Daren Coppock, President & CEO of the Agricultural Retailers Association

Daren Coppock began serving as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) in November 2009. In this role he leads a staff of eight people to accomplish the mission of the ARA, which is to ensure a profitable business environment for members of the association through its public policy work in Washington, DC. ARA also provides additional value to members through a variety of educational and leadership training opportunities, an informative and social annual conference, and regular updates on key legislative and regulatory issues. 

Prior to joining ARA, Coppock was the Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) for over eight years. Other previous posts include five years as the Executive Vice President for the Oregon Wheat Growers League and another five years as the first full-time Administrator of the Oregon Grains Commission.

Coppock holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Oregon State University in Agricultural and Resource Economics.  He was named Distinguished Alumnus of OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences in 2011.  He is a past National Vice President of the Future Farmers of America (FFA) (1986-1987). As a member of the Alpha Gamma Rho (AGR) national agricultural fraternity, he was recognized in 2004 as one of AGR’s Brothers of the Century, an honor bestowed on less than 2% of the fraternity’s membership in conjunction with its 100th Anniversary.

Coppock was born and raised on a wheat and cattle ranch in eastern Oregon, near Pendleton. He and his wife Mechelle have three children and one grandson and reside in Gainesville, Virginia.  He has served in a volunteer capacity as Treasurer of the Falls Church City Band Boosters, President of the Poplar Heights Recreation Association, as a Board Member for Ag Future of America (AFA), a leader of the YMCA Adventure Guides program, coordinator for the George Mason High School Athletic Boosters and a volunteer coach for Falls Church youth basketball.