Applications Open For USGC Advisory Teams

The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) is now accepting applications for the organization’s advisory teams, known as A-teams, for the 2018-2020 term. A-teams are comprised of USGC member experts that provide insight and guidance on designated topics to the Council’s staff and board of directors.

“A-team members gain in-depth understanding of specific aspects of the Council’s work and add their own perspectives and ideas to the Council’s program planning process,” said USGC President and Chief Executive Officer Tom Sleight. “These teams are both rewarding and educational for our members as well as critical components of developing and executing the Council’s overarching strategy.”

The input from A-teams and the Council’s international staff forms the backbone of the Council’s Unified Export Strategy (UES), the operational blueprint and long-term planning document used to apply for USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA’s FAS) funds, including from the Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) program.

The Council has seven A-teams, each focused on a specific area of the Council’s global programming, including:

  • Asia
  • Ethanol
  • Innovation and Sustainability
  • Middle East/Africa
  • Trade Policy
  • Value-Added
  • Western Hemisphere

The deadline to apply to sit on an A-team is April 27. The incoming USGC chairman will finalize and announce A-team appointments before the USGC Board of Delegates meeting in July 2018, and the new A-team members will begin their terms on Aug. 6.

Find the application for A-team participation online here. Please return completed applications to Maria Murphy, USGC manager of membership administration, at mmurphy@grains.org with “A-teams” in the subject line.