Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried on Wednesday announced her Federal Affairs staff, which will be responsible for advocating for the Department’s state priorities before the U.S. House, U.S. Senate, The White House, and federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food & Drug Administration. Among the Commissioner’s top federal issues are disaster assistance, federal grant funding for programs including school nutrition, rural development, and agriculture research, as well as federal Farm Bill compliance and implementation of a statewide hemp program.
Scheril Murray Powell had previously served as Federal Affairs Director since January, and has departed to pursue other opportunities. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services spokesman Franco Ripple offered the following statement:
“We are grateful for Scheril’s service to our state and to the Department, and wish her well in future endeavors. And we are excited to have Shahra Lambert and Erin Moffet, two dedicated veterans of federal government and top advisors to Members of Congress, leading the Commissioner’s federal advocacy efforts.”
Shahra Lambert, Federal Affairs Director
Lambert joined Commissioner Fried’s administration in January as Regional Director for Southwest Florida. She previously served as statewide African-American Outreach Director for U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, as well as Regional Director for Senator Nelson covering Pinellas, Pasco, and Hernando Counties. Lambert’s issue portfolio included immigration, aerospace, worker’s compensation, and equal employment/EEOC issues. She began her career working for U.S. Senator Bob Graham in his Tallahassee office as a constituent advocate. Lambert also served as statewide Political Director on the Bill Nelson for U.S. Senate campaign. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Mercer University in Georgia. and her Master’s degree in Spanish and Latin American and Caribbean Studies from The Florida State University.
Erin Moffet, Deputy Federal Affairs Director
Moffet previously served as Communications Director and Policy Advisor for U.S. Representative Charlie Crist, where she advised the Congressman on cannabis policy. She previously served in communications and policy roles with U.S. Representative Alcee L. Hastings, U.S. Representative Lois Frankel, and U.S. Representative Patrick E. Murphy. Moffet also worked on Crist’s and Murphy’s successful U.S. House campaigns in 2018, 2014, and 2012. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Elon University, and her Master’s degree in Government from Johns Hopkins University.
Commissioner Fried offered the following statement: “Shahra and Erin have extraordinary records of service to Florida’s congressional delegation and strong experience in federal government, and I’m confident they will deliver results for our Department and the people of Florida.”
