Rachel Torbert has joined Rooster Strategic Solutions as senior media relations strategist. In her new role, she will work across a diverse range of communications disciplines, including public relations, media relations, corporate identity and brand management, executive communications, reputation management, issues management and crisis communications.
Torbert most recently was deputy director at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, where she managed all public relations campaigns and events. She served as the official Department spokesperson controlling the flow of internal and external information on agency-specific issues among the Governor’s office, legislature, contractors, vendors, and public, private and federal officials.
She has also previously held digital news manager and media relations manager positions with the Illinois Farm Bureau and was an account executive at Bader Rutter & Associates. Her client experience includes beef cattle brands, including vaccines, hormone implants and other veterinary medicines, for Pfizer Animal Health; beef and dairy genomics for Pfizer Animal Genetics; and equine vaccines, deworming and ulcer management products for Merial.
Torbert grew up and currently lives in central Illinois, where her family farms and raises registered Paint and Quarter horses and registered Jersey cattle. She remains actively involved in that farming operation, Baum’s Hilltop Farms in Clinton, and she has other family members who operate a dairy.
Torbert was actively involved in 4-H and FFA, and she still volunteers for those organizations locally. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural communications from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and in her spare time she enjoys announcing horse shows.
“Rachel is a seasoned professional who will be a key member of our rapidly-growing public relations and content team,” says Rooster founder and CEO Josh Turney. “Her strong media relationships across local, state and national levels will help ensure world-class public relations services and solutions for our clients.”
Rooster Strategic Solutions is a partner to brands, companies and their marketing teams in food and agriculture. Based in Clinton, Ill., the firm has satellite offices in Kansas, Virginia, Missouri, Illinois, Georgia, Tennessee, Colorado, Texas, Indiana and Kentucky.