About the President

Woman's headshot.

Megan J. Provost

Megan J. Provost

President, RISE

Megan Provost is the President of RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment), the national trade association representing manufacturers, formulators, distributors and other industry leaders in the specialty pesticides and fertilizer industry.  Provost brings a strong background in national-level pesticide industry advocacy and non-profit leadership to the role.

At RISE, Provost is responsible for the overall active management and direction of the programs, activities, business operations, and other affairs of RISE.  Working with the RISE Governing Board, the Provost is responsible for establishing strategic direction and setting annual priorities to meet the unique needs of the specialty pest management and fertilizer industries on a national, state and local level.  RISE’s advocacy can take many forms, from interfacing with key decision and policymakers at all levels to engaging in grassroots activities in local communities. The association serves an industry comprised of eight major segments: aquatics, consumer, forestry, nursery and greenhouse, public health, structural pest control, turf and ornamental, and vegetation management.

Immediately prior to joining RISE, Provost was the Vice President of Policy and Programs at Farm Foundation, an agricultural policy institute cultivating dynamic, non-partisan collaboration to meet society’s needs for food, fiber, feed, and energy.  There, Megan led all of the Foundation’s programming, convening leaders with diverse perspectives to understand evolving issues and the consequences of options to address those issues.

Provost previously served as U.S. Government Affairs Manager for Dow AgroSciences, an Agricultural Division of Dow-DuPont, working with state and federal legislators, regulators, and food chain allies.  Prior to joining Dow AgroSciences, Megan served as a legislative assistant for Sen. Richard Lugar, (R-Ind.); served as special assistant to the administrator at USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service; and was an economist at the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Provost grew up on a farm in central Indiana and is a graduate of Oklahoma State University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in agribusiness and a Master of Science degree in agricultural economics.  She also holds a Juris Doctorate from the George Washington University Law School.