Dana Brooks serves as the president and CEO for the Pet Food Institute (PFI). With over 30 years of experience across the food and agriculture industries, Dana is a trusted advisor in the pet food industry.
Prior to joining PFI, Dana was the senior director of government relations at Land O’Lakes, Inc., where she focused on state governments and industry relations at the Arden Hills, Minn., headquarters.
Dana has lived and worked in Washington, D.C., for more than 15 years and has represented a range of agricultural interests. Her resume includes director of government relations for Elanco Animal Health, senior vice president of government relations at the National Milk Producers Federation and director of public policy at the American Farm Bureau Federation.
Dana began her career in the nation’s capital as a legislative assistant in the U.S. House of Representatives for former Reps. Marion Berry and JoAnn Emerson. In 2002, she founded the Cuba Working Group in the House of Representatives and led a congressional delegation to Cuba to meet with former president Fidel Castro to discuss agricultural trade and humanitarian aid between the U.S. and Cuban governments.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in agriculture from the University of Arkansas-Monticello and a master’s degree in Agribusiness from Kansas State University. Dana was awarded the alumni merit award at her alma mater at the University of Arkansas-Monticello in 2008, Arkansas State University Agriculture Outstanding Alumnus in 2018 and she is currently serving as an industry advisor for the Kansas State Master of Agribusiness program.
Dana’s passions include scuba diving, spear fishing, boating, horseback riding, skeet shooting and hosting Women in Agriculture events.