The Kansas Department of Agriculture has hired Suzanne Ryan-Numrich to serve as the director of the KDA Division of Agriculture Marketing, Advocacy and Outreach. The Division of Ag Marketing serves Kansans through efforts to retain and grow farms, ranches and agribusinesses, expand the Kansas agriculture industry, assist rural Kansas communities, and raise awareness of and appreciation for agriculture.

According to the agency, Ryan-Numrich has spent the last 10 years as the agency’s international trade director, a key leader in the Ag Marketing team with a focus on providing market development support and technical expertise on international trade. In this role, she has worked directly with several state, national, and international trade groups and organizations, including serving on the USDA Technical Advisory Committee for Animals and Animal Products advising the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and United States Trade Representative on agricultural trade issues. She has organized over 150 trade missions promoting Kansas agriculture in more than 30 countries.

“Suzanne has been a dedicated member of our ag marketing team for a decade,” said Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam. “She not only has a vast knowledge of the agriculture industry in Kansas, but she has developed strong relationships with agriculture organizations across the U.S. and beyond. She will be a tremendous asset to KDA in her new role as Division Director of Ag Marketing.”

The KDA Division of Agriculture Marketing, Advocacy and Outreach includes work in agriculture workforce development, domestic market development, international market development, compliance education, agency outreach/advocacy, economics/statistics, and the From the Land of Kansas trademark program which assists with local foods and farmers’ markets. As director, Ryan-Numrich will lead the efforts of the ag marketing team to create an environment that facilitates growth and expansion of Kansas agriculture.

To learn more about the KDA Division of Ag Marketing, visit the KDA website at www.agriculture.ks.gov/AgMarketing.