ARLINGTON, VA – U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) announced today the promotion of two staff members to key posts in Southeast Asia and the addition of two international staff members. The shifts reflect a shared commitment across USW’s global operations to build on recent momentum, continue to grow demand for U.S. wheat and drive innovation in the organization’s market development activities.
“The staff promotions and additions we are announcing today reflect our commitment to attracting and retaining talented and dedicated global staff that deliver exceptional technical support and trade service,” said Mike Spier, USW president and CEO. “This strategic step makes sure that we have the right expertise in place to drive innovation across our offices and continue delivering the real-world value for U.S. wheat farmers and global customers alike.”
Tyllor Ledford
Tyllor Ledford will move to Manila in late spring to assume the role of assistant regional director for South and Southeast Asia. Ledford currently serves as the market analyst in the USW West Coast Office in Portland, Oregon, where she analyzes complex wheat trends and bridges information gaps. Through her work on the weekly USW Price Report, she provides the reliable, timely insights necessary to foster mutual understanding between domestic producers and international buyers. She joined the organization as the assistant director of the USW West Coast Office in August 2021 before assuming her current role in January 2023.
“Expanding our team in South and Southeast Asia reflects USW’s commitment to meet the growing demand for U.S. wheat in this dynamic region,” said Brian Liedl, USW vice president of overseas operations. “Tyllor brings valuable wheat market expertise that will strengthen our market development efforts and enhance our strong partnerships with the flour milling and baking industries, supporting the growth of U.S. wheat exports across all classes.”
Ledford earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural applied economics from Texas Tech University. Her research on the nexus of food security and conflict received the Outstanding Master’s Thesis award from the Southern Association for Agricultural Economics. Ledford is a native of Colorado, growing up on her family’s farm where they raised quarter horses and irrigated alfalfa.
Joe Bippert
As Ledford relocates to Manila, USW will further bolster its work in South and Southeast Asia with the promotion of Joe Bippert to regional director. Bippert joined the organization’s Manila-based office in November 2021 as the assistant regional director. In this role, he supports market development activities across the region, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Bangladesh. In his new role, he will continue to act as a primary liaison between U.S. wheat producers and the region’s milling and baking industries, ensuring that customers understand the quality, value, and reliability of all six U.S. wheat classes.
“Joe Bippert has established himself as an invaluable resource for our customers in the Philippines and across the region,” said Joe Sowers, USW regional vice president for South and Southeast Asia. “He has demonstrated strong capability in designing and executing innovative, successful initiatives while building solid customer relationships. I’m confident he will continue to provide excellent guidance to our customers and enable us to continue to capitalize on opportunities and grow U.S. wheat exports in our region’s rapidly growing markets.”
Prior to joining USW, Bippert served as the program director for the Washington Grain Commission in Spokane, Washington. There, he managed marketing strategies, analyzed the state’s wheat industry economy and monitored trade and transportation policy. After earning a business degree from Brigham Young University in 2008, he began his career in international trade and marketing with the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA). He grew up on a family timber farm near Olympia, Washington.
Zakaria Jallali
The work of USW staff in the Middle Eastern, East and North African Region will also expand its technical assistance through the addition of Zakari Jallali to the USW Casablanca Office as a milling and baking specialist on January 15, 2026. Jallali is a graduate of the Moroccan Milling School with five years of overseas experience in Turkey and Burkina Faso. In his new role, he will train under the guidance of USW’s technical staff and will assist in all regional technical and milling baking activities.
“Bringing Zakaria Jallali onto our team in Casablanca is a strategic investment in the technical support our customers value,” said Ian Flagg, USW regional vice president for the European, Middle Eastern and North African Region. “By working alongside our current technical staff, he will support our work to demonstrate the milling and baking quality of U.S. wheat classes, ensuring they have the knowledge and support to produce their best products using U.S. wheat.”
Heather Wagner
Last but certainly not least, Heather Wagner will join the USW office in Cape Town, South Africa, as the administrative assistant on February 1, 2026. In this role, she will provide crucial administrative support by managing schedules, appointments and travel arrangements for the USW team in the region, in addition to preparing reports and presentations. Prior to joining USW, Wagner spent 10 years working as an office administrator for Generation Education, a private school in Cape Town.
“We are pleased to welcome Heather Wagner to our USW team,” said Chad Weigand, regional director for Sub-Saharan Africa, based in Cape Town, South Africa. “As we move into 2026 with expanded market development activities, Heather’s strong administrative foundation will help our staff focus their full efforts on building demand for U.S. wheat across the region.”
Overall, these staff shifts reinforce USW’s mission to develop, maintain and expand international markets for U.S. wheat producers.
“As global competition intensifies, our role in demonstrating the quality and end-use value of U.S. wheat is more critical than ever,” Spier said. “These staff additions and promotions, along with last year’s hires, strengthen USW’s ability to meet growing demand in key markets and advance our mission to benefit U.S. wheat farmers.”
