Q&A with Bailey Whiten

We sat down with Bailey Whiten, the Director of the Ag Inputs Division at the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

Why did you first get involved with AAFCO?

I got involved with AAFCO to collaborate and learn from other states. I was very new to our Feed Program and wanted to learn all the do’s and don’t’s from other states who were very eager and willing to share.

How has AAFCO contributed or played a role in your career?

AAFCO has pushed me out of my comfort zone in networking. AAFCO has allowed me the privilege of meeting and connecting with so many people from other states, FDA, and industry. Any time a crazy question or idea comes up, I have a growing list of experts I can reach out to for assistance or to talk things through with, which has really strengthened my confidence in the animal food regulatory world.

What’s one thing you’d like to say to encourage members to get involved?

Don’t be afraid to walk up to someone new during the meeting breaks! You never know who you might connect with and what relationships might be built from just saying hello.

What do you hope to see for AAFCO in the next 5 years?

I hope to see AAFCO membership continue to grow with more state, FDA, industry, and consumer involvement. We’ve had a lot of really great and knowledgeable contributors retire recently and we need the next leaders of AAFCO to start volunteering and stepping up. Those folks left big shoes to fill, but I’m confident in our next round of leaders.

Tell us about the pets or animals in your life.

Our home is ruled by two wild dogs and two wild cats. Banjo, our COVID-crisis 5-year-old Treeing Walker Coonhound is constantly entertaining us, while our 8-year-old sweet Husky-Lab mix, Gus, keeps us calm. Our two cats, Sloan and Avery, spend their days sleeping and evenings running around like wild boys. It’s a chaotic house but we wouldn’t have it any other way.