The Wheat Foods Council is taking a renewed approach to promoting wheat and wheat foods, with a greater focus on farmers, domestic demand and consumer education.
Sheri Glazier, an Oklahoma wheat farmer and registered dietitian, began serving as the council's executive director Aug. 18. Her hiring follows more than a year of work by WFC officers to reassess the organization's mission, structure and role in the wheat industry.
Glazier brings experience in both agriculture and nutrition, including the past decade working at the intersection of nutrition and agricultural communications. The council said her background will help it strengthen connections between wheat farmers and consumers while addressing misconceptions about wheat and wheat foods.
Britany Hurst Marchant, executive director of the Idaho Wheat Commission and chair of the WFC Executive Committee, said the council conducted a nationwide search for its new executive director. A five-member committee representing different wheat-growing regions and classes evaluated candidates through two rounds of interviews.
Glazier stood out for combining experience as a wheat producer with professional expertise in nutrition and consumer communications.
The WFC's refocusing comes as domestic wheat consumption has remained relatively flat for decades while wheat and carbohydrates have faced criticism from fad diets and other nutrition trends. The council's goal is to increase demand for wheat and improve profitability for farmers.
The organization also plans to place farmers at the center of its governance and leadership structure. When the WFC was established nearly 55 years ago, it was designed as a farmer-focused organization. Wheat commissions remain its primary membership base, and the organization is supported by grower assessment dollars.
The council historically included bakers, millers and other industry representatives, but its board now intends to restore a farmer-governed and farmer-led structure.
The WFC is supported by U.S. Wheat Associates, which focuses on international market development, while the WFC concentrates on domestic U.S. consumption. Both organizations promote the six classes of U.S. wheat to help create greater demand.
Glazier's first months will focus on listening and relationship-building. She is expected to visit wheat commissions across the country, meet with farmers and learn more about the priorities of wheat-growing states.
She is also expected to attend the USW fall board meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico, providing an opportunity to connect with wheat industry leaders from across the country.
The WFC plans to represent the organization at meetings with national groups that share its mission of promoting wheat foods. The council said rebuilding the organization will take time, with the broader goal of strengthening connections between wheat farmers and consumers while increasing demand for wheat.
Source: U.S. Wheat Associates, "Wheat Foods Council Refocuses with New Executive Director – an Oklahoma Wheat Farmer"