Alexandria, VA (February 11, 2025) — The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) welcomes Danielle Cummins as the organization’s new Director, Membership Engagement.
Cummins joins ASTA after a tenure at The Directions Group (formerly known as Aimpoint Research), where she was an Account Executive and Senior Intelligence Analyst, managing a diverse client portfolio, excelling in sales, and acting as a subject matter expert on a wide range of consumer and agriculture trends and topics at national conferences and workshops.
“I am thrilled to welcome Danielle Cummins to the ASTA team as Director, Membership Engagement. She rounds out our bench of highly qualified and well-connected individuals who work diligently on behalf of the American seed industry, in our state capitals, Washington, D.C., and around the world,” says Andy LaVigne, ASTA President and CEO. “I look forward to working with Danielle to continue improving our member experience, to better serve our nearly 700 member companies, service providers, and related organizations, ensuring they receive the high-quality engagement we strive to deliver.”
In this role, Cummins will lead ASTA’s membership development and engagement, working to strengthen their engagement with current members, while building relationships with prospective members.
Prior to her time at The Directions Group, Cummins served as a crop insurance agent for Farm Credit East/Crop Growers LLP for over seven years and counts multiple government affairs roles for trade associations and members of Congress on her resume. In addition to her professional experience, Cummins grew up in agriculture, with both her parents involved in farming. Currently, her family runs a large, diversified row crop and processing vegetable operation in Western New York.
Cummins' first day with ASTA is February 18 and she will be remote as she travels the country to meet with the association’s geographically diverse membership.
Founded in 1883, the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) represents over 700 companies involved in seed production, plant breeding and related industries in North America. ASTA is the leading voice of action in all matters concerning the development, marketing and movement of seed, associated products and services throughout the world. The association's broad membership offers varieties from alfalfa to zucchini and all production types including conventional, organic and biotech. ASTA promotes the development of better seed to produce better crops for a better quality of life.