AMES, Iowa (December 18, 2025) – The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) today announced the formation of a Strategic Advisory Council (SAC) composed of 18 distinguished leaders from academia, industry, government, and nonprofit organizations. The SAC will assess, define, and recommend the steps necessary for CAST to evolve into the National Academy of Agriculture—providing strategic foresight, authoritative guidance, and trusted scientific information on issues critical to the present and future of U.S. agriculture.
For 53 years, CAST has convened and coordinated networks of experts to assemble, interpret, and communicate credible, objective, science-based information to policymakers, the media, the private sector, and the public. As agriculture faces rapid technological change, rising geopolitical competition, shifting consumer expectations, and evolving food and national security risks, CAST is launching a comprehensive examination of how it can lead the national effort in visioning and steering the future of American agricultural science, technology, and research.
“The U.S. needs strong, coordinated, cross-sector leadership in agricultural science and technology,” said Chris Boomsma, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of CAST. “The SAC is charged with helping CAST rigorously define what it would mean—and what it would require—for the organization to serve as the National Academy of Agriculture. CAST’s credibility, nonpartisan structure, cross-sector membership, extensive expert network, and proven communication capacity make it uniquely capable of filling this leadership role.”
The SAC will be chaired by Ray Starling, General Counsel of the NC Chamber and President of the NC Chamber Legal Institute. The other 17 initial members of the SAC are:
- Tom Adams, Chief Executive Officer, Pairwise
- Manojit Basu, Vice President of Science Policy and Regulatory Affairs, CropLife America
- Jack Bobo, Executive Director, University of California, Los Angeles Rothman Family Institute for Food Studies
- Julie Borlaug, Principal, Borlaug Consulting
- David Crass, Managing Partner, Michael Best
- Ronnie Green, Chancellor Emeritus, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- Janie Hipp, Chief Executive Officer, Native Agriculture Financial Services
- Molly Jahn, Senior Advisor, Department of Defense and Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Rich Kottmeyer, Partner and Global Practice Leader, FutureBridge
- Grant Ozipko, Head of Technical Services, Syngenta
- Paul Plummer, Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee
- Sally Rockey, Executive Director Emeritus, Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research
- Barbara Schaal, Mary-Dell Chilton Distinguished Professor, Washington University in St. Louis
- Duane Simpson, Chief Executive Officer, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
- Douglas Steele, Vice President, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities
- Jay Vroom, Chief Innovation Officer, Vroom Leigh Agriculture
- Chris Boomsma, Chief Executive Officer, CAST
The SAC will regularly meet over the next several months and will provide recommendations to the CAST Board of Directors by mid-2026.
“CAST is approaching this work with speed, rigor, and a collaborative spirit,” Boomsma said. “The organization’s goal is to thoroughly understand what steps are required to effectively serve the U.S. as the National Academy of Agriculture and what partners and resources are needed to make that happen.”
About CAST
Founded in 1972, the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that convenes and coordinates networks of experts to assemble, interpret, and communicate credible, objective, science-based information about agriculture, food systems, and natural resources. CAST serves policymakers, organizational leaders, educators, scientists, the media, and the public through publications, events, and strategic science communication.
