NARA is excited to introduce our new Vice President of International Programs, Dana Johnson Downing!
Dana officially joined our team earlier this month and will be directing NARA’s international marketing program, managing all international promotion, market development, and foreign market access activities. She will oversee and implement market access programs for rendered products throughout the world and represent the U.S. rendering industry in international trade negotiations.
The position of Vice President of International Programs also serves as staff representative to the NARA International Market Development Committee and oversees NARA’s offices in Hong Kong, Mexico City, as well as several consultants worldwide.
Read the full press release here.
Prior to Dana taking over the role, NARA’s President and CEO, Kent Swisher, served as Vice President (and later Senior Vice President) of International Programs for 19 years before his recent appointment as President and CEO.
Before joining NARA Dana served as Director of Partnerships & Policy for TraceGains, Inc. where she led policy initiatives and crafted alliances with technology providers, food industry trade associations, regulators, and academia.
She previously held several positions in the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, including running the Agricultural Trade Office at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, and was a strategy and policy advisor for the meat and soybean industries.
Dana lives near Boulder, Colorado and is an avid runner, snowboarder, and outdoor enthusiast. She was raised in the Midwest where her family ranched and owned other small businesses. She earned her degree in Political Science from Iowa State University while also serving in the U.S. Army Reserve.
Please join us in welcoming Dana to the team!
If you have questions about NARA’s international marketing program, or if you would just like to congratulate Dana and introduce yourself, she can be reached at ddowning@nara.org.
