Matt Teffeau of Annapolis has been elected as the new president of the Maryland Agriculture Council Board of Directors. He will replace Karen Engel of Keymar, who served as the outgoing leader. Teffeau had previously served as the vice president of the Council’s board for the past year.
Teffeau, a member of the Council’s board since 2019, is the manager of Government Affairs and Economic Development at Choptank Electric Cooperative. He has been involved in various committees and played an essential role in organizing the annual Taste of Maryland Agriculture.
“I am very excited to continue the Maryland Agriculture Council’s mission of bringing our public officials and agriculture community together in a way of celebration and showcasing the valuable work our farmers do every day,” said Teffeau. “We will continue to build off the success of this year’s Taste of Maryland Agriculture.”
Teffeau, a native of Preston, graduated from Salisbury University in 2010. He started his career as a legislative assistant for Congressman Andy Harris, where he dealt with agricultural and natural resource issues. Later, he worked as an assistant director of government relations at the Maryland Farm Bureau, advocating for Maryland farmers in Annapolis. He also served at the Maryland Department of Agriculture under the Hogan Administration.
In 2017, Teffeau graduated from LEAD Maryland, a two-year leadership development program that fosters emerging agriculture and natural resource advocates. He was also recognized by The Daily Record as one of the young state leaders on the 2020 VIP List for outstanding professional accomplishments, civic involvement, and commitment to inspiring change.
Faith Elliott Rossing of Henderson was elected as the vice president of the organization, while Kayla Griffith of Lothian will serve as the secretary. Henry Brandt of Centreville was re-elected as the treasurer.
The newly elected board members were Belinda Burrier of Union Bridge, Terrie Shank of Hagerstown, and Bryan Butler of Westminster. Re-elected board members were Emily Wilson of Harwood, Ray Greenstreet of Tracy’s Landing, Donna Landis-Smith of Marydel, Putt Willett of Laytonsville, Chuck Schuster of Glenwood, Robert C. Miller of Lincoln University, PA, David Gordon of Jefferson, Gail Yeiser of Arnold, Kim Smith of Arlington, VA, Mike Harrison Jr. of Woodbine, Teffeau, Brandt, and Griffith.
The Maryland Agriculture Council is best known for organizing the annual Taste of Maryland Agriculture on the first Thursday of February. The premier gala brings together agricultural leaders with state and national legislators to promote agriculture and educate lawmakers about its importance to the state’s economy and its people.
For more information on the Maryland Agriculture Council, visit their website at www.mdagcouncil.com or contact Executive Director Susan Summers at 240-446-3601.