Staff
Annette Higby, Grassroots Advocacy Coordinator, is an attorney and farm policy analyst based in Randolph, Vermont. She was on staff for many years at the Center for Rural Affairs before establishing a rural law practice focused on generational farm transfer. She coordinates NSAC’s grassroots advocacy campaigns through the Grassroots Council.
Ferd Hoefner, Policy Director, has been NSAC’s senior Washington D.C. representative since 1988. He oversees all of NSAC’s federal policy work and has been involved in nearly every federal agricultural budget and appropriations bills as well as each of the omnibus farm bills since 1977.
Julie Hudson, Director of Development, has worked on fundraising and programs with the Center for Food Safety, The Wilderness Society, Sierra Club, and the E.F. Schumacher Society. Julie has an M.A. in Environmental and Resource Policy from the George Washington University.
Martha Noble, Senior Policy Associate, is a lawyer and policy specialist on agriculture and environment issues. She is a vice-chair for the Agricultural Management Committee of the American Bar Association’s Section on Environment, Energy, and Resources. She also serves on the Executive Committee of the Clean Water Network’s Board of Directors and is a member of the U.S. EPA Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Advisory Committee. Martha supports NSAC’s work on conservation, competition, and EPA regulations.
Susan Prolman, Executive Director, guides the organizational development and implementation of NSAC’s strategic vision. She is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and a member of the DC Bar. She has advocated for a more sustainable approach to agriculture for nearly a decade.