ARLINGTON, VA – Jake Westlin has joined USA Rice as the new vice president of government affairs.
Prior to joining USA Rice, Jake worked for the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) for nearly five and a half years, where he started as their government relations representative and concluded his tenure as vice president of policy and communications. As head of the NAWG policy and communications team in Washington, DC, he served as point person for the farm bill, disaster aid, trade, and research advocacy efforts on behalf of the 40+ million-acre industry.
Before NAWG, Jake spent six years working for Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), where he covered issues related to agriculture, public lands, and food and nutrition policy. In her office, he helped develop more than six pieces of legislation and numerous amendments – three of which were included in the 2018 Farm Bill.
“We’re thrilled to bring Jake onboard at USA Rice this week after working closely with him in D.C. commodity circles for many years,” said USA Rice President & CEO Peter Bachmann. “Jake brings a wealth of knowledge around the legislative and policy development processes as well as innerworkings of agriculture trade associations. He’s going to be a great addition to our team.”
A Minnesota native, he received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. In his free time, Jake is an avid hockey fan, enjoys skiing, and he and his wife foster cats at their home in Laurel, Maryland.