The Alabama Farmers Federation has hired an Auburn University alumnus and an Auburn student for summer internships.
Joining the Communications Department is Katie Wendland of Autaugaville, a sophomore majoring in agricultural communications at Auburn.“Because agriculture is such an important part of who I am, I have always wanted to effectively educate others and enable them to make informed decisions about agriculture,” said Wendland. “The Farmers Federation is a group of people with a common goal: promoting agriculture. I am excited to be a part of telling the stories of amazing men and women who work hard and love what they do.”Federation Public Relations and Communications Director Jeff Helms said Wendland’s farm experience and knowledge of the organization would allow her to quickly contribute to the Federation’s communications efforts.“Katie previously worked with our department as a student advisor on the DRV NOW, TXT L8R public relations campaign,” said Helms. “She has a passion for telling the stories of Alabama farmers, and we look forward to working with her this summer.”Joining the Governmental and Agricultural Programs department is Willis McKee, a native of Murfreesboro, Tenn. He graduated from Auburn in 2010 with an undergraduate degree in political science. After graduation, McKee moved back to Tennessee where he worked with the Tennessee Wildlife Federation (TWF) for a year before returning to Alabama as a student at Jones School of Law at Faulkner University in Montgomery. “Agriculture has always been a part of my family,” McKee said. “I wanted to come to Alfa, bring my ideas and experiences from TWF and put my education to use.”Federation Governmental and Agricultural Programs Director Jimmy Carlisle said McKee would be a great asset to the department.“Willis hit the ground running with his first big project, which is to help update our Agriculture Law Book,” Carlisle said. “He will also help commodity directors working on agriculture programs and general issue responsibilities.”