WASHINGTON, DC, US — Alexa Combelic will join the American Soybean Association (ASA) as its director of government affairs, starting May 4.

Combelic has held various roles on Capitol Hill the past 10 years, working for members of both the US House and US Senate. She currently is legislative director for US Congressman Joe Courtney of Connecticut. In her previous roles, Combelic has worked on an array of issues applicable to and of interest to soy, among them agriculture, transportation, energy, appropriations, labor, trade, environment and nutrition.

Combelic has a bachelor’s degree in political science and history from the University of Connecticut.

“Alexa has a broad range of policy knowledge and a robust network that will equip her to be an effective advocate for ASA,” said Christy Seyfert, executive director of government affairs for the ASA. “We are very pleased to add someone with her level of experience and interest in agriculture to our recently established and growing ASA policy office here in our nation’s capital. And, we are thrilled by the prospect of what this new team is going to accomplish on behalf of soy.”

In October 2019, the ASA shifted from consulting-based policy representation to an independent, internal ASA government affairs team led by Seyfert and located in Washington, DC, US.

The association employs approximately 40 employees, with around a quarter of those to be in Washington, DC, and the remainder based out of the ASA headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri, US.