RISE appoints next executive director

RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment) announced the hiring of its next leader, Scott Herndon, who joins as executive director and brings over 14 years of experience in advocacy, policy, law and coalition building.

Most recently, Herndon led U.S. government and industry affairs for Corteva Agriscience and was president of Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture. He worked as vice president and general counsel for the American Sugarbeet Growers Association, served in the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives and in the Florida Senate. He first came to D.C. from his home state of Florida to work as a staffer for a U.S. Representative.

Frequent PMP magazine contributor Megan Provost, who served as president since late 2019, is now COO for the American Feed Industry Association

“I’m thrilled to lead the RISE team and to build upon the association’s strong foundation of member and stakeholder engagement and collaboration to achieve the industry’s advocacy objectives,” said Herndon.

CropLife America President and CEO Alexandra Dunn said in a news release, “Scott brings a broad understanding of the policy and regulatory landscape, along with a collaborative approach that will serve RISE and its members well.”

“Scott stands out for his deep experience in advocacy and his ability to bring stakeholders together around shared goals. We’re confident he’ll strengthen RISE’s voice and impact as well as build upon the association’s solid foundation,” said RISE governing board chair Neil Cleveland of the PBI-Gordon Corporation, who led the executive search committee to fill the leadership position.

Other search committee members were RISE Governing Board vice chair Blaine Pinkerton, immediate past governing board chair Karen Larson and RISE VP of public affairs Karen Reardon. The search was conducted with assistance from Kincannon & Reed, a global firm specializing in leadership recruitment for the life sciences, agribusiness and food sectors.

Herndon begins as executive director on April 27. His initial priorities will be to establish strong engagement with staff rapidly, the RISE Governing Board and members, spearhead the refresh of the association’s five‑year strategic plan, and amplify the association’s voice and impact across all levels of government.

About RISE

RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment) is the national trade association representing manufacturers, formulators, distributors and other industry leaders involved with specialty pesticides and fertilizers. We serve as the collective voice of the specialty pesticide and fertilizer industry. RISE was founded in 1991 and was first led by PMP Hall of Famer Allen James.