Lilygren Promoted to EVP of Corporate Affairs

Sara Lilygren has been promoted to executive vice president of corporate affairs at Tyson Foods Inc., it was announced Tuesday.

Lilygren had been the company’s senior vice president of external relations for the past three years. She has worked for Tyson since 2002, spending seven years running the company’s office in Washington D.C., as director of federal government relations before moving to Tyson headquarters in Springdale in 2009.

Before joining the company, Lilygren spent 22 years as a lobbyist and public relations official for several food industry groups.

In her new role, Lilygren will manage external affairs, and lead Tyson’s charitable giving efforts, focusing on education and hunger relief.

Lilygren, who holds a bachelor’s degree in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia, serves on several boards, including the Ozark Susan G. Komen for the Cure – Ozark Affiliate and the Walton Arts Center.