Syngenta, Greensboro, North Carolina, has announced David Flakne has been named team lead for state affairs in the United States. Flakne succeeds Dennis Kelly who retired on April 1 after 44 years of service with the company.
Flakne will lead the state affairs team and Syngenta’s overall advocacy efforts at the state level. The team is responsible for managing legislative, regulatory and stewardship efforts with state policy makers. He and his team also manage key stakeholder relationships with important state commodity and grower organizations and state and regional agribusiness associations.
“Dave is a Syngenta and legacy company veteran who brings many years of experience, knowledge of our business and a broad portfolio of bipartisan relationships into this new role,” said Val Dolcini, Syngenta head of business sustainability and government affairs in North America. “He has served the industry well in many key leadership positions on both association boards and industry committees focused on crop protection, biotechnology, and seeds issues. We look forward to his continued dedication and leadership.”
Flakne joined Ciba-Geigy in 1982 as a sales representative and has served as key account manager and district manager, before joining the State Affairs team in the early 1990s. He has served as president of the MidAmerica CropLife Association, and as a founding board member for the FieldWatch stewardship organization. His leadership skills will continue to serve both Syngenta and the industry in his new role as the chair of the CropLife America’s State Affairs committee.
