Lucas “Luke” Blaustein serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Peanut Council (APC), the principal trade association representing the U.S. peanut industry globally. APC is the only organization uniting all industry segments—farmers, shellers, manufacturers, and allied partners—under a single international voice. Since assuming leadership in September 2025, Luke has led organizational restructuring, expanded U.S. peanut market development, advanced internationally relevant research, and the growth of a national sustainability framework aligned with global market expectations. He also serves as an ex officio member of The Peanut Research Foundation.
Previously, Luke spent seven years as a diplomat with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service, leading agricultural trade and cooperation initiatives across Central Asia, the Arabian Gulf, Taiwan, and Washington, D.C. He entered public service after a successful career as an international grain trader, working across global supply chains.
Luke holds degrees from the University of Houston and Texas A&M University and lives on his family farm in West Virginia with his wife and two sons.
