The National Chicken Council’s 70th Annual Conference is scheduled to be held on October 22-23 in Washington, D.C. Among this year’s featured speakers are two key government officials who play central roles in shaping agricultural and trade policy affecting the U.S. poultry industry: USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden and Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Ag Affairs and Commodity Policy Dr. Julie Callahan.
Judge Stephen Alexander Vaden serves as the Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
A native of rural Tennessee, Judge Vaden brings a lifelong connection to American agriculture and a deep understanding of the challenges facing the industry today. Before his appointment as Deputy Secretary, he served as General Counsel at USDA, where he helped implement the 2018 Farm Bill and successfully represented the Department in the U.S. Supreme Court. He later served as a Judge on the U.S. Court of International Trade, where his work addressed key issues impacting global agricultural markets and U.S. exports.
A graduate of Vanderbilt University and Yale Law School, Judge Vaden remains a strong advocate for policies that strengthen rural communities and ensure a stable, secure food supply.
Dr. Julie Callahan serves as the Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Agricultural Affairs and Commodity Policy. In this role, Dr. Callahan leads U.S. efforts to advance agricultural trade policy, reduce barriers to American exports, and represent U.S. interests in global trade negotiations, including free trade agreements and work within the World Trade Organization.
She previously served as Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative and Senior Director in USTR’s Agriculture Office, where she focused on engagement with the EU, UK, and other key partners on agricultural standards and trade regulations.
Before joining USTR, Dr. Callahan held senior roles at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, aligning science-based policy with international trade objectives, and also served in the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service.
For complete information on NCC’s Annual Conference, including registration, the preliminary events, questions, and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Polina Burko at [email protected].
The National Chicken Council is most grateful for a continuing support of our sponsors:
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