NCGA Welcomes Back Palmer as Director of Renewable Fuels

After nearly a 15-year hiatus, Mark Palmer rejoined the National Corn Growers Association as the new Director of Renewable Fuels.  Palmer, who previously worked for NCGA in the Washington, DC office, returns to the St. Louis headquarters where he will be responsible for managing the renewable fuels portfolio and the Ethanol Action Team.

"We are thrilled to have Mark back with us at NCGA. Mark is an extremely talented individual who has worked on ethanol issues from many sides.  He is so excited to again be working on behalf of growers and state organizations to further develop a thriving renewable fuels industry," NCGA’s Vice President of Market Development Amie Gianino said.

Palmer hails from Quincy, Ill., but did a 20-year stint in Washington DC and worked most recently at Renewable Fuels Nebraska. Prior to his position with Renewable Fuels Nebraska, he served as the Senior Policy Advisor for the Assistant Democratic Leader, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin.

Palmer also worked at Van Ness Feldman, LLP; in the Office of the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, where he served the Farm Service Agency as a senior advisor and as the Director of the Office of External Affairs. Prior to his work at USDA, Palmer was Chief Policy Advisor to the Chair of the House Committee on Small Business, Representative Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-12); a Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (Ill.); the Special Projects Liaison to U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), and held senior policy positions with NCGA and the American Soybean Association.

Palmer earned his master’s degree in government from The Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree in political science, with a history minor, from Western Illinois University.  He will reside in the St. Louis metropolitan area with his wife Melissa, and two sons, Eli and Luke.