Washington, D.C. (July 6, 2026)—The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC) today announced that RJ Karney has joined the organization as Vice President, Head of Government Affairs, effective immediately.
In this role, Karney will lead NCFC’s advocacy, policy and political engagement on behalf of America’s farmer cooperatives, serving as a senior advisor to NCFC’s President & CEO and a principal spokesperson for the organization before Congress and federal agencies.
“RJ brings two decades of experience advocating for American agriculture at the highest levels of government, and he is committed to ensuring public policy that helps farmer co-ops and their farmer-owners remain economically viable and competitive,” said Duane Simpson, president and CEO of NCFC. “His track record of building bipartisan coalitions and delivering results on issues from international trade to farm labor to the farm bill makes him exactly the right person to lead our government affairs program as we take on the challenges ahead. We’re thrilled to have him on the team.”
Karney joins NCFC from the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), where he served as Senior Director, Public Policy, leading the organization’s policy team on its engagement with the federal government and international organizations. Prior to NASDA, Karney spent 16 years at the American Farm Bureau Federation, rising to Director, Congressional Relations, where he advocated Farm Bureau’s positions before Congress and federal agencies on issues including small business and disaster lending, broadband deployment, federal budget and appropriations, farmer mental health, tax policy, food safety and the farm bill. He was recognized as a Top Lobbyist by The Hill newspaper in both 2018 and 2019.
“Farmer cooperatives play an essential role in the strength and competitiveness of American agriculture, and I’m honored to join NCFC at such a consequential time for our farmers and rural communities,” said Karney. “I look forward to working with NCFC’s members, its Executive Council and policymakers on both sides of the aisle to advance the priorities that matter most to farmer co-ops and their farmer-owners.”
Karney holds a Master of Public Policy from George Mason University and a B.A. in History from The Catholic University of America.
About NCFC
Since 1929, NCFC has been the voice of America’s farmer cooperatives. Our members are regional and national farmer cooperatives, which are in turn composed of nearly 2,000 local farmer cooperatives across the country. NCFC members also include 17 state and regional councils of cooperatives. Farmer cooperatives allow individual farmers the ability to own and lead organizations that are essential for continued competitiveness in both the domestic and international markets.
America’s farmer-owned cooperatives provide a comprehensive array of services for their members. These diverse organizations handle, process and market virtually every type of agricultural commodity. They also provide farmers with access to infrastructure necessary to manufacture, distribute and sell a variety of farm inputs. Additionally, they provide credit and related financial services, including export financing.
