The Association
Based in Washington, D.C., the Sugar Association has served as the scientific voice of the U.S. sugar industry since 1943. On behalf of U.S. sugarbeet and sugarcane growers, processors and refiners we represent, we work to increase consumer understanding and confidence in the role that real sugar plays in a nutritious, balanced and enjoyable diet. We do this by connecting people with real sugar facts and stories through social media; offering free educational handouts and videos to consumers, educators and health professionals; and exhibiting at conferences. This is also accomplished through advocating for evidence-based federal nutrition and food policy and supporting new research that helps us understand food, nutrition, the consumer and the role sugar plays in the diet.
The People
You may wonder who is working on your behalf to educate consumers and dispel myths about sugar with the facts. The answer is a group of people with a variety of backgrounds who are passionate about sugar and the sugar industry and dedicated to telling sugar’s story. Let us introduce ourselves to you.
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Courtney Gaine, President/CEO
Courtney Gaine, Ph.D., R.D., has been the president and CEO of the Sugar Association since 2016. She joined the association in 2014 as vice president of scientific affairs. Her primary role is making sure that every day we’re having as much of an impact as we can on behalf of this great industry.
Courtney is a native Washingtonian but has agriculture in her blood: Her grandparents on her mom’s side were onion farmers in the Hudson Valley, and on her dad’s side they raised cattle and mined a lime quarry in Ireland. Together with her husband, Courtney now grows corn and beans in central Illinois.
After obtaining her bachelor’s degree in dietetics and Ph.D. in nutritional sciences and biochemistry from the University of Connecticut (where she was also a co-captain of the UConn women’s basketball team), she began her career in academia as an assistant professor. She gained years of experience as a project director and science manager at a nonprofit and a food-focused PR firm, respectively. Before joining the sugar team, Courtney was a senior science program manager at the North American branch of the International Life Sciences Institute.
Courtney’s favorite way to enjoy sugar is eating candy, cookies or cake for breakfast. When she started her high school baking club, she had no idea that this passion would be applicable to her career.
Andy Fiske, Vice President of Finance and Operations
Andy began working with the Sugar Association as a consultant in 2016 and became the vice president of finance and operations in 2019. Andy is responsible for developing and managing streamlined administrative and financial systems in addition to assisting the president and CEO to track and report on the impact of the association.
Andy is originally from Massachusetts and moved to Washington, D.C., in 2004 to attend Georgetown University. He began his career in public accounting at KPMG, working with clients like the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. After his time at KPMG, Andy was a senior manager at Lane & Company, a boutique accounting firm specializing in audits, tax and consulting for tax-exempt organizations. Andy is a CPA licensed in the state of Maryland.
While Andy does not have a specific tie to agriculture, he did work at a regional grocery store in Boston as a bagger and cashier during high school and scanned more bags of sugar than he can count. His favorite way to enjoy sugar is in a slice of key lime pie.
Maria Scott, Senior Director of Scientific Affairs
Maria started as a science consultant for the Sugar Association in 2015 and became the senior director of scientific affairs in 2019. Her primary role is to ensure everything we say on social media, online or in our educational materials is science-based.
After graduating with her master’s degree in public health from the University of Iowa, Maria began her career in science communications at a food-focused public relations firm. She worked as an independent consultant for several years and also served as an academic/scientific editorial manager at the University of Iowa.
Maria grew up in rural Iowa surrounded by corn and is married to an Iowa farm boy. She loves visiting the family farm, especially during harvest, and appreciates all the hard work that goes into growing and harvesting the crops that are so important to our food supply. She also loves to bake, especially with her children. Chocolate chip cookies are the family favorite.
Campbell Shuford, Senior Manager of Nutrition Policy
Campbell joined the Sugar Association in January 2021 as the senior manager of nutrition policy. Campbell’s primary role at the association is to make sure the facts are front and center for policy makers as we work to ensure that policies related to sugar are grounded in strong scientific evidence.
Campbell moved to Washington, D.C., in 2014 after graduating from University of South Carolina’s Honors College with a bachelor’s degree in political science. After gaining experience in policy communications and government affairs, Campbell served as a senior advisor to the secretary at USDA. During her time at USDA, Campbell helped guide the development of the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Campbell used to bake every day after school. While it isn’t that frequent anymore, her favorite thing to bake is a vanilla cupcake — with lots of frosting and sprinkles, of course.
Ali Swietek, Manager of Meetings and Education
Ali joined the Sugar Association in 2017 and has been the manager of meetings and education since 2019. In her role, Ali attends and manages the association’s exhibit program at educator and health professional conferences, is an event planner for association meetings, and assists with day-to-day operations to help achieve the association’s mission.
Before working at the Sugar Association, Ali worked as a marketing and events coordinator in the hospitality industry. Ali came to Washington, D.C., in 2010 to attend American University, where she received her bachelor’s degree in audio production.
Ali’s mom is a pastry chef, so baking has been a large part of her life for years. She has recently caught the baking bug and considers herself an amateur baker. Ali’s favorite way to enjoy sugar is an apple cider donut sprinkled with lots of cinnamon and sugar.
The Why
We are proud to play a role in supporting the sugar industry. The generations of farmers and processors who work hard to bring real sugar to the table are the driving force motivating us to raise the bar and achieve our goals. Please visit us if you’re ever in D.C. and reach out with stories we should know about, from the farm to the factory and beyond. We love to promote the good news of our industry!
Visit www.sugar.org and follow us on social @MoreToSugar to stay informed.