International staff serve as the eyes, ears and hands for U.S. farmers in the global offices of the U.S. Grains Council (USGC). Two of them – Hela Rezouga, program coordinator for Middle East and Africa office in Tunis, Tunisia, and Gloria Chou, financial administrator for the Taiwan office – were recently recognized for their years of service to the organization. 

In her 10 years working in Tunisia, Rezouga has added stability and strong programmatic support to the Council’s efforts, her supervisors report. 

“Hela is well regarded by the Council’s regional contacts,” said Kurt Shultz, USGC senior director of global strategies. “She has embraced and excelled in her role not only to promote U.S. grain exports, but also to strengthen the U.S. grain industry’s relationships with regional grain importers and end users.” 

Shultz specifically highlighted Rezouga’s dedication to the Council during the past five years of regional turbulence following the Arab Spring, which helped to ensure the Council’s programs and regional engagement continued effectively despite challenges in the region. 

In another critical market, Chou added her accounting background and experience working with foreign commercial companies to the USGC Taiwan office throughout the past five years.

Clover Chang, USGC Taiwan director, had high praise for her performance, saying she is “professional and very experienced in her field.”

Chou’s role has expanded during her time with the Council, including promoting food barley applications in Taiwan and escorting a recent swine industry study team to the United States. 

The dedication of staff like Rezouga and Chou ensure the Council’s work across the globe remains top-notch, from accounting to programs and everything in between.

Editor’s note: USGC recognizes individual staff, delegates and directors for major anniversaries of their service to the organization. Look for more of these stories here or in future editions.