The new executive director of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) is a name well-known in the agricultural marketing world – Gardner Hatch.

Hatch brings 30-plus years of experience in public relations, agriculture marketing, and strategic communications to the role, having worked with some of the ag industry’s leading companies. Most recently, he was strategic marketing lead at Woodruff, an integrated marketing company specializing in agriculture. He also has held public relations and management positions at other ag marketing firms, including Bader Rutter, G&S Business Communications, and Fleishman Hillard.

Hatch holds a bachelor’s of journalism from the University of Missouri. Additionally, Hatch recently completed a two-year term as an Allied Industry Council representative on the NAFB board of directors.

Hatch will officially start on June 4. He replaces Tom Brand, who resigned at the end of 2023 after serving in the role since 2011.

Gardner was one of our Golden Mic award winners presented at the recent NAMA conference, which was pretty appropriate!