ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, U.S. — U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) announced on Oct. 23 new overseas posts and market analysts.

Chad Weigand was named assistant regional director for sub-Saharan Africa, to be based in Cape Town, South Africa, effective Dec. 1. Stephanie Bryant-Erdmann, current market analyst, will replace Weigand as assistant regional director for Mexico, Central America and Caribbean, based in Mexico City, Mexico, effective Jan. 15, 2019.

Claire Hutchins will join USW as market analyst, effective Nov. 30, in the Arlington, Virginia, U.S., headquarters.

“Our organization continues to evolve,” said Mark Fowler, vice-president of overseas operations for USW. “It is great to have opportunities for talented, committed managers like Chad and Stephanie to grow within the company and take on more responsibilities with these promotions. Chad has effectively represented U.S. wheat farmers in the Mexico, Central America and Caribbean region for several years and will work with regional director Gerald Theus and our experienced Sub-Saharan Africa team to fight for market share in that important region. Stephanie’s exceptional work as a planning and programs assistant and market analyst have prepared her well to join the team in Mexico City where she will report to regional vice-president Mitch Skalicky.”

Steve Mercer, vice-president of communications for USW, added, “We are very pleased to welcome Claire Hutchins to our communications team. She brings a sincere enthusiasm for the wheat industry developed on her family’s farm in Colorado and for agricultural economics in her graduate work at Utah State University. In her position, Claire will analyze and report on global wheat market supply, demand and price trends.”

Weigand joined USW in 2009 as market analyst before transferring to Mexico City in 2011. He received a bachelor’s degree in international relations and business administration from the University of San Diego and a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University. Weigand spent two years in the Peace Corps as an agribusiness specialist in Ecuador and completed an internship with the Office of Trade Programs at the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service.

Bryant-Erdmann joined USW in 2014. She grew up working on her family’s Nebraska cattle ranch and received a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her master’s program thesis at Cornell University’s Institute for Public Affairs focused on the economic feasibility of exporting Kenyan cheese to the United Arab Emirates.

Hutchins was raised on an irrigated wheat, soy and alfalfa farm in the high desert near Fruita, Colorado, U.S. She received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Chinese language, history and art history from the University of Pennsylvania. She was recruited to help manage an established organic farm in New Jersey and a start-up community farm of sustainably grown produce in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. Hutchins entered a master’s program in agricultural economics at Utah State University, including coursework at the National Taiwan University, Taipei, and will graduate in December.