Contact: Chris Cargill
(509) 570-2384

Director Madilynne Clark Brings Masters in Agricultural Economics
 and Farm Experience to Washington Policy Center

PASCO — Washington Policy Center – a public policy think tank with offices in Seattle, Spokane, Olympia and the Tri-Cities – announced today the opening of its Agricultural research arm and the hiring of Madilynne Clark as its Agriculture Policy Research Director.

Clark comes to WPC from Ag Association Management in Kennewick. She holds a Master’s Degree in Agricultural and Resource Economics from Colorado State University as well as a B.S. in Environmental Economics, Policy and Management from Oregon State University.

“Madilynne is the ideal candidate for this position,” explained WPC President Dann Mead Smith. “In addition to her education and experience in the Ag industry, she has experience working on Agricultural business research at The Context Network. Both will serve her and the Ag community well as we launch this effort.”

“Washington’s farm families and food processors do much more than provide a huge economic benefit to the state,” Clark said. “They provide us with food security. My goal as the new Ag research director is to keep it that way.”

Based in the Tri-Cities, the WPC Initiative on Agriculture joins six other areas of research focus at Washington Policy Center – Education, Environment, Government Reform, Health Care, Small Business & Labor Reform and Transportation.

As WPC’s new Ag director, Clark will be able to provide citizens and state lawmakers with practical ideas for improving the state’s Ag climate, eliminating barriers to success, protecting resources and strengthening the future of Washington’s important Ag sector through in-depth research, Policy Briefs, Opinion-Editorials and events. WPC’s first in-depth Ag study, Agriculture: The Cornerstone of Washington’s Economy, was released in March.

Some of the state’s top lawmakers have already praised WPC’s plans to expand its work.

“Having a research organization like WPC committed to studying these issues will be critical to finding common sense solutions,” explained Wenatchee State Senator and orchardist Linda Evans Parlette.