Speakers
Craig Allen has served as President of the U.S.-China Business Council since July 2018. Prior to joining USCBC, Craig had a distinguished career in public service, working overseas at many U.S. embassies and most recently having served as the U.S. Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam (December 2014–July 2018). Before that, Craig served in Washington as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for China in the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, as well as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Asia.
He previously served as Senior Commercial Officer at the US Embassy in South Africa. Before that, he was Senior Commercial Officer at the US Embassy in Beijing, where he was also promoted to the Minister Counselor rank in the Senior Foreign Service.
Additionally, Craig has worked on APEC summits in Brunei, China, and Mexico at the National Center for APEC in Seattle. Earlier posts were as Deputy Senior Commercial Officer and Commercial Attaché at the US Embassy in Tokyo, as Commercial Attaché at the US Embassy in Beijing, and as Director of the American Trade Center in Taipei. He started his career in public service as a Presidential Management Intern in ITA at the Department of Commerce in 1985.
Craig received a M.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, and a B.A. in Political Science and Asian Studies from the University of Michigan.
Eric Snodgrass is the principal atmospheric scientist for Nutrien Ag Solutions, where he develops predictive, analytical software solutions to manage weather risk for global production agriculture. He provides frequent weather updates that focus on how high-impact weather events influence global agriculture productivity. His current research uses machine
learning to better understand field-level weather impacts on yields in the U.S. and to increase confidence in long-range weather prediction. He presents his research as a featured speaker at over 50 conferences annually where he provides logistical guidance and solutions to weather sensitive financial institutions, farmers, commodity traders and other stakeholders.
Before transitioning to Nutrien Ag Solutions, Eric was the director of undergraduate studies for the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 2006-2019. Each year, he guided over 1,800 students through the wild side of weather in ATMS 120: Severe and Hazardous Weather, which was awarded the 2012 “Best Online Course” from the University Professional Continuing Education Association (a national organization). He taught advanced courses on General Physical Meteorology (ATMS 201), Meteorological Instrumentation (ATMS 315), Economics of Weather (ATMS 491) and supervised numerous capstone research projects. Snodgrass also taught ENSU 310: Renewable and Alternative Energy for the environmental sustainability program.
He also advised all undergraduate majors and minors in atmospheric science (roughly 100 students) and supervised graduate teaching assistants and master’s students. He won numerous prestigious teaching awards at the University of Illinois, including College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Teaching Excellence award, the Campus Teaching Excellence Award, and the Campus Teaching Excellent Award in Online and Distance Education. Eric is now an adjunct assistant professor for the Department of Atmospheric Science at the University of Illinois.
Ken Levinson is the executive director of the Washington International Trade Association (WITA), the world’s largest non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to providing a neutral forum in the U.S. Capital for the open and robust discussion of international trade and economic issues. WITA and its affiliates have over 5,000 members, and more 170 corporate sponsors and group memberships,
Ken has more than 25 years of experience working with companies, associations, NGOs and governments, advocating innovative solutions to complex public policy challenges. He has also served as a principal in the firm KLC Strategies, and as a senior advisor to Fontheim International, Rasmussen Public Affairs, and the Advocom Group. Over the years, Ken has worked with clients in the technology, telecommunications, bio-pharmaceuticals, agriculture and food, financial services, retail, energy, and consumer products sectors.
Previously, Ken served as senior director for global government affairs for AstraZeneca. Prior to joining AstraZeneca, Ken served as senior vice president and COO at the Washington, DC consulting firm of Fontheim International. Ken joined Fontheim after spending six years on the staff of U.S. Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, where he served as the senator’s chief advisor for international trade, tax, foreign policy, and national security.
Ken received his master’s degree from New York University after doing his undergraduate work at the University of Massachusetts, in Amherst. Ken also spent a year studying at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Ken and his wife, the Reverend Donna Marsh, live in Bethesda, MD, with their two daughters.
Ryan LeGrand serves as the president and CEO for the U.S. Grains Council (USGC), a non-profit organization that promotes the use of U.S. barley, corn, sorghum and related products worldwide.
LeGrand joined the Council in 2015 as the assistant director and then director of the Council’s Mexico office where he identified and addressed all relevant trade, technical and policy-related factors relevant to building and maintaining the market for U.S. grains and co-products in Mexico. Before joining the Council, LeGrand worked for Gavilon as the director of ingredients, located in Guadalajara, Mexico. In this capacity, he managed the company’s feed ingredients trading, import and distribution throughout Mexico. LeGrand also served as the director of exports for Hawkeye Gold, LLC where he exported DDGS to Latin America and Asia.
LeGrand earned a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma State University in international business.
Alejandra Danielson Castillo serves as the Regional Director of South Asia for the U.S. Grains Council. In this capacity, Danielson Castillo evaluates, plans, coordinates, implements and manages the Council’s market development programs in the South Asia region which includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
Prior to the Council, Danielson Castillo worked in trade execution with Cargill, focused on trade risk management as well as vessel and container logistics for cotton, grains and oilseeds. Danielson Castillo also gained experience as an international freight forwarder prior to entering trade execution. Before joining Cargill, she worked as a project manager for the Mayo Clinic and an associate director of admissions for St. Catherine University.
Danielson Castillo holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in strategic management and organizational leadership, both from St. Catherine University.
Manuel Sanchez serves as the regional director of Southeast Asia for the U.S. Grains Council, a non-profit organization that promotes the use of U.S. barley, corn, sorghum and related products worldwide. In this capacity, Sanchez identifies and addresses all relevant trade, technical and policy factors relevant to building and maintaining the market for U.S. coarse grains and co-products for the countries stretching from Myanmar to New Zealand.
Before his current function, Sanchez held various positions for the Council in both the Southeast Asia Office and headquarters in Washington, D.C. His most recent position was assistant director for Southeast Asia, where he assisted with the overall coordination and management of Council programs in the region.
Manuel Sanchez also served as the manager of global trade for the U.S. Grains Council. In this capacity, Sanchez will provide support for the Council’s worldwide trade servicing, monitor and track trade issues in expanding markets and the overall management of Council programs involving U.S. corn and barley.
Prior to joining the Council, Sanchez worked at Cargill Incorporated from 2007-2014, serving in various roles including grain marketing advisor in Valparaiso, Indiana and trade execution supervisor in Coral Gables, Florida. Sanchez brings an extensive set of experience and skills in the arena of international trade of grains and oilseeds.
Marri Tejada currently serves as the regional director of the Western Hemisphere for the U.S. Grains Council, a non-profit organization that promotes the use of U.S. barley, corn, sorghum and related products in the international marketplace. In this capacity, Marri strategizes and directs the organization’s programs for the region.
While Marri began working for the USGC in 2008, her enthusiasm for U.S. agriculture began long before, being the daughter of a fourth-generation grain and livestock farmer in Southwest Minnesota, USA. Following her college education, she began promoting the use of U.S. grains on state level at the Minnesota Corn Growers Association, and then on the global scale at the U.S. Grains Council.
While monitoring market happenings and breaking down barriers to U.S. grain trade in Latin America and Canada fuels her energy, Marri also enjoys running, having completed several half and full marathons, and traveling home to the United States to spend time with her large Midwest-farm family.
Phillip “Chip” Councell currently serves as Director on the Board of MAIZALL and will become its President on July 1, 2020. Founded in 2013, MAIZALL is an alliance of the main corn producers and exporters associations of the Americas – Argentina, Brazil and the United States. MAIZALL’s objective is to communicate from a farmer’s perspective the benefits of modern agriculture to policy-makers and stakeholders around the world, and to address trade barriers to the introduction of agricultural technologies that are needed to ensure food security today and in the future.
Councell’s family farm is located on the eastern shore of Maryland and consists of 2,850 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat, fresh market vegetables and timber. The farm includes an agri-tourism operation offering a fruit and vegetable stand, an annual straw maze, and a pick-your-own-pumpkin patch.
Councell’s family includes his wife, Jo Ann, and two children, Melissa and Jason. His entire family is actively involved on the farm. He and his family were inducted into the Maryland governor’s Agriculture Hall of Farm in 2014 for undertaking significant work on behalf of Maryland’s farming community. In addition, the Tri-County Ruritan club, which is a community service organization, presented the Councell family with a citizen of the year award for community support and involvement in 2010. The Talbot Soil Conservation District also named Councell Farms the 2010 cooperator of the year for its conservation practices. He was recognized in 2016 by the Maryland Grain Producers Association with the Dr. James R. Miller Award, given annually for exceptional and long-term contributions to the grain industry.
Phillip “Chip” Councell is also a past chairman of the U.S. Grains Council, a non-profit organization that promotes the global use of U.S. barley, corn, sorghum and related products including ethanol and distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS).
Heidi Bringenberg serves as the assistant director in Mexico for the U.S. Grains Council, a non-profit organization that promotes the use of U.S. barley, corn, sorghum and related products worldwide. In this capacity, Bringenberg works closely with the country director to plan, coordinate, and execute the Council’s programs in Mexico, including, but not limited to, marketing, trade servicing and government relations program.
Prior to the Council, Bringenberg interned for the cultural office of the Embassy of Spain as the cultural services intern. In this capacity, Bringenberg translated documents, planned Spanish cultural appreciation events in DC, and assisted in the embassy’s outreach strategy.
Bringenberg holds a bachelor’s degree in international affairs and minor in Spanish from the George Washington University.
Tetsuo “Tommy” Hamamoto serves as the director in Japan for the U.S. Grains Council, a non-profit organization that promotes the global use of U.S. barley, corn, sorghum and related products including ethanol and distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS). In this capacity, he identifies and addresses all relevant trade, technical and policy-related factors relevant to building and maintaining the market for U.S. grains and co-products in Japan.
Prior to the Council in 2008, Hamamoto worked for Monsanto Company, serving as public affairs lead of Japan since 2006. He was responsible for public affairs activities related to agricultural biotechnology and its’ products.
From 1997 to 2006, Hamamoto served as an agricultural specialist at the U.S. embassy in Tokyo where he was in charge of coordinating rules and regulations between the United States and Japan on food safety and standards, including chemical residues and biotechnology. Prior to that, he was a microbiology research scientist at the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN) for 11 years, working on industry application for genetic engineering using bacteria.
Hamamoto received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Tokyo in agricultural chemistry, and a Ph.D. from the Graduate School, University of Tokyo in microbiology.
Haksoo Kim serves as the country director of Korea for the U.S. Grains Council, a non-profit organization that promotes the use of U.S. barley, corn, sorghum and related products worldwide. In this capacity, Haksoo manage the Grains Council Seoul Office, develops strategies and plans to increase U.S. market share for the items that the Council deals with.
Prior to the Council, Haksoo served as a director general for Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) where he managed agricultural trading division, and the president of aT Grain Company where he managed a grain trading venture in Chicago. Haksoo has mainly engaged in the international grain business and agricultural trade in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Korea for last 33 years.
Haksoo studied international trade and industry at Graduate School of Economics at Yonsei University.
Carlos F. Suárez Isaacs serves as the regional ethanol trade specialist in Latin America for the U.S. Grains Council, a non-profit organization that promotes the use of U.S. barley, corn, sorghum and related products worldwide. In this capacity, he works with strategic public and private stakeholders across Latin America, to help them achieve policy goals and capture value through fuel ethanol in the current global energy transition, promoting the benefits and comparative advantages of U.S. ethanol.
Prior to the Council, Suarez worked for the Nature Conservancy as the associate director for business development in Latin America. In this capacity, he worked in fundraising with the corporate sector by engaging in consultative selling to structure projects around water security, healthy agricultural systems and sustainable infrastructure, achieving over $3.2 million in total revenue over two years. Suarez also served as the commercial specialist for the U.S. Commercial Service in Colombia, where he was responsible for developing strategies for market penetration projects in the franchising, finance, information technologies, consumer electronics, telecommunications and professional services sectors.
Suarez holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Universidad del Rosario (Colombia), a master’s degree in global risk management (Spain), and an MBA from HEC Montreal (Canada).
Ramy Taieb serves as the Middle East and Africa director of the U.S. Grains Council, a non-profit organization that promotes the use of U.S. barley, corn, sorghum and related products worldwide. In this capacity, Taieb directs regional market development activity throughout the region, based in the Tunis, Tunisia office.
Prior to the Council, served as the commodity purchasing manager for Poulina, Tunisia’s largest grain importer and poultry company, for the past 12 years, working with the company in total for more than two decades. In that position, he participated in numerous Council marketing programs and gained familiarity with Council operations as well as global grain markets.
Caleb Wurth serves as the assistant regional director of Southeast Asia and Oceania for the U.S. Grains Council, a non-profit organization that promotes the use of U.S. barley, corn, sorghum and related products worldwide. In this capacity, Wurth identifies, designs and executes market promotion programs that foster the mutually beneficial trade of these products to the countries of Southeast Asia and Oceania.
Prior to the Council, Wurth worked for Archer Daniels Midland as manager of international container freight where he was responsible for the movement of bulk, specialty and high value commodities around the world. He also held a position as a trader at ADM, responsible for the trade of domestic corn, wheat, grain sorghum and corn co-products into the large feed markets of West Texas. Prior to ADM, Wurth served as a Series 55,63 and 7 certified Trader at J.P Morgan Chase Investment Bank where he traded commodity and equity ETF derivates.
Wurth holds a bachelor’s degree in feed science and management from Kansas State University. There, he published scientific research in trans-pacific feed preservation and particle grain size analysis.