Keith Schneller is a trade policy specialist for the Almond Board of California’s Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs team, responsible for helping ABC and the industry deal with market access issues overseas. Keith has been helping handlers meet the complex facility registration requirements needed to export almonds to China, one of the industry’s largest export markets. He is continually looking for new markets and ways to expand global exports.  

Prio to joining ABC, he spent two years with the U.S. Trade Representative’s office in Washington, D.C., assisting in the negotiation and implementation of the agricultural chapter of the U.S.-China Phase One agreement. In 2020, Keith relocated to Fargo, ND to be closer to his in-laws.

Keith grew up on a farm in northeastern Colorado and went on to spend 20+ years with USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. His work included international assignments in Vienna, Guangzhou, Taiwan and Shanghai. He has assisted groups like ABC over the years implement market development strategies around the globe and helped serve as a bridge between industry and government authorities.  

Keith’s education included time in London, where he earned a master’s in agricultural economics from the University of London at Wye College after being awarded an International Rotary Scholarship. Keith and his wife have a son and daughter who are both in college. Keith enjoys traveling, singing in the church choir and scuba diving. He and his wife love exploring the Caribbean during those long cold winters in the Great White North.