Cassandra’s passion for advocating on behalf of agriculture started on her family’s dairy farm in Minnesota, where she helped provide tours to the community and state representatives. The drive to share the story of food and agriculture ultimately brought her to Washington, D.C. and the Torrey Advisory Group where she serves clients on a range of issues affecting the industry with a focus on international trade.
Cassandra is also skilled at bringing people together as demonstrated with the establishment of an industry-wide coalition around the renegotiation of NAFTA that brought all agricultural stakeholders to the table and successfully advocated for the agreement. As a coalition leader, she made sure to incorporate different perspectives, ensuring buy-in along the way. With clients, she helps them map out the end goal for the year, such as moving an issue legislatively, and is skilled at determining the incremental steps to achieve those goals.
Cassandra received her master’s degree in international commerce and policy from the George Mason University School of Public Policy and a bachelor’s degree in agricultural industries and marketing from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. She currently serves as the co-chair of the Agriculture, Energy & Environment programming section of the Women in International Trade (WIIT) DC Chapter. When she isn’t working with clients, Cassandra’s favorite motivational podcast is How I Built This as it dives into the mindset and drive of innovators and entrepreneurs.
