With more than 20 years of experience navigating consumer, regulatory and legislative issues surrounding food, beverages, agriculture and nutrition, Matt leads IDFA’s public affairs and communications activities, with a particular focus on advancing IDFA’s advocacy priorities and coordinating organizational strategy. Matt brings a results-based approach to organizational positioning, strategic communications, and public affairs strategy and reporting. He has strong relationships with influencers in the philanthropy, food, beverage, agriculture, and global development spaces. For IDFA, Matt is also helping to develop and execute the organization's first social impact strategy. IDFA social impact work will increase awareness about positive nutrition outcomes related to dairy foods and beverages, support the dairy industry’s efforts to address environmental sustainability, and offer research and educational tools to build a more diverse and inclusive workforce within the food and beverage sector.
Matt most recently served as Director of Communications for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in the Biden Administration under Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack; prior to USDA, Herrick served as Senior Vice President of Executive and Strategic Communications for IDFA from April 2019 until January 2021. Previously, Matt served as Managing Director, Communications for The Rockefeller Foundation, one of the world’s most renowned institutions with a legacy in public health, global food security and climate resilience. Prior to that, he was Senior Vice President with Story Partners public affairs in Washington, D.C., where he founded and managed the agency’s food, nutrition, and trade practice, working with trade associations, food companies, and foundations. He served in the Obama Administration, first as Press Director and spokesperson for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and then as Director of Communications for USDA under Secretary Vilsack. Matt also led communications and media relations for Oxfam America, served as speechwriter and spokesperson for USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service, and worked as a newspaper and magazine reporter. He holds a BA from the College of the Holy Cross and an MA from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications.
