Staff

Hannah Thompson-Weeman, Alliance president and CEO, provides strategic direction to the organization and oversees its operations along with engaging key stakeholders about the value of animal agriculture and providing guidance to the animal agriculture community about managing various issues, including animal rights extremist activity and campaigns. Hannah joined the Alliance in 2014 and has served in various leadership roles involving communications, issues management and strategic engagement. Hannah holds a B.S. in agricultural communication with a minor in agricultural business and an M.S. in agricultural and extension education from The Ohio State University. While pursuing her education, Hannah completed an undergraduate thesis based on agricultural policy and a graduate thesis focused on crisis communications and planning within the dairy community. Prior to joining the Alliance, Hannah worked in marketing and public relations for Farm Credit Mid-America. She lives in rural Maryland with her husband and their three pets – two dogs and a cat.

As director, communications and marketing, Emily leads the Alliance’s brand, messaging, and tone while overseeing marketing initiatives for the organization’s key programs, including the Stakeholders Summit, College Aggies Online, and Animal Ag Allies. She collaborates closely with staff, members, and stakeholders to elevate the Alliance’s visibility, support program growth, and advance strategic communications efforts across the organization, while ensuring consistent, impactful messaging across all platforms. Emily holds a B.S. in Animal Science from the University of Maryland. Prior to joining the Alliance team in 2020, she served as communications manager for the Maryland Farm Bureau and held several internships within the animal agriculture community, including as a communications intern for the Alliance.

Abby Kornegay is the Alliance’s director, issues and engagement and is responsible for shaping the Alliance’s issues management and crisis communications strategy. Abby leads the organization’s efforts to expose those who threaten our nation’s food security with damaging misinformation, including monitoring and responding to the efforts of adversarial groups. She also coordinates strategic engagement efforts, provides counsel to Alliance members and contacts on issues, and leads the development and implementation of the Animal Ag Allies program. Prior to joining the Alliance team, Abby served as animal care program manager for Butterball, LLC. Abby holds both a B.S and M.S. in animal science from North Carolina State University. She joined the Alliance team in May 2022 and lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with her husband and dog, Luca.

In her role as manager, member relations and communications, Grace leads the organization’s social media and website while overseeing member engagement and retention efforts. In this role, she works closely with members to strengthen relationships, support engagement, and ensure continued value and involvement with the Alliance. She also serves as a key point of contact for members, helping connect them with resources, programs, and opportunities that align with their goals. Grace graduated from Michigan State University in 2022 with a B.S. in agriculture education and minors in applied international development and environmental and sustainability studies. She joined the Alliance team in June 2022 after previously serving as a communications intern. Grace lives in Virginia with her husband, their baby, and their dogs and chickens.