John Newton, University of Illinois Professor, to Join NMPF Economics Department
June 4, 2015
John Newton, an assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, will join NMPF’s economics department July 1 as senior director of research. Newton, currently in the university’s Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, has more than a decade of experience in dairy policy, and recently helped U.S. Agriculture Department implement the new Margin Protection Program.
“John understands both the art and the science of helping farmers manage the risks of price volatility,” said NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern. “His skills at data analysis will help our members understand where milk prices are going, and more importantly, how they can use tools like the MPP to their advantage.”
Mulhern added that Newton’s experience working with the Federal Milk Marketing Order system also gives him an in-depth understanding of the importance of that program to the orderly marketing of milk.
A Louisville native, Newton earned a Ph.D. in agricultural economics, a M.A. in macroeconomics, and a M.S. in agricultural economics, all from Ohio State. From 2004 to 2014, he worked on risk management and income support programs for USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service. In this role, he also served temporarily on the staff of the Senate Agriculture Committee and in the office of USDA’s chief economist.
Newton said he is looking forward to helping dairy farmers confront their economic challenges and prosper in the future. He will work with Peter Vitaliano, NMPF’s vice president of economic policy and market research, and Economic Analyst Dustin Baker.