Janie Hipp
Native American Agriculture Fund
Chief Executive Officer
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Janie Simms Hipp, J.D., LL.M. is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma. She was recently appointed to serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the Native American Agriculture Fund, a new philanthropic organization focused solely on the mission of providing business assistance, agricultural education, technical support and advocacy services to Native American farmers and ranchers to support and promote their continued engagement in agriculture and food systems improvement.
Prior to serving in this capacity she was the Founding Director of the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative at the University of Arkansas, a national think tank focused on food and agriculture policy analysis, research, education and technical assistance to Tribal governments, their communities and organizations. She served in the Obama Administration as the Senior Advisor for Tribal Relations to Secretary Tom Vilsack and Director of the Office of Tribal Relations.
She previously served as National Program Leader (USDA) for Farm Financial Management, Trade Adjustment Assistance, Risk Management Education, and the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program and later served as the Risk Management Education Director at the Risk Management Agency, USDA.
Prior to her work in Washington, DC at the national level she has enjoyed a domestic and international career spanning over thirty-five years in the agriculture sector as an agriculture and food lawyer and policy expert. She currently serves as one of the newest board members of the Food Research Action Center (FRAC), a national voice on anti-hunger and food access.
Ms. Hipp holds a JD from Oklahoma City University and an LL.M. in Agriculture and Food Law from the University of Arkansas and has been in private commercial litigation practice; public litigation practice at the Attorney General of the State of Oklahoma; Of Counsel at the firm of Olson, Frank, Weeda, Turman and Matz (Washington DC).
Prior to serving in this capacity she was the Founding Director of the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative at the University of Arkansas, a national think tank focused on food and agriculture policy analysis, research, education and technical assistance to Tribal governments, their communities and organizations. She served in the Obama Administration as the Senior Advisor for Tribal Relations to Secretary Tom Vilsack and Director of the Office of Tribal Relations.
She previously served as National Program Leader (USDA) for Farm Financial Management, Trade Adjustment Assistance, Risk Management Education, and the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program and later served as the Risk Management Education Director at the Risk Management Agency, USDA.
Prior to her work in Washington, DC at the national level she has enjoyed a domestic and international career spanning over thirty-five years in the agriculture sector as an agriculture and food lawyer and policy expert. She currently serves as one of the newest board members of the Food Research Action Center (FRAC), a national voice on anti-hunger and food access.
Ms. Hipp holds a JD from Oklahoma City University and an LL.M. in Agriculture and Food Law from the University of Arkansas and has been in private commercial litigation practice; public litigation practice at the Attorney General of the State of Oklahoma; Of Counsel at the firm of Olson, Frank, Weeda, Turman and Matz (Washington DC).