LAURA SCANDURRA
Madison,WI
Summary
Former diplomat with over 25 years of senior leadership, policy, and management experience across global geographies. Success leading teams, managing projects and programs, and guiding multistakeholder initiatives at local, state, federal, and international levels that catalyzed funding, policy reforms and market access gains. Credited with creating strategies and building collaborative partnerships with USG agencies, NGOs, academic institutions, and industry associations to expand markets for U.S. agricultural exports. Expertise in agricultural trade policy and export development. Global experience spans Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe.
Overview
32
32
years of professional experience
Work History
Executive Director
Potato Sustainability Alliance
06.2019 - 02.2022
- Led collaborative initiative among growers, supply chain partners, non-profit organizations, and advisors to improve and communicate the economic, environmental, and social outcomes of potato production in the United States and Canada
- Incorporated trade association as a nonprofit organization, put administrative, financial, data security, and governance policies in place, and supported development of a data-driven tool to assess sustainability
- Expanded revenue by 30%
Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships
Lutheran World Relief
07.2017 - 01.2019
- Worked with leadership team to strategically develop and implement new business strategy for institutional donors and create a multi-year funding pipeline
- Built relationships with external stakeholders and developed new partners
- Developed, managed, and grew a collaborative and target-oriented Business Development and Strategic Partnerships unit
Director, Capacity Building and Development
Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA
08.2014 - 06.2017
- Successfully spearheaded innovative approaches to strategic planning that strengthened technical collaboration between USDA and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) leading to targeted USG investment in international agricultural development projects
- Grew USDA's portfolio of international climate-smart agriculture development and land-use projects by 25% to $100 million
- Strengthened project management by establishing shared knowledge platforms, setting performance goals and benchmarks for project teams, and improving budget systems and processes
- Crafted an international development strategy for cacao with a strong focus on public-private partnerships aligning academic institutions and industry organizations on shared trade, research and development goals
- Supervised two deputy directors, three branch chiefs, 40 staff members and over 225 food and agriculture technical experts assigned to USAID
Deputy Director, Global Policy Analysis Division
Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA
09.2012 - 08.2014
- Spearheaded launch of Sino-U.S. Advanced Biofuels Forum, which brought together leaders from political, scientific, and industrial fields from China and United States, and established platform for exchange, dialogue, and cooperation on bioenergy
- Championed collaboration with industry associations and U.S. Department of Energy to obtain $1 million in funding to conduct series of ethanol blending workshops in three countries as part of broad initiative to expand global ethanol trade
- Fostered improvements in availability and accessibility of USDA's trade data through development of easy-to-use online tools and creation of training programs to assist foreign governments, industry associations, and private companies in identifying agricultural export opportunities
- Convened key private sector stakeholders to identify opportunities and help shape USDA policy positions to grow global market for renewable energy with an emphasis on international collaboration
Director, Agricultural Affairs Office
U.S. Embassy
09.2011 - 09.2012
- Analyzed trade and regulatory issues and provided strategic advice to high-level officials
- Played lead role in conceptualizing and implementing strategy to promote bilateral cooperation culminating in first-ever U.S.-China Agricultural Symposium co-chaired by USDA Secretary of Agriculture and Chinese Vice President
- Interventions on market access issues with Chinese officials kept market open to U.S. poultry exports during major trade crisis preserving more than $300 million in trade
Agricultural Attaché
U.S. Embassy
09.2006 - 08.2011
- Advised Office of U.S. Trade Representative on Trans-Pacific Partnership trade negotiations
- Built coalition of like-minded countries and successfully advocated for reform of New Zealand's pork policies
- Liaised with U.S. and New Zealand governments and helped grow membership in Global Research Alliance to 60 countries
- Recognized by Secretary of State for crisis management during 2011 Christchurch earthquake
Vice President
American Foreign Service Association
09.2004 - 08.2006
- Advocated strategies to address complex personnel issues such as pay for performance and right sizing
- Contributed op-ed pieces to Foreign Service Journal and published monthly newsletter
- Achieved 20% increase in membership
Economist, Multilateral Trade Negotiations
Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA
06.2001 - 08.2004
- Conceptualized and implemented a high-level, public-private working group resulting in a consensus position and the only U.S. proposal accepted by the Agricultural Committee during the Doha Round of World Trade Organization negotiations
Director, International Marketing Division
Wisconsin Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection (DATCP)
09.1999 - 08.2001
- Led creation and implementation of strategy to achieve Governor's goal to double agricultural exports within five years
- Collaborated with other states to obtain federal grants resulting in a 20% increase in Wisconsin's export promotion budget
- Managed DATCP’s agricultural trade and export development programs
Agricultural Attaché
U.S. Embassy
06.1996 - 08.1999
- Managed marketing and reporting activities of USDA offices in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark
Agricultural Economist
Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA
08.1994 - 06.1996
- Supported the Agricultural Trade Advisory Committee and provided export assistance to various trade associations
- Collaborated with tribal organizations to obtain USDA funding to identify native American export-ready companies
Agricultural Attaché
U.S. Embassy
06.1990 - 06.1994
- Conducted policy analysis and supported bilateral trade negotiations
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Economics
University of Missouri
Columbia, MOMaster of Science - Agricultural Economics
University of Missouri
Columbia, MOExecutive Education
University of Virginia
Skills
- Transforming ideas into impact
- Effective collaborator and connector
- Relationship building and stakeholder engagement
- Trade policy
- International development
- Sustainability
- Using critical thinking to assess complex situations, pinpoint core problems, and identify solutions
Affiliations
- The Tropics Foundation
- 350 Wisconsin
- Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE)
- Madison Food Policy Council
Timeline
Executive Director
Potato Sustainability Alliance
06.2019 - 02.2022
Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships
Lutheran World Relief
07.2017 - 01.2019
Director, Capacity Building and Development
Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA
08.2014 - 06.2017
Deputy Director, Global Policy Analysis Division
Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA
09.2012 - 08.2014
Director, Agricultural Affairs Office
U.S. Embassy
09.2011 - 09.2012
Agricultural Attaché
U.S. Embassy
09.2006 - 08.2011
Vice President
American Foreign Service Association
09.2004 - 08.2006
Economist, Multilateral Trade Negotiations
Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA
06.2001 - 08.2004
Director, International Marketing Division
Wisconsin Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection (DATCP)
09.1999 - 08.2001
Agricultural Attaché
U.S. Embassy
06.1996 - 08.1999
Agricultural Economist
Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA
08.1994 - 06.1996
Agricultural Attaché
U.S. Embassy
06.1990 - 06.1994
Executive Education
University of Virginia
Bachelor of Arts - Economics
University of Missouri
Master of Science - Agricultural Economics
University of Missouri