Bloomington, IL – November 2, 2022 – The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) has named Ashley Barry as Government Relations Engagement Manager.
In this role, Barry will be based out of the Lombard, Illinois office and will work closely with the ISA Government Relations team to manage and execute key ISA and Illinois Soy Growers (ISG) programs, which includes ISGPAC and Voice for Soy advocacy network. She will also be responsible for developing and executing training and leadership development programs to increase the skill set of the ISA board, staff and other leaders.
Barry is a communications professional with experience specializing in cannabis licensing and community engagement in Illinois’ political and government fields. In 2019, she began working in the cannabis industry, joining a team that worked on incredibly competitive applications for cannabis dispensary, craft grows, infuser, and transportation licenses.
Before entering the cannabis industry, Barry spent nearly 8 years working in Illinois’ political and government fields as a former Director of Operations of a statewide political organization. During this time, she was charged with directing all phases of creative and technical elements of communications and marketing initiatives across the state. As such, Barry managed vendor budgets, timelines, and content delivery and spearheaded communications – directing all mail and digital output, design approval, messaging, and content editing.
The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) checkoff and membership programs represent more than 43,000 soybean farmers in Illinois. The checkoff funds market development and utilization efforts while the membership program supports the government relations interests of Illinois soybean farmers at the local, state, and national level, through the Illinois Soybean Growers (ISG). ISA upholds the interests of Illinois soybean producers through promotion, advocacy, and education with the vision of becoming a market leader in sustainable soybean production and profitability. For more information, visit the website www.ilsoy.org and www.ilsoygrowers.com.
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