Maryland Farm Bureau In Davidsonville Hires Executive Director

DAVIDSONVILLE, MD — The Maryland Farm Bureau board of directors has named Ohio resident John Torres as the organization’s new executive director, effective mid-July. Torres replaces current executive director Valerie Connelly, who has held the position since 2013. She has accepted a job as vice president of government affairs and public relations for Choptank Electric Cooperative.

According to the Maryland Farm Bureau, as executive director of the Maryland Farm Bureau, Torres will serve as the chief executive of the statewide organization and lead efforts to advance its mission to protect and grow Maryland agriculture and preserve rural life.

“John has a long history within the Farm Bureau family, both in Ohio and at the national level. We are so very fortunate to have someone with his breadth and depth of knowledge of what our grassroots organization is all about,” Chuck Fry, MFB president and chairman of the search committee, said in a news release. “We are excited to have John join our team, and we know that he will provide strong and innovative leadership as Maryland Farm Bureau moves forward."

Torres previously served as an organization director for the Ohio Farm Bureau before joining the American Farm Bureau Federation in Washington, D.C. to work as the director of leadership
development. According to WBOC, Torres currently serves as director of government and industry affairs for the Ohio Corn & Wheat Growers Association in Delaware, Ohio, in which he oversees state and federal government relations; legislative and regulatory affairs; grassroots policy development and the organization’s political action committee.

Torres graduated from Ohio State University in 2005 where he majored in agricultural business and applied economics with a minor in agricultural education. He also holds the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential from the American Society for Association Executives.