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Pac/West Lobby Group is expanding its Communications department with the hire of Amanda Spoo, an Eastern Oregon native with more than a decade of professional experience in agriculture.

For the past seven years Amanda has worked in the communications department for U.S. Wheat Associates in Arlington, Virginia, most recently as the Director of Communications. She has experience in digital communications, media relations, association and stakeholder management, consumer outreach and education.

“Amanda’s talents and expertise will add important bandwidth for our clients and help enhance our communications services, association management, and convention logistics,” said Ryan Tribbett, president of Pac/West Lobby Group. “Too often, young professionals leave our rural communities and don’t come back. It is exciting to help bring Amanda’s skills back from Washington D.C. and her leadership on important issues to the Oregon Capitol.”

Amanda has a bachelor’s of science in agricultural communications and journalism from Kansas State University. She will complete a master’s of professional studies in public relations and corporate communications from Georgetown University in December 2022. Professional development and empowering young leaders are important to Amanda, as shown by her continued involvement in Agriculture Future of America (AFA) since 2009 and a lifetime membership in its Alliance Alumni Network.

“I’m most energized by projects that value long-term strategies and set their sights on meaningful and sustainable change,” Amanda said. “After spending the first part of my career working on behalf of farmers, I’m ready to translate and develop those skills to help Pac/West Lobby Group meet the needs of their wide variety of clients.”

She grew up in Hermiston, and after spending the last 13 years in the Midwest and Washington, D.C., she is looking forward to returning to her roots and making an impact in the Pacific Northwest. While she will be primarily based in Pac/West’s Eastern Oregon office in Hermiston, she will service clients across the state.

In her free time, Amanda enjoys anything that allows her to be creative, travel, boxing, going to her family’s cabin in the Blue Mountains, live music, and cheering on the Portland Trail Blazers and her beloved K-State Wildcats.