Nadine Bailey and Nate Eckloff
Join Alliance Board of Directors

The Family Farm Alliance Board of Directors recently appointed two new representatives to the board. Long-time farm and forestry advocate Nadine Bailey will represent Northern California, replacing Sandy Denn, who retired in late 2021. Nate Eckloff, a Nebraska farm owner and managing director of a public finance investment banking group in Denver, is the new Nebraska board representative. He replaces Tom Schwarz, a life-long farmer from Bertrand, Nebraska.

“Sandy and Tom both served for over a decade on our board, and our organization is stronger in Northern California and Nebraska because of them,” said Alliance President Patrick O’Toole. “We’re fortunate to have two new board members who are both inspiring leaders in their respective fields. Welcome aboard, Nadine and Nate!”

Nadine Bailey 

Nadine (pictured left) and her husband Walter have two children and one grandchild and have lived for most of their lives near Hayford, California, just west of Redding.  An outspoken advocate for rural communities and workers, she is credited with putting a face on the job loss associated with the northern spotted owl-driven shutdown of the Pacific Northwest timber industry. She received national recognition as the 1993 American Pulpwood Activist of the Year.

Ms. Bailey was inspired to join the Alliance board of directors when she heard former Westlands Water District general manager Tom Birmingham deliver the closing keynote remarks at the Alliance’s 2023 annual meeting last February in Reno, Nevada.

“I have always felt like the Family Farm Alliance was an amazing voice for agriculture,” said Ms. Bailey. “When Tom Birmingham told everyone at the Reno conference that we needed to do more to support the Alliance, I realized that I wanted to do more to support the organization.”

Nadine has served on The Trinity County School Board, and the Rhinelander, Wisconsin City Council. She was appointed by Governor Wilson to serve on the “RAC” during the implementation of the Northwest Forest Plan. Nadine served as the President of California Women in Timber, and as the Chair of the Forest Industry Association Council.

She has served as the Chief Operations Officer for Family Water Alliance (FWA) since 2014. During her years at FWA, Nadine has led efforts to implement fish screens throughout the Central Valley. Prior to joining FWA, Nadine served for 6 years as an Executive for the Timber Producers of Michigan and Wisconsin and thirteen years as legislative staff for three California state legislators. She has a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership from Simpson University.

“I am so grateful to be a part of this organization that does so much to make people understand the importance of agriculture to everyday life,” she said.

Nate Eckloff

Nate Eckloff (pictured right) owns a farm in Nebraska and is also a managing director in the public finance investment banking group in the Denver office of Piper Sandler Companies. 

“I grew up on an irrigated farm in Nebraska, currently own irrigated farmland and now work with entities that provide water for agricultural use,” he said. “With fewer and fewer farmers and ranchers nowadays, too many people – not on the farm – do not recognize the importance of water to sustaining production agriculture and our thus, our nation’s food supply.”

Mr. Eckloff has assisted with the issuance of over $25 billion in municipal bonds since entering the public finance industry in 1982. His experience covers a wide range of tax-exempt and taxable municipal finance, with his public finance practice focused primarily on Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming and Florida. Prior to joining Piper Sandler, Mr. Eckloff worked for 30 years combined with the Denver offices of RBC Capital Markets and Hanifen Imhoff/Stifel.

He has served numerous state and local government entities throughout his career. Mr. Eckloff is currently the vice president and past president of the Colorado Municipal Bond Dealers Association. He is also a past chairman of the board for both the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame and the University of Nebraska Alumni Association.

Mr. Eckloff received his J.D. degree and his MBA degree from the University of Denver and his bachelor’s degree in agricultural honors from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is the proud owner of the family farm in Nebraska, which has been in the family since the 1870s.

“The Family Farm Alliance stands and works for preserving water for agricultural use,” said Mr. Eckloff. “My interest in the Alliance is keeping the need for water for agricultural use ‘top of mind’. Strong U. S. agricultural production equates to a strong economy, not reliant on foreign food supplies, and a strong nation.”