Farm Bureau veteran Dr. John Newton returns to the American Farm Bureau Federation team on October 20, 2025, to serve as Vice President of Public Policy and Economic Analysis. In this role, he will lead AFBF’s government relations and advocacy staff and serve as chief economist, guiding AFBF’s team of economists.
Dr. Newton previously served as AFBF’s chief economist from 2018 to 2021. He returns to AFBF after serving as the chief economist for the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry from 2021 until 2024, and most recently serving as part of the Farm Credit system as the executive head of Terrain.
AFBF President Zippy Duvall said, “I very much look forward to welcoming John back to the Farm Bureau family. He was a fantastic chief economist for us and has demonstrated his impressive leadership skills in several roles since and throughout his 20 years in agriculture. He’s passionate about serving farmers and ranchers, and I know he’ll put that passion to work in this new role.”
Throughout his two decades of work in agriculture, Dr. Newton has held several roles within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, on Capitol Hill, and as a two-time award-winning faculty member at the University of Illinois. He also holds two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University. In 2021, he was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award from The Ohio State University.
Dr. Newton said he’s eager to rejoin the AFBF team, adding, “I loved my time at AFBF and am humbled to be selected to serve in this leadership role back on the team. This is such a critical time for U.S. agriculture, and I am eager to roll-up my sleeves and get to work alongside my colleagues to advocate on behalf of farmers and ranchers nationwide and help people understand the connection between public policy and the farm economy.”
The position opened with the departure of Sam Kieffer, Vice President of Public Policy, on October 8. Kieffer was named CEO of the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG). Duvall congratulated Kieffer on his new role, saying, “We’re grateful for Sam’s service, dedication and professionalism throughout his 20 years of service to Farm Bureau. Although we’ll miss him, we’re very happy for him. He’s going to be a tremendous CEO, and I look forward to our organizations collaborating in the future.”
