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Organic Trade Association Names New Executive Director

Organic Trade Association Names New Executive Director

Posted: Monday, September 29, 2008 9:05 am

GREENFIELD, Mass., Sept. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Organic Trade Association (OTA) has appointed a new executive director. Christine Bushway today became the third executive director in the association’s 23-year history. OTA is the membership-based business association for the organic industry in North America with a mission to promote and protect the growth of organic trade, to benefit the environment, farmers the public and the economy.
 
“OTA is very fortunate to have Christine Bushway as its new executive director. 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,” Sabin added.
 
"I am very excited to be serving as the new executive director of the Organic Trade Association and am looking forward to working hard at continuing to strengthen the integrity of organic while enhancing the business climate for those companies meeting the increasing demand for organic,” said Christine Bushway, OTA’s incoming Executive Director.
 
A native New Englander, Bushway graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a Bachelors of Science from the College of Life Science and Agriculture. Her career has been spent working in the food and agriculture industries. She has held leadership positions including agricultural trade association chief executive officer, chief Washington lobbyist representing the egg industry, and served as spokesperson on television, radio and in print on issues ranging from nutrition to food contamination and production.
 
She has been a business owner, expanding her consulting business to a full service advertising, public relations and marketing strategies agency focused on food and agriculture clients and issues. Her clients have included 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, she served as Director of State Programs for the American Egg Board to enhance national promotion of the Incredible Edible Egg consumer awareness campaign.

Having grown up in southern New Hampshire, about 30 miles north of OTA’s Greenfield headquarters, she expects to relocate to the area within the next year. "The move takes me back to my roots and a large extended family and friends," said Bushway. OTA headquarters are in Greenfield, MA, with offices in New Brunswick, Canada, and an active presence in Washington, D.C. and Ottawa, Canada.
 
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. Its 1,700 members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers’ associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and others. OTA’s mission is to promote and protect the growth of organic trade to benefit the environment, farmers, the public and the economy. www.ota.com
Posted 9.29.08