Valerie Varco is joining International Agriculture University as a Lecturer in “Professional Development Skills and Employability.”

She has over 15 years of experience advising organizations on marketing, brand, and communications strategies as an independent consultant. She’s worked with established household names like Josh Cellars Wine, [ yellow tail ] wine, and Aromca Cosmetics, as well as up-and-coming brands like Make Beauty and Indego Africa.

In addition to her consulting work, Valerie has extensive exposure to agricultural and rural development challenges in the Global South.

Before coming to IAU, Valerie led workshops on branding, communications, and strategic planning for agribusinesses as a volunteer with USAID’s Farmer-to-Farmer program in Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Zimbabwe, Colombia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, and Rwanda. She was also part of the inaugural cohort of Peace Corps Response Ecotourism volunteers in Osh, Kyrgyzstan.

She holds a Master of Public Administration in Nonprofit Management from New York University and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Colorado State University.