BLOOMINGTON, ILL – July 7, 2022 – Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) has named DeAnna Thomas of Manito, Ill. as Media Relations Manager.

As a former ag marketer, agriculture educator and FFA Advisor, Thomas has dedicated her career to informing, educating and communicating the importance of food, feed and fuel to audiences of all ages across multiple platforms. She brings an interest and academic emphasis in agriculture, as well as leadership experience from national agriculture organizations, including the NAFB, AAEA, NAMA, the National FFA Association and 4-H.

“DeAnna is passionate about telling the story of Illinois farming, and works to make agriculture meaningful and accessible to ag and non-ag audiences alike,” says Rachel Peabody, ISA Director of Communications. “We’re thrilled to welcome her to our team of communicators working to educate the public, serve Illinois farmers, and advance the soy community.”

As Media Relations Manager, Thomas will manage the day-to-day media relations needs of the organization such as preparing written press materials, managing interview requests and preparing talking points for spokespeople. She will support a variety of internal and external communications efforts, including blog writing, event planning and communications project management.

The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) checkoff and membership programs represent more than 43,000 soybean farmers in Illinois. The checkoff funds market development and utilization efforts while the membership program supports the government relations interests of Illinois soybean farmers at the local, state, and national level, through the Illinois Soybean Growers (ISG). ISA upholds the interests of Illinois soybean producers through promotion, advocacy, and education with the vision of becoming a market leader in sustainable soybean production and profitability. For more information, visit the website www.ilsoy.org and www.ilsoygrowers.com.