Alan Bjerga Email & Phone Number

Arlington, Virginia, United States

Oversees all communications activities for trade association representing U.S. dairy cooperatives as well as leading initiatives that serve and expand members. Manages staff operating all organization publications, website, email and social media activities. Represents organization at industry events and before media outlets.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Oversee all external communications for largest organization representating U.S. dairy farmers.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Instructor and lecturer in graduate-level business journalism and news reporting, adapting syllabus to the digital age and drawing on frequent guest speakers for students to gain connection and relevance within the field, maintaining university reputation for excellence.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

• Lead writer on national farm-policy issues, including trade, technology and rural politics, with opportunities ranging from exclusive interviews with the last six agriculture secretaries to a feature on the halal slaughterhouses of New Jersey, where two of every five goats in America go to die.• Frequent contributor to Bloomberg magazine, television and radio platforms. Other network appearances include the BBC, National Public Radio, PBS “Newshour,” and C-SPAN.• Served as co-host of "Bloomberg Politics, Policy and Power," a general-interest radio program featuring interviews with top Washington officials.• Regular appearances as speaker and panel moderator, including TEDx talk on global food security. Recent keynotes include the annual Ferguson lecture series at Western Illinois University, a series that has included the CEO of Caterpillar and the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, and the launch event of N8 Agrifood, a research collaboration of the eight major universities of northern England.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

• As president, managed 100-employee staff with executive director, making personnel and spending decisions during the most profitable year in the organization’s then-102-year history.• Set strategic direction for the organization, transitioning to digital age through an emphasis on First Amendment advocacy and emphasizing journalism ethics and integrity as central to its brand. • Hosted its prestigious luncheon series, conducting live, exclusive interviews with subjects ranging from former Vice President Dick Cheney (featured later on “The Daily Show) and Mitt Romney to Venus Williams and the CEO of Coca-Cola. • Created subset of luncheon series on food policy. Speakers included World Food Program director Josette Sheeran and actor and hunger advocate Jeff Bridges.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Encouraged and improved the professionalism and relevance of agricultural journalism through professional programs ranging from understanding agriculture and science to animal welfare.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Covered Great Plains politics and federal policy news including defense contracting and the 2002 farm bill for nation’s second-largest newspaper chain. Contributed to Pulitzer-nominated stories questioning the existence of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Chief editor of "The Almanac of the Unelected," Hired, trained, managed and edited staff of 20 freelance writers to deliver annual 500-page biographical guide of congressional committee staff to publisher. Responsible for all published material, expanding content each year.

Wichita, Kansas Area

Topics included finance and energy, including ethanol, oil and natural gas.

Sioux Falls, South Dakota Area

Covered general business topics, including personal finance, technology, agriculture and biofuels.

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

Edited articles, wrote headlines, fact-checked and designed pages.

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

Covered Minnesota state legislature for public-radio station, focusing on welfare reform and urban development.

Ma, Mass Communications

Activities and Societies: Managing editor and opinion columnist for The Minnesota Daily student newspaper.

B.A., History, English Literature

Activities and Societies: Editor in chief of The Concordian student newspaper.Summa cum laude graduate.