Meghan Dicks appointed AFIA's director of regulatory affairs

The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) has announced that Meghan Dicks, currently serving as its director of membership and engagement, will assume the role of director of regulatory affairs effective September 1. The appointment follows the retirement of Louise Calderwood, who has held the position for several years.

In her new role, Dicks will join AFIA's policy team, providing strategic leadership on regulatory, legislative and scientific issues affecting the animal feed industry. Her responsibilities will include animal feed safety, pet food, equine feed and scientific regulatory affairs.

AFIA President and CEO Constance Cullman said Dicks has played a key role in strengthening member engagement and delivering value to AFIA members since joining the association in 2024. Cullman added that AFIA is confident Dicks' experience and leadership will help advance the association's regulatory initiatives. She also thanked Louise Calderwood for her many years of dedicated service and contributions to both the association and the industry.

Calderwood is retiring after eight years with AFIA. Since joining the association in 2018, she has provided leadership on regulatory, pet food, equine and state policy issues while serving as staff liaison to the Pet Food Committee, the Quality and Feed Safety Committee and the Equine Committee.

She also served as a leading industry representative at the Association of American Feed Control Officials, contributing to the development of science-based policies and regulatory solutions that support animal feed manufacturers. In addition, Calderwood led the annual Pet Food Conference, held in conjunction with the International Production & Processing Expo, helping transform it into a one-day event attracting around 500 attendees and providing valuable resources and networking opportunities for participants. AFIA expressed its appreciation for Calderwood's dedication, expertise and service to the industry, wishing her all the best in retirement, including more time at her maple syrup farm in Vermont.

Dicks joined AFIA as director of membership and engagement in September 2024, where she managed the association's membership programme. During her tenure, she focused on member recruitment, engagement, retention and value creation while leading improvements to AFIA's core membership processes. Her efforts helped strengthen the association's long-term success by placing members at the centre of its programmes, services and communications.

Before joining AFIA, Dicks served as regulatory and scientific affairs manager for North America at ADM Animal and Pet Nutrition, where she provided regulatory and feed safety guidance for the company's animal feed and pet product portfolio. Combined with her earlier experience as an animal feed ingredients buyer and marketer, she brings a unique blend of expertise in regulatory affairs, feed safety and supply chain management to her new position.

As part of the leadership transition, AFIA has also launched a search for a new director of membership and engagement. According to the association, the position will provide strategic leadership for AFIA's membership programme, overseeing systems, processes and initiatives that strengthen membership, enhance the member experience and support the association's long-term growth and success through member recruitment, engagement, retention and value creation.