Indiana Department of Agriculture Promotes Affairs Leaders

(INDIANAPOLIS) – The Indiana State Department of Agriculture today announced two promotions within the public affairs division. Katie Nelson will be taking on the role of director of legislative affairs and Regan Holtsclaw will be serving as communications director.

Katie Nelson

“Katie and Regan both bring years of agriculture experience to the table, not just with ISDA, but also in their own personal lives,” said Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Bruce Kettler. “Our public affairs team is a crucial part of our mission to advocate for the betterment of agriculture and we are excited to see how Katie and Regan will continue to promote our farmers, producers, and agribusinesses for years to come.”

Regan Holtsclaw

Nelson graduated in December of 2016 from the University of Missouri with a bachelor’s degree in political science. Since 2017, Katie has been the program manager of policy and regulatory affairs at the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. In her previous position, Katie served as a liaison between agricultural businesses, state agencies and local units of government. She also focused on the Indiana Land Resources Council and assisted with a variety of legislative work both at the state and federal level. Katie recently graduated from the Agribusiness Council of Indiana’s Emerging Professionals Leadership Program.

In her new role as director of the division, she will be responsible for continually evaluating the legislative and regulatory landscape at all levels of government while positioning the department to support the agricultural industry in each arena. She will also serve as executive director of the Indiana Land Resources Council, which was created to assist state and local decision-makers with land use tools and policies.

“During my time at the department, I have enjoyed promoting Indiana agriculture at the state, local and federal levels,” said Nelson. “I am looking forward to continuing to use my passion and background in agriculture to positively impact the industry.”

Holtsclaw graduated in 2017 from Purdue University where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications. Regan has been with the department since 2018 in the role of deputy communications director. In that capacity, she managed the department’s social media accounts, oversaw constituent requests and fielded media requests. 

As the communications director, Holtsclaw will handle media relations and coordination for the department. She will oversee the communication needs for all five of the ISDA divisions, maintain industry partnerships and create better ways to raise awareness of ISDA and Indiana agriculture as a whole. In addition, she will manage the incoming deputy communications director and the Hoosier Homestead program manager.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to continue to serve Hoosier farmers, ranchers, and producers,” said Holtsclaw. “The Indiana State Department of Agriculture is a passionate team of agriculture advocates and I am proud to work for ISDA and the State of Indiana.”

Visit www.isda.in.gov for more information.