WASHINGTON, DC, US — Sadie Marks has been promoted to manager of global programs at the US Grains Council (USGC). She succeeds Ivy Torres, who departed the Council on Aug. 23 to pursue a master’s degree in the Netherlands.

Marks has been with the USGC since March 2020, most recently as global programs coordinator. Prior to the USGC, she held internships with the National Association of Conservation Districts, Institute for Law and Environmental Governance in Nairobi, Kenya, and AgReach in Champaign, Illinois.

She holds a bachelor’s of science degree in agricultural and consumer economics, with minors in international development and African studies, from the University of Illinois.

“Sadie has been a great asset as we strive to meet our ‘Excellence in Execution’ motto that we took into the world of virtual programing, which all started on Sadie’s eighth day on the job,” said Cary Sifferath, senior director of global programs at the USGC. “I’m sure she is up to the increased challenges the new position will bring.”

Torres had been with the USGC since 2018, beginning as the global programs coordinator before being promoted to manager in 2020. In her role, Torres assisted with the strategic analysis of program planning and development, the implementation and evaluation of USGC’s global programs and backstopping the execution of the USGC’s programs with its international offices.

“Ivy was a great team member within the global programs department,” Sifferath said. “She was key to having our global programs move from in-person to the virtual world over the last year and a half as we continued to run global market development programs throughout the worldwide pandemic.”