Contact:
Samantha Cave
Communications Coordinator, NFFC
samantha@nffc.net
603-333-6281

NFFC Celebrates the Conclusion of the Innovative Shared Leadership Model!
New Executive Director Search Underway

WASHINGTON, DC, November 3, 2025 – As it prepares to celebrate 40 years of advocating for family farmers and healthy food systems, the National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC) announces the successful conclusion of the shared leadership model with sister organization and coalition member, North American Marine Alliance (NAMA). The Board of Directors will now begin the search for the next Executive Director for our farmer-, rancher-, and fisher-led coalition.

The shared leadership model emerged as a bold endeavor to continue and strengthen the work of NFFC while honoring the legacy of NFFC’s longtime Executive Director, Kathy Ozer, who passed away in 2017. That sudden change required a nimble approach to leadership that would allow NFFC to once again find its footing as one of the most powerful voices for family farmers in Washington, DC. 

“The seeds for a shared leadership concept were planted by two close allies of NFFC – Carolyn Mugar of Farm Aid and Pat Sweeney of Western Organization of Resource Councils – while we were in the midst of a transition planning process,” says Jim Goodman, NFFC board co-president. “It quickly became clear to us that with the right person at the helm, the concept can strengthen both organizations without undermining the ability of either to do its unique strategies toward realizing its mission. The right person for us was Niaz Dorry, who was serving NAMA at the time.”

Adopted in May 2018, the shared leadership model created conditions for both organizations to grow and thrive. Organizational and strategic gains in service to NFFC members have accrued dramatically over the past eight years under the leadership of Dorry, who served as both Executive Director for NFFC and Coordinating Director for NAMA. The shared leadership model strengthened solidarity between farmer, rancher, and fisher-led efforts to build collective power towards a just food system. Under the model, NFFC and NAMA remained separate legal entities and maintained their own missions, values, strategic plans, and boards of directors. As sister organizations, they shared Dorry’s leadership as well as key support staff for finance, development, human resources, and logistics.

At the annual gathering of members in July 2025, the coalition unanimously decided to support the phase-out of the shared-leadership model, recognizing that it had not only accomplished its original mission, but had also exceeded expectations by achieving extraordinary growth and renewed vision for the coalition.

“Having successfully navigated the potentially vulnerable times for NFFC, Niaz stabilized and then grew the resources and impact for the NFFC community,” said Tiffany Bellfield El-Amin of Kentucky Black Farmers Association and NFFC’s board co-president. “Knowing that both organizations were in a strong position, Niaz, NAMA and NFFC leadership recognized that the goals for the shared leadership model had been met. We are grateful to Niaz for her leadership over the past 8 years and are comforted by knowing that she is not going far, since NAMA is a member of NFFC.” 

NFFC enters this next chapter ready to meet today’s challenges. Informed, inspired, and emboldened by its 30 member organizations, NFFC represents hundreds of thousands of farmers, ranchers, and fishermen from every corner of the country. 

“I am honored and humbled to have served the two organizations over the past eight years,” said Dorry, who will continue to lead NAMA once a new Executive Director for NFFC has been found. “I’m proud of all we have accomplished for both organizations and am committed to making sure NFFC’s next Executive Director is well positioned to take the coalition into the future.” 

To take NFFC to its next phase and to build on the successes of the shared leadership model and the legacy of the coalition’s early organizers, activists and farmers, the NFFC Board of Directors has set out to find its next Executive Director. A position profile will be posted to NFFC’s website in early November.

“We look forward to building on 40 years of resilience and strength with our next Executive Director in place,” added Bellfield El-Amin. “Together, our work to uphold our values of food sovereignty, self-determination, justice, and equity while fighting against corporate consolidation across our food system continues.”

More About the Shared Leadership Model

The idea for a closer partnership emerged out of the shared struggles and interdependence between land and sea-based food systems. In 2008 the fisher-led North American Marine Alliance (NAMA) became a member of the farmer- and rancher-led National Family Farm Coalition. A decade later, the connections between the two movements were well-established. The shared leadership model that brought NAMA and NFFC closer together in 2018 strengthened solidarity between farmer, rancher, and fisher-led efforts to build collective power towards a just food system. 

As director for NFFC, Niaz Dorry led the coalition’s growth through both times of crisis and times of growth with tireless determination combined with joy, grace, and humility. A community organizer for over 30 years, Dorry drew from a wealth of experience in environmental, social, and economic justice causes to serve in multiple capacities for the coalition. Before stepping in as NFFC’s Executive Director, she was NAMA’s representative to NFFC’s Board of Directors for several years, and served on NFFC’s Executive Committee as Treasurer for two years. In 2023 she was awarded the Spirit of Farm Aid Award in the Advocate category, and in 2024, she received the James Beard Foundation Leadership Award for Policy Advocacy. Both awards recognized Dorry’s achievements in steering federal legislation that prioritizes ecological sustainability and equity. Dorry has made indelible contributions to our movement, and we are thrilled that she will participate within NFFC’s network by continuing her role as the Coordinating Director of NAMA.

Originally designed as a three-year trial, NFFC board members decided to continue the shared-leadership model for an additional four years while they embarked on a collective discovery process to inform a renewed strategic plan. The board approval in July of NFFC’s new strategic plan marks an inflection point for the coalition. NFFC and NAMA have both grown significantly and become stronger since the shared leadership model began – a sign of success, and a moment to reorient towards bright futures as independent organizations.

As we navigate the next steps of this pivotal transition with care, we greatly appreciate the support and encouragement offered by our members and allies, and the contributions of our staff. At its core, NFFC remains a farmer- and rancher-led coalition. We are honored to be well-positioned in the greater food and farm movement, in solidarity with all fighting for justice, mercy, dignity and respect in the food system worldwide.

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Since 1986, National Family Farm Coalition has been mobilizing family farmers and ranchers to achieve fair prices, vibrant communities, and healthy foods free of corporate domination. Today, NFFC’s 31 member groups span 44 states and represent family farmers, ranchers, and fishing people across the United States. To learn more, visit www.nffc.net