From left: Tom Driscoll, Barbara Patterson, Sarah Campbell and Andrew Jerome

The National Farmers Union has hired several new employees and also brought on North Bridge Communications to manage its public affairs relations.

Tom Driscoll will be a government relations representative focusing on energy and environmental policy and comments on federal government agency rulemaking. Driscoll has worked for the Environmental Protection Agency, for Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, and for Strategies 360, a government relations firm.

Barbara Patterson will be a government relations representative focusing on trade, livestock, competition, conservation, nutrition, and food safety. Paterson previously worked as a policy associate for New England Farmers Union. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor of arts degree in history and from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University with a master of science in agriculture and nutrition policy.

Sarah Campbell will be education coordinator for the NFU's Foundation, developing an annual curriculum and plan and preparing youth and adult education programs and events. She studied international policy and economics at Guilford College in Greensboro, N.C.

Andrew Jerome will serve as NFU's communications coordinator. In that role he will be NFU's primary media contact and work with North Bridge. Jerome is a graduate of West Virginia University.

North Bridge Communications, a Washington-based public affairs firm, has been hired to assist with NFU's communication operations. North Bridge partner Phillip Hayes will be in charge of the account, and managing director Dave Ray will work with NFU on a regular basis