International Marketing Director Rebecca Lyons announced her June 30 retirement at the March 30 Washington Apple Commission Board of Directors meeting. Lyons, who started at the Commission in 1999 as the International Marketing Manager for the Latin American markets, has steered the Commission’s export marketing program through the changes in the industry over the past two decades.
“When I started in 1999, there were over 42 different grower/packer/shipper organizations directly exporting to international markets and the Red Delicious variety made up 46% of the total crop. Now there are half the number of sales organizations and Red Delicious is less than 14%.”
During her tenure at the Commission, Lyons played a significant role in securing over $100 million in USDA Market Access Program funds to promote Washington apples in international markets, as well as almost $10 million in recent Agricultural Trade Promotions funds. “It’s been a team effort to fund our export programs and we are fortunate to have a fantastic group on the home front, however without our network of international in-market representatives we would not be effective” she stated.
Lyons will be handing the reins of the program to International Marketing Manager Lindsey Huber and International Marketing Specialist Jenny Strong. “They’ve been doing a great job incorporating digital media into our promotional programs, and I’m confident that they’ll continue to introduce new and innovative marketing into the WAC international promotion efforts.”
Lindsey Huber
Lindsey Huber has been promoted to the position of International Marketing Manager, taking over responsibilities from Rebecca Lyons. According to Lyons, “Lindsey has been an integral part of the WAC marketing team and has the knowledge and experience to take on the challenges and opportunities in the coming seasons.”
In this new capacity, Huber will be responsible for overseeing promotional marketing activities in over 25 countries on behalf of the 1,260 apple growers in Washington state.
Since first joining the Washington Apple Commission in 2015, Huber has served as the International Marketing Specialist. She commented, “We have a great team at WAC, both colleagues and our contractors in international markets, and we all share the same passion for promoting Washington apples to consumers around the world. I’m thrilled to step into the role of International Marketing Manager and am so excited to see what the future holds.”
Jennie Strong
Meanwhile, Communications and Outreach Specialist, Jennie Strong, will be taking on the International Marketing Specialist role. Strong joined the Washington Apple Commission in July of 2022, new to the apple industry, but eager to catch up and earning a spot as a USApple NextGen Fellow for 2023. With a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Purdue University and a culinary background, Strong has a unique perspective she brings to the Washington Apple Commission team.
Contact:
Jennie Strong
The Washington Apple Commission
jennie.strong@waapple.org