I am honored to be elected NASDA president and grateful for the opportunity to serve my fellow members. Working alongside some of the most knowledgeable and dedicated leaders in American agriculture, including our commissioners, secretaries, directors, and their expert staff, is inspiring. Through NASDA, we will continue collaborating across states to advance meaningful policies and actions that create lasting, positive change for our farmers and others within our agricultural sector,” *Beal said*.  

As part of her presidency, Commissioner Beal will lead NASDA in hosting the 2026 Annual Meeting, Sept. 13 -16, in Portland, Maine. The gathering will bring agriculture leaders from across the nation to the state, highlighting Maine’s farms, fisheries, and forests, and reinforcing NASDA’s role in shaping resilient agricultural policy. The theme of the 2026 meeting, "“"Resilient Roots, Bountiful Future",”" captures the organization’s shared commitment to strengthening the foundations of American agriculture while creating new opportunities for future generations.   *NASDA’s 2026 Board of Directors includes:*


* *President*: Commissioner Amanda Beal, Maine
* *Vice President:* Director Derek Sandison, Washington
* *Second Vice President:* Secretary Mike Naig, Iowa
* *Secretary-Treasurer:* Commissioner Tyler Harper, Georgia
* *Past President:* Secretary Wes Ward, Arkansas
* *At-Large:* Director Jillien Streit, Montana 

Massachusetts Commissioner Ashley Randle, Maryland Secretary Kevin Atticks, Wisconsin Secretary Randy Romanski and Arizona Director Paul Brierley will serve as the Northeastern, Southern, Midwestern and Western representatives respectively.  

*Commissioner Beal also announced the leadership of NASDA’s six policy committees*:


* *Animal Agriculture:* Director Sherry Vinton (NE), Chair; Secretary Randy Romanski (WI), Vice Chair
* *Food Systems and Nutrition Committee: *Secretary Karen Ross (CA), Chair; Commissioner Ashley Randle (MA), Vice Chair
* *Marketing and International Trade:* Commissioner Richard Ball (NY), Chair; Secretary Mike Beam (KS), Vice Chair
* *Natural Resources and Environment:* Secretary Jeff Witte (NM), Chair; Secretary Kevin Atticks (MD), Vice Chair
* *Plant Agriculture & Pesticide Regulation:* Director Chris Chinn (MO), Chair; Director Chanel Tewalt (ID), Vice Chair
* *Rural Development and Financial Security:* Secretary Anson Tebbetts (VT), Chair; Director Don Lamb (IN), Vice Chair 

Beal has served as Commissioner of DACF since 2019, guiding the department’s work in agriculture, forestry, conservation, and public lands. Previously president and CEO of Maine Farmland Trust, she also serves on the Maine Climate Council and has held leadership roles in regional and national agricultural organizations. A Maine native who grew up on her family’s dairy farm in Litchfield, Beal lives in Warren, Maine, where she and her husband own a diversified fruit farm.  

NASDA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit association that represents the elected and appointed commissioners, secretaries, and directors of the departments of agriculture in all 50 states and four U.S. territories. NASDA enhances American food and agricultural communities through policy, partnerships, and public engagement. To learn more about NASDA, please visit www.nasda.org [ [link removed] ].

 

Maine DACF Commissioner Amanda Beal [ [link removed] ]

Maine DACF Commissioner Amanda Beal



 

*Media Contacts*
Sarah Grace Fowler, NASDA Communications
(352) 215-9529, [email protected]

Jim Britt, DACF Communications
(207) 480-0558, [email protected]




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