You will hear:
Zachary Gihorski, Senior Director of Government Affairs at the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
Zach currently serves as the Director of Government Affairs and Sustainability for the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives. He graduated from the Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law. Before joining NCFC he served as the Associate Director of Government Affairs for the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. Prior to attending law school, he served both the agricultural marketing and business development teams at Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Zachary also received his Bachelor of Science in agricultural education from Delaware Valley University.
He was born and raised on a small family farm. In his free time, he still actively volunteers with 4-H and FFA and routinely judges livestock exhibitions. He also serves on the boards of his law school, the Pennsylvania FFA Foundation, and the Penn State Rural Urban Leadership Program.
Phyllis J. Marquitz, Senior Vice President – Global Regulatory, Sustainability & Public Affairs, International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (IFF)
Phyllis Marquitz is Senior Vice President of Global Regulatory, Sustainability & Public Affairs at International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF), where she leads global efforts to advance the safe, sustainable, and science-based development of innovative ingredients and biotechnology solutions. Operating at the intersection of regulatory policy, public affairs, and sustainability, she works to ensure emerging bioscience technologies are responsibly scaled and accessible across global markets.
With more than two decades of experience across the U.S. and international regulatory landscape, Ms. Marquitz has used her law and science degrees and personal interests in food and agriculture throughout her career. Her career spans leadership roles at IFF, Archer Daniels Midland, The Hershey Company, and Mars, as well as service at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, with experience in direct regulatory collaboration with governments and stakeholders in Asia, Middle East, Africa, Australia and parts of Latin America. She has been a consistent advocate for science-based, risk-proportionate regulatory systems that foster biotechnology innovation, strengthen supply chains, and promote sustainable food and agricultural systems.
Caleb Pearson, Senior Counsel, BASF
Caleb Pearson is Senior Counsel in BASF’s North American Legal Department. Prior to joining BASF, Caleb was Assistant General Counsel to CropLife America, the national trade association for the plant science industry, where he managed and advised leadership on an extensive docket of litigation, legislative, and regulatory matters. Caleb previously served in various federal government positions, including as Attorney Advisor to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Caleb Pearson is a graduate of Howard University School of Law and earned a B.S. in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University.
Brigit Rollins, Staff Attorney, National Agricultural Law Center
Brigit Rollins is a staff attorney at the National Agricultural Law Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She was born and raised in California and spent the first part of her life on the West Coast. She received her Bachelor of Arts in environmental studies from Sonoma State University before attending Lewis & Clark Law School. While in law school, Brigit was a research fellow at the National Agricultural Law Center, before joining the full-time staff after graduation. Brigit specializes in environmental law matters as they relate to the agricultural industry. She has worked on topics such as the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, and pesticide regulation. Brigit is licensed to practice law in Oregon.
