Farm Bureau veteran Dr. John Newton returns to the American Farm Bureau Federation team on October 20, 2025, to serve as Vice President of Public Policy and Economic Analysis. In this role, he will lead AFBF’s government relations and advocacy staff and serve as chief economist, guiding AFBF’s team of economists.
Dr. Newton previously served as AFBF’s chief economist from 2018 to 2021. He returns to AFBF after serving as the chief economist for the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry from 2021 until 2024, and most recently serving as part of the Farm Credit system as the executive head of Terrain.