CropLife America Hires Ethan Mathews as Director of Government Relations

Jay Vroom, president and CEO of CropLife America (CLA), announced that Ethan Mathews has joined CLA as director of government relations. As director, Mathews is responsible for the development, implementation and management of effective legislative and political pesticide policy strategies in support of CLA objectives. He will manage government relations activities on the federal policy efforts and will engage with external allies and member companies through CLA’s committees and issue management teams.

“Ethan has deep knowledge of public policy issues for the crop protection industry and a proven ability to connect with stakeholders,” Vroom stated. “His experience working with leaders in Congress and regulatory agencies on pressing issues in agriculture will significantly help us move our legislative priorities forward. We are pleased to have Ethan join CLA and advocate on behalf of our members and our industry, ultimately ensuring that we can continue to meet the crop protection needs of America’s farmers.”

Before coming to CLA, Mathews served as the director of public policy for the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) in Washington, D.C. where he was responsible for managing several key policy areas, including the Clean Water Act; the Federal Insecticide, Rodenticide, and Fungicide Act (FIFRA); the Endangered Species Act; conservation; sustainability; water quality; and climate change. He previously served as the manager of public policy and regulatory affairs at NCGA, handling rural broadband, precision agriculture, health, safety and other issues. Prior to NCGA, he interned for Congressman Michael Conaway of Texas as well as at the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. He graduated from Texas A&M University with a bachelor of science in agricultural development.   

At CLA, Mathews will report to Beau Greenwood, executive vice president of government relations and public affairs. Greenwood stated, “Ethan will be a key member of CLA’s government relations team, fostering strong relationships and developing strategies to address emerging legislative issues for our members. With extensive experience in agricultural advocacy, Ethan will help us to build the consensus necessary to solve critical policy challenges.”