Session Speakers

Kurt Fuchs

Senior Vice President (SVP) of Government Affairs MidAtlantic Farm Credit

Kurt Fuchs became Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for MidAtlantic Farm Credit in 2018 after serving as their government affairs officer since 2012. He has also been employed by the Maryland Farm Bureau and the Maryland office of the USDA Farm Service Agency. Kurt acquired a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from McDaniel College and has also studied at the University of Baltimore and University of Limerick in Ireland.

Kurt is a graduate of the LEAD Maryland and Shore Leadership programs. Kurt is a member of the RULE Advisory Board. He is also a board member of the PA State Council of Farm Organizations, Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc., MidShore Regional Council, Choptank Ruritan Club, and LEAD Maryland Foundation, Inc. He currently serves as immediate past chair of the Delmarva Land and Litter Collaborative - a forum for diverse partners to identify solutions that support both healthy and productive ecosystems and farming and poultry on Delmarva.

In his spare time, he enjoys getting out on the water and has recently thrown himself into curing and smoking meat. Kurt lives outside of Queenstown, Maryland with his wife and daughter.

Maria Pippidis

Family and Consumer Science Extension Educator

University of Delaware

Maria Pippidis has worked for the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension since 1992 and conducts workshops on Financial Management, Health Insurance Literacy, Food Safety and Personal Development. More recently she has worked on initiatives that have focused on Farm and Farm Family Resilience and Farm Stress. She earned her Master’s Degree in Family Resource Management and Consumer Economics from Cornell University and a Bachelor’s from University of Delaware in Consumer Economics. She is an Accredited Financial Counselor® and Financial Fitness Coach®.

Bonnie Braun

Professor Emerita, University of Maryland School of Public Health

University of Maryland

Bonnie Braun, PhD, is Professor Emerita, University of Maryland School of Public Health. She worked in multiple states and at the USDA in Cooperative Extension. Her research and teaching has focused on well-being and resilience of rural populations. Most recently, she has focused on health of the farming population as a researcher, teacher and author of health, health insurance, stress, risk and resilience publications. She co-wrote Farm and Farm Family Risk and Resilience: A Guide for Extension Programming with Maria Pippidis.

Robert Goodling

Extension Associate in the Dept. of Animal Science Penn State University

Rob currently serves as a Penn State Extension Associate in the Department of Animal Science. He holds a bachelor's degree in Animal Science from Penn State and a master's degree in dairy genetics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His programs focus on research and outreach programs to improve profitability on dairy enterprises. His programs include evaluating the interactions of forage quality and quantity on milk production and dairy profitability, evaluating dairy data sources and records for management decisions, and implementing financial management practices within financial software environments. He is a member of the American Dairy Science Association, National Association of County Agricultural Agents, and Epsilon Sigma Phi Extension Professions Association.

Jamie Mierau

Mid-Atlantic Regional Director

American Farmland Trust

Jamie Mierau is the Mid-Atlantic regional director at American Farmland Trust. Previously, Jamie served as vice president at Conservation Impact & Nonprofit Impact leading training programs, strategic planning, and organizational development projects for clients. At American Rivers, Jamie served as the director of riverside land protection, building program and policy movements to ensure healthy lands and ample clean water. In her free time, you can find Jamie tending her garden, exploring the woods, paddling rivers, getting thrown off a surfboard, and finding any opportunity to get muddy with her two daughters, husband, and dog.

Laura Sands

Principal

K·Coe Isom

Laura Sands is a partner at K·Coe Isom where she leads the firm’s work with production agriculture and food and agricultural supply chains. She spearheads many of K·Coe Isom’s sustainability initiatives and builds broad alliances to enact policies that address global concerns and emerging public policy challenges. She develops strategic messaging strategies, creates valuable connections among those with diverse interests. She leads a team of diverse experts who work to develop, measure and assure key supply chain sustainability initiatives at the nexus of environmental, social and business improvement needs.

Laura has led national initiatives such as developing a sustainability framework for the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy and National Milk Producers Federation, has advised diverse organizations such as Agree, Environmental Defense Fund, The Nature Conservancy, the Bipartisan Policy Center, as well as numerous global agricultural businesses and cooperatives. Laura grew up on a farm in Northwestern Minnesota. A mother of two young adults, she is passionate about solving food insecurity and is a founder of The Food Group which currently serves 600 school age children in several local communities in Wyoming.

Wayne Richard

Regional Lending Manager

MidAtlantic Farm Credit

Wayne Richard is a Regional Lending Manager with MidAtlantic Farm Credit, overseeing the Association’s sales efforts across the Delmarva Peninsula. Born and raised on a grain farm in Caroline County, Wayne joined Farm Credit 17 years ago after managing a large vegetable operation in Delaware. Wayne earned his agricultural business degree at the University of Maryland, College Park. An advocate for agriculture and wildlife, Wayne currently resides in Centreville with his family, and enjoys spending time outdoors with his two sons, teaching them the importance of caring for our land and the Chesapeake Bay.

Jamie Shenk

Beauregard Farms

Jamie Shenk manages Beauregard Farms in Brandy Station VA, a 3,200 ac tract of land that is diversified between Corn, Soybeans, Small Grain, Pasture, Beef Cattle, Hay, and Woodland. The farm has a history of conservation that has continued to evolve over the years as the understanding grows on how different practices are essential to making the farm sustainable. Some of the practices used now include small grain, legume, and mixed cover crops, continuous no-till, grass filter strips, variable rate phosphorus, variable rate nitrogen, and grazing land management. With a background in diesel mechanics and precision agriculture, Jamie Shenk helped to implement new technology when he joined Beauregard Farms in 2012. Technology is now used throughout the entire farm. Some of the ways are Soil Mapping, soil sampling by management zones, yield mapping, Variable Rate lime, fertilizer, nitrogen, and seed, section control and product application record keeping. The pasture land includes 38 acres of riparian buffer for the stream exclusion. The farm has 2,550 acres under the Resource Management Plan (RMPs) and has received the Clean Water Farm Award and Rappahannock River Basin Award.

John Shepherd

Virginia Grain Farmer

NRCS USDA recently featured John Shepherd, a farmer from Blackstone, Virginia in its national #FridaysOnTheFarm: From the Ground Up. John began grain farming during his last year of college at Virginia Tech, building his operation from an initial 25-acres to over 2,600 acres and growing as he has transformed poorly performing fields into highly productive assets through attention to soil health. John credits his soil classes and his professors - as well as knowing the right people to call to build his technical support team - for the in-depth knowledge he's tapped to increase his yields while improving soil health. He has participated in NRCS programs including EQIP and CSP and was recognized in 2020 by the Piedmont Soil and Water Conservation District for his outstanding conservation efforts that include the deployment of precision agriculture technology.

Jake Reilly

Director, Chesapeake Programs

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

Jake Reilly is the director of Chesapeake Bay programs

for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Prior to

joining NFWF, Jake worked as a budget and policy

advisor on agriculture, forestry, and conservation issues

for the White House Office of Management and Budget.

Earlier stops in his conservation career include stints in

environmental management at the Chesapeake Bay

Program and helping advance conservation and rural

community vitality in federal forest management at

American Forests, the oldest national conservation

organization in the U.S. Jake’s passion and curiosity for

waters, woods, and wildlife can be traced back to many

endless childhood afternoons spent meandering along

the Muddy Branch of Great Seneca Creek in northern Montgomery County, MD.

Erin Ling

Senior Water Quality Extension Associate

Virginia Tech

Erin Ling is a Sr. Water Quality Extension Associate at Virginia Tech in the Biological Engineering Department. She has a B.A. from Virginia Tech in International Development and two masters degrees from Penn State in Environmental Pollution Control and Rural Sociology. She has experience with research involving adoption of best management practices for improved water quality and community-based social marketing. Currently, she coordinates the Virginia Household Water Quality Program with Virginia Cooperative Extension, which offers affordable water testing and education to Virginia's 1.6 million well and spring users and conducts youth water quality outreach and education.

J. Arbuckle, Ph.D.

Professor and Extension Rural Sociologist

Iowa State University

J. Arbuckle is professor and extension rural sociologist at Iowa State University. His research and extension efforts focus on improving the environmental and social performance of agricultural systems. His primary areas of interest are drivers of farmer and agricultural stakeholder action related to soil and water quality. He is director of the Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll, an annual survey of Iowa farmers, and Chair of the ISU Graduate Program in Sustainable Agriculture.

Linda Prokopy, Ph.D

Professor/Department Head in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture

Purdue University

Dr. Linda Prokopy is Professor and Department Head in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Purdue University and Director of the Indiana Water Resources Research Center. Dr. Prokopy is an interdisciplinary social scientist who is recognized nationally and internationally for her work incorporating social science into the fields of agricultural conservation, agricultural adaptation to climate change, and watershed management. Dr. Prokopy has published over 120 peer-reviewed articles in consistently high-tier journals, she has generated over $23 million in competitive research funds, and she has graduated and mentored numerous graduate students and postdocs.

Leah H. Palm-Forster, Ph.D.

Assistant professor in the Department of Applied Economics & Statistics

University of Delaware

Leah H. Palm-Forster is an agricultural and environmental economist. She is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Applied Economics & Statistics and Associate Director of the Center for Experimental & Applied Economics at the University of Delaware. Palm-Forster’s research examines farmer decision making and the design of agri-environmental programs and policies to enhance ecosystem service provision in agricultural landscapes. Palm-Forster is a Fellow with the Center for Behavioral and Experimental Agri-environmental Research (CBEAR), and she is a member of the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee. Palm-Forster currently serves as an associate editor for the American Journal of Agricultural Economics and a member of the editorial council for the Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics. She also serves on the Northeast Agricultural and Resource Economics Association’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Palm-Forster holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics from Michigan State University.

Franklin Egan, Ph.D.

Director of Education

Pasa Sustainable Agriculture

Franklin Egan, Director of Education for Pasa Sustainable Agriculture, leads Pasa's education and research programs. Franklin and his team support farmer-to-farmer learning through Pasa's annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference, workshops and events, and member networks; administer formal apprenticeships for beginning farmers; and coordinate farm-based research benchmarking the soil health, financial viability, and environmental footprints of our member farms.

Franklin holds a PhD in Ecology from Penn State University, and he has led research on topics including biodiversity conservation on farmland, environmental risks from genetically-modified crops, and soil health. Franklin has also worked as a research ecologist for the USDA Agricultural Research Service, and on vegetable and dairy farms in New York and Wisconsin.

Eric Eckl

Owner & Principal

Water Words That Work

Eric founded Water Words That Work, LLC and oversees all the company’s client projects. Eric has more than 20 years' experience in planning and executing environmental outreach and communications programs. Eric is a sought-after conference speaker and has appeared on CNN and been quoted in The New York Times. Before starting the firm, Eric worked for Beaconfire Consulting, American Rivers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Environmental Law Institute.

Sarah Everhart

Senior Legal Specialist

University of Maryland Francis King Carey School Of Law

Sarah M. Everhart is a Senior Legal Specialist at the Agriculture Law Education Initiative (ALEI) at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School Of Law. Sarah is a graduate of Washington College and a cum laude graduate of Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. She practiced law in Maryland for nine years prior to joining ALEI. Everhart sits on the Talbot County Soil Conservation Board of Supervisors.

Gordon Hoover

Ag Outreach Coordinator

Lancaster Farmland Trust

Gordon currently serves as the Ag Outreach Coordinator for Lancaster Farmland Trust located in Strasburg, PA. He is responsible for landowner outreach programs focused on delivering conservation education, compliance, and BMP implementation. Upon graduation from Penn State in 1979 with a degree in Dairy Production Gordon and his wife Carole returned to his home in Gap, PA and took over the family dairy farm. They dispersed the herd in 2007 and continue to cash crop 200 acres. The farm has cover cropped for over 70 years and no-tilled for over 30 years.

In 2007 Gordon accepted a position as Director of Milk Procurement and Member Relations with Land O’Lakes Cooperative. In this position he was responsible for all member and industry relations activities in the Land O’Lakes Mid-Atlantic milk shed. Gordon retired from Land O’Lakes in 2018. Gordon has been engaged in many state and nation Dairy and Agricultural organizations including Land O’Lakes Corporate board, National Milk Producers Federation Board, and Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. Gordon has also been active in his Township (Salisbury) as a Zoning Hearing Board member and Supervisor from 1995 to present.

Tim Hushon

Co-leader of Decision Ag Solutions Program

The Mill

Tim has been with The Mill since 2007. While at Penn State, he studied Ag Business. He interned with Dow Agroscience and the Penn State Extension Service in Lebanon County. In August 2016 he became a Certified Crops Advisor and then the co-leader of The Mill's Decision Ag Solutions Program in 2019. Time helps customers with products, technology and services. He enjoys playing recreational sports and adopting rescue dogs.

Alex Metcalf, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Human Dimensions in the Department of Society & Conservation

University of Montana

Dr. Alexander L. Metcalf is an Assistant Professor of Human Dimensions in the Department of Society & Conservation in the College of Forestry and Conservation at the University of Montana where he serves on the undergraduate faculties for Environmental Science & Sustainability and Wildlife Biology, and the interdisciplinary graduate faculties for Systems Ecology, Wildlife Biology, Resource Conservation, and Forestry and Conservation Sciences. In 2010 Dr. Metcalf received a dual Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania State University in Forest Resources and the Human Dimensions of Natural Resources and the Environment. His research focuses broadly on the human dimensions of natural resources using theories and methodologies from sociology- and psychology-related disciplines to address natural resource issues while advancing theory. He employs qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods in his research, including spatial (GIS) techniques, to understand relationships between humans and the environment, and the consequences of conservation behavior across scales.

Sarah Clark

Senior Associate

Institute for Conservation Leadership

Sarah is a skilled consultant with over 20 years’ experience supporting mission-driven organizations and collaborations to achieve results. She specializes in designing and facilitating planning processes and meetings with coalitions, networks, organizations and teams. As ICL’s lead in the Delaware River Watershed Initiative, Sarah supports the development of effective networks, organizations and leaders in this $100 million regional initiative to improve water quality. She has also worked with a variety of other conservation groups and nonprofits, including regional trail initiatives, to develop leaders, support effective collaboration and facilitate a variety of planning processes and meetings. Sarah has extensive experience heading national leadership development initiatives with ICL, the American Lung Association, Amnesty International, and Habitat for Humanity International. She has an MS in Organization Development from American University and a BA in Sociology from Miami University.

Jill Arace

Executive Director

Vermont Association of Conservation Districts

Jill has served as the executive director of VACD since the summer 2010, and is honored to champion and support the work of Vermont’s fourteen Natural Resources Conservation Districts through capacity-building, program development, fundraising, partnership building, communications and representation. Jill has over thirty years of non-profit management and sustainable development experience, both in the US and overseas. Prior to her work with VACD, she led civic participation and environment programs in Eastern Europe and Russia for the Montpelier-based Institute for Sustainable Communities; and relief, reconstruction and development programs in Southeast Asia for Oxfam and the American Friends Services Committee. Jill holds a BA from Oberlin College, an MA in Economics from Boston University, and an MA in Public Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School.

Stacy Cibula

Agricultural Program Director Vermont Housing and Conservation Board

In October 2020, Stacy Cibula joined the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB) staff as the Agriculture Program Director. Stacy came to VHCB with 13 years of experience at New England land trusts, bringing expertise in farmland conservation, particularly the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program. In her last position at the New Hampshire-based Monadnock Conservancy, she led the expansion of the organization’s farmland protection work, including securing the state’s first Regional Conservation Partnership Program grant for farmland conservation and developing a farm disaster relief program. In 2018, she was recognized by her community as an Extraordinary Women for her achievements related to farmland conservation. Stacy has a bachelor’s degree in urban planning from Michigan State University and a master’s in public administration from the University of Maine.

Alli Lewis

Coordinator

Vermont Agricultural Water Quality Partnership

Alli provides administrative support to the VAWQP, in the mission to improve agricultural water quality in Vermont by coordinating partner efforts to provide education, technical and financial assistance to the farming community. She earned Bachelor’s degrees in Integrated Environmental Science and Wellness and Alternative Medicine from Northern Vermont University- Johnson. Prior to working as Coordinator for the VAWQP, she worked as a staff scientist in hazardous waste remediation, supported farmers in water quality projects as an agricultural resource specialist, and coordinated the NRCS-supported Lake Champlain Regional Conservation Partnership Program and water quality grants through the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Clean Water Initiative Program.

Amy Overstreet

Public Information Coordinator

USDA NRCS

Amy Overstreet is the Public Information Coordinator for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) based in Colchester, Vermont. She spent the first 20 years of her NRCS career in her home state of South Carolina, and made the move north to Vermont in 2015 and is still getting acclimated to the cold climate! She graduated from Wofford College with a degree in English and Art History and earned a Master’s Degree in film from the University of South Carolina. She and her husband, Tim, and their Cairn Terrier Sir Isaac Newton, live in Williston, Vermont where they enjoy hiking and fishing. A former professional ballet dancer, I am also involved with Vermont’s unique Farm to Ballet effort where we host ballets on working farms throughout Vermont with proceeds benefitting the hard working farmers!

Ryan Patch

Water Quality Division Deputy Director

Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food & Markets

Ryan works with the Water Quality Division at VAAFM, which is responsible for implementing the Vermont agricultural non-point source pollution control program which provides education, outreach, technical and financial assistance, as well as inspection and enforcement of all sized farms in Vermont to ensure compliance with Vermont’s environmental standards. Specific agricultural environmental initiatives Ryan is currently involved with include: The Payment for Ecosystem Services Working Group, the Vermont Pay-For-Phosphorus Program, and the Vermont Climate Council.

Amber Ellis

Senior Watershed Restoration Manager

James River Association

Amber Ellis is the Senior Watershed Restoration Manager with the James River Association. She earned a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from Virginia Tech, is a Professional Landscape Architect in Virginia, a Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional, and has a certificate in Ecotherapy through the EarthBody Institute. From riparian buffers, to stormwater, to living shorelines; building diverse partnerships to get more projects on the ground is at the heart of her work in the James River watershed. Amber currently leads the Upper and Middle James Riparian Consortium and the James Living Shoreline Collaborative.

Cory Guilliams

District Conservationist

USDA NRCS

Cory Guilliams has served 13 of his 20 years with the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service as the District Conservationist in the Harrisonburg, Virginia Field Office which includes Page and Rockingham counties and the City of Harrisonburg in the central Shenandoah Valley. Cory has been directly involved with the implementation of the Smith Creek Showcase Watershed Project since its inception in 2010, an initiative that has since become a model for outstanding watershed restoration in agricultural landscapes of the Chesapeake Bay. In Smith Creek and across the Valley, Cory works closely and collaboratively with farmers, landowners, and many conservation partners. He currently serves as a board member for the Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley. Cory holds a bachelors in environmental science from Ferrum College. Beyond his workday, he enjoys spending time with his family, farming, no-till gardening, hiking, native wildflower propagation, and being involved with his local community.

Jen Nelson

Owner and Principal

Resource Smart LLC

Jen Nelson is the owner and principal at Resource Smart LLC. She currently serves as the executive director for the state associations of conservation districts in Delaware and Maryland. She also works with the Sussex Conservation District and the Stroud Water Research Center to coordinate soil health outreach and education efforts in the Mid-Atlantic. She has built relationships with state conservation agencies and federal partners, local farmers and environmental organizations. Prior to starting her business in 2013, she worked for NRCS, DNREC’s Nonpoint Source Program, the Sussex Conservation District, the Chesapeake Bay Program, and on an organic urban farm outside of Washington, DC. She holds a BS in Environmental Science from Rutgers University and has been a certified crop advisor since 2004. She is also currently a fellow in LEADelaware.

Matt Royer

Director

Penn State Agriculture and Environment Center

Matt Royer is the Director of the Penn State Agriculture and Environment Center. His expertise is in environmental law and policy with an emphasis on water quality. He has over a decade of experience in building watershed coalitions and partnerships. Prior to becoming the Director of the AEC In 2013, Matt directed the AEC’s Lower Susquehanna Initiative. Matt also serves as faculty for the Environmental Resource Management program at Penn State. He received his bachelor’s degree in biology from Dartmouth College and his law degree from Duke University School of Law. Matt grew up on a farm on the banks of the Conewago Creek and resides in Mount Gretna with his wife Kerry and sons Luke and Finn.

Yin Jin Lee

Ph.D. Candidate

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Yin Jin (Yinjin) Lee is a Ph.D. Candidate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a research assistant in the Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative at the Center of Transportation and Logistics, MIT. She is a co-author of the State of Supply Chain Sustainability 2020 Report. Her research focuses on firms' sustainable sourcing practices and consumer demand for sustainable products.

Lindsay Reames

VP of Sustainability and External Relations

Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association

Lindsay is the Vice President of Sustainability and External Relations for Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association. She is a member of the Executive Leadership Team and leads the development and execution of the Cooperative Sustainability and Communications Initiatives. In this role she is building on the relationship with customers to develop a value chain that helps cooperatives and businesses reach their sustainability goals together. In 2017, Lindsay was appointed by Governor McAuliffe to serve in his administration as the Assistant Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry for the Commonwealth of Virginia. In this role she led several significant, high-profile policy and programmatic initiatives within the Secretariat focusing on new crop development, environmental challenges and economic incentives. Prior to this position she served as the Assistant Director of Governmental Relations for the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation. Lindsay holds a master’s degree in public administration and a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and applied economics from Virginia Tech. She is among the tenth generation to grow up on her family’s farm in Loudoun County, Virginia. She and her family reside on their Century family farm in Amelia, Virginia.

Jamie Burr

Director of Sustainability Implementation

Tyson Foods

Jamie Burr was raised in agriculture and has a passion for natural resource conservation and farmer resiliency. Mr. Burr, a graduate of Missouri State University with a BS and MS in soil science, joined Tyson Foods in 1999. Throughout his career with Tyson, Mr. Burr has served in various environmental compliance positions. In his current role, Mr. Burr directs the implementation of the company's environmental sustainability goals and engagement with the supply chain relative to sustainability. He has served on several state policy workgroups and industry committees. Jamie is also a member of the US EPA Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Federal Advisory Committee.

Katie Morison

Senior Sustainability Analyst

The Hershey Company

Katie Morison is a Senior Sustainability Analyst in Responsible Sourcing for The Hershey Company, leading the company’s work on advancing sustainability in its dairy and sugar supply chains, as well as its supplier diversity program. Before joining Hershey’s in 2020, she worked in corporate sustainability management and consulting in the Middle East region for six years, serving most recently as a sustainability manager for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where she helped lead the development of a comprehensive sustainability strategy for the event including commitments to deliver a fully carbon-neutral tournament, to safeguard to rights of tournament workers, and facilitate the development of stadiums and other infrastructure for long-term community and business use. She holds an MA in International Relations from the Fletcher School at Tufts University, and a BA in Political Science from Brown University.

Amanda Tate

Senior Manager, Corporate Responsibility

Altria Group

Amanda Tate is currently a Senior Manager, Corporate Responsibility, leading Altria’s environmental sustainability strategy. Starting her career in manufacturing and logistics, she brings an analytical and financial lens to achieving ambitious, win-win environmental goals. Amanda holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University and an MBA from the University of Richmond. Normally based out of Altria’s headquarters in Richmond, VA, she is now trying out home office life.

Jenna Mitchell

Pennsylvania State Director

Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay

Jenna Mitchell is the Pennsylvania State Director of the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, a conservation organization that works with communities, companies and conservationists to restore the rivers and streams of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Mitchell has served as the PA State Director for almost 3 years and started at the Alliance as the PA Program Manager in 2016. Prior to working at the Alliance Jenna worked at the Lancaster County Conservation District. Jenna is a graduate of Penn State University with a degree in environmental resource management.

Jenny Ahlen

Senior Director, Supply Chain, EDF+Business

Environmental Defense Fund

Jenny Ahlen directs Environmental Defense Fund’s work to improve the sustainability of consumer goods through partnerships with the private sector. Jenny’s primary areas of expertise include the sustainability of food and agricultural supply chains, as well as mitigating greenhouse gas impacts. Prior to joining EDF in 2011, Jenny worked for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission in two different roles, first as the Renewable Energy Programs Manager for the Arkansas Energy Office, and then for the Strategic Planning Division, with a focus on energy policy and legislation. Before Jenny moved back to Arkansas from Boston, she worked for Abt Associates Inc. as an analyst, estimating the costs and benefits of environmental regulations for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Jenny has a MA in Energy and Environmental Analysis and a BA in Environmental Analysis and Policy from Boston University’s Center for Energy and Environmental Studies.

Daniel Fox

Altria Group

Bio Coming Soon!

Peter Hughes

President

Red Barn Consulting

Peter Hughes grew up on his families’ 2,500 acre dry land wheat farm in Washington State. After graduating with honors from Washington State University with a degree in Natural Resource Science and Biology, Peter moved to Western Australia where he worked on a 25,000 acre crop and sheep farm outside of Perth for two years. In 2000, Peter joined Brubaker Consulting Group in Ephrata Pennsylvania as project leader and manager of the companies’ geographical information system and nutrient management division. In 2001, Peter left Brubaker Consulting Group and formed Red Barn Consulting Inc. with his wife Molly, a professional engineer. Peter currently serves as the president of Red Barn Consulting and its sister company Red Barn Trading Company, LLC. Red Barn is an agricultural consulting and engineering firm based in Lancaster Pennsylvania. Red Barn Consulting services agricultural clientele in Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Virginia, Texas, and Hawaii. Its business services over 1200 farm clients located within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The core mission of Red Barn Consulting is assisting farms in exceeding water quality standards through on-farm nutrient control. To help facilitate the relationship between point-source and non-point source nutrient credit trading, Hughes started Red Barn Trading Company in late 2005. To date Red Barn Trading Company has brokered 42 Nutrient Credit Contracts resulting in 446,257 pounds of nutrient credit offsets used for NPDES compliance.

Janae Klinger

Manager of Animal Care & Sustainability

Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association

Janae Klingler is currently the Manager of Animal Care & Sustainability for Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association. In this position she focuses on bringing industry programs to the member-owners of the cooperative as well as providing the members value through these programs. Part of bringing value to the member-owners is finding opportunities to develop partnerships that aid member-owners in implementing environmental best management practices on their farms. In 2017 Maryland & Virginia, along with The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and Turkey Hill Dairy formed the Turkey Hill Clean Water Partnership of which, Janae leads the on-farm initiatives. Prior to moving into this role at Maryland & Virginia, Janae spent 7 years as a Field Representative in central Pennsylvania. Before coming to Maryland & Virginia, Janae graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a B.S. in Animal Sciences.

Mauricio Rosales

Agriculture Projects Manager

Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay

Mauricio is the Agriculture Projects Manager for the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay based in the Pennsylvania office. He is in charge of the outreach efforts with farmers and manages all the best management practices implementation projects for the different Agriculture programs in PA. He has 10 years of experience working with the dairy industry and holds a Master's degree in Animal Science from University of Minnesota.

Eric Rosenbaum

Owner & Senior Agronomist

Rosetree Consulting LLC

Eric Rosenbaum is the Senior Agronomist and owner of Rosetree Consulting LLC, an agricultural and environmental consulting firm providing agronomic, precision ag, and regulatory services in PA & NJ. He holds a BS in Agricultural Sciences from the Pennsylvania State University. Eric is a Certified Crop Adviser (CCA), and holds CCA specialty certifications in Sustainability, 4R Nutrient Stewardship and Resistance Management. Additionally, he also holds professional certifications for nutrient management planning, conservation planning and odor management planning. In addition to his agricultural consulting business, Eric also serves the agricultural community in a number of capacities. He, along with his wife Brooke, serve as the executive directors of the PA4R Nutrient Stewardship Alliance – a industry supported organization established to educate farmers, regulators & environmental groups about agronomic practices which improve nutrient use efficiency & farm profits while reducing agriculture’s environmental impact. Eric also serves as the executive director of the PA Corn Growers Association and participates in a number of state & regional advisory committees.

Matt Hoff

Farm Owner and Operator

Coldsprings Farms

Matthew Hoff owns and operates Coldsprings Farms located in New Windsor Md. They milk 1250 cows and raise 1000 young stock. Crops (Corn, Soybeans, small grain and hay) are grown on 2600 acres utilizing no-till and cover crops with the help of 25 full time employees. It’s one of the larger dairy farms in the state of Maryland and the largest dairy farm in Carroll county. Mr. Hoff and his brother Ian are the fifth generation on the farm that has been in the family since 1868. Matthew and his wife Debra purchased the business in 2005 after his father Marlin passed after a battle with cancer in 2004. Matthew and his wife Debbie have three daughters Courtney, Brook and Alicia.

David Kann

Ag Engineering Technician

Agronomics Plus, LLC

Born and raised on a Pennsylvania Dairy farm, David Kann has 30 years of experience in conservation and nutrient management planning. He started off his career working for the York County and Adams County Conservation Districts in Pennsylvania, where he specialized in planning as well as technical and financial assistance delivery. He also spent time working for the Maryland Department of Agriculture in support of their nutrient management program. For the past 16 years, Mr. Kann has been working directly with farmers writing nutrient management plans (including comprehensive nutrient management plans), conservation plans, and erosion and sediment control and stormwater plans. In addition to planning, Mr. Kann also collaborates with land grant universities to conduct on-farm research. He currently works as an Ag Engineering Technician with Agronomics Plus, LLC.

Dean Patches

Farm Operator and Certified Nutrient Management Planner

Dean Patches is a third-generation farmer and certified nutrient management planner based in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. He and his family milk 100 dairy cows and grow organic chicken for Bell and Evans. They also farm 240 acres of cropland and pasture and raise crops to support the dairy farm. Mr. Patches has been writing nutrient management plans for over 20 years. He first got interested in conservation after working with Lebanon County NRCS staff to implement conservation practices like no-till and contour farming on his family’s farm nearly forty years ago. When Pennsylvania established their nutrient management program, he got certified to write his own farm’s plan. Soon thereafter, he obtained a commercial nutrient management planning license and now writes plans for 150-200 farms in the South Central region.

Robert Waring

Farm Operator and Environmental Specialist

Brandon Farms and Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation

Robert Waring Jr. was born and raised in Essex County and graduated Randolph-Macon College in 1992. Presently he works for the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation in the area of precision nutrient management and cover crops. Bob’s role as an Environmental Specialist for the Commonwealth of Virginia has allowed for increased focus on Virginia’s 2025 Watershed Implementation Plan goals. Bob is an elected member of the executive board for the Southern Cover Crops Council, as well as Chair of Virginia’s Cover Crop and Nutrient Management Technical Advisory Subcommittee. Recently, Bob was invited to participate in the Precision Sustainable Agriculture Farmer Think Tank with the University of Florida that focuses on enhancing the sustainability of US cropping systems through cover crops. The project will last three years and incorporates farmers from each state across the Southeast United States. In addition to working for Virginia DCR, Bob works for Brandon Farms, a third generation family farm, where they integrate cover cropping systems as a means of increasing soil health. The farm was second in the state to hold a Resource Management Plan certification, which is the highest level of conservation recognition available for Virginia farms. Brandon Farms has been involved with Virginia Tech as a farm cooperator on phosphorous and sulfur experimentation, participant in the CROWN project, and on-farm research with NRCS, VT Extension and local Soil & Water Conservation Districts.

Lisa Blazure

Soil Health Coordinator

Stroud Water Research Center

Lisa is an experienced conservation professional who advocates for improving soil health to achieve water quality goals and enhance the economic viability of agriculture. She works for Stroud Water Research Center and serves as the coordinator for the Pennsylvania Soil Health Coalition to foster collaboration among numerous stakeholders involved in soil health education and research. Lisa networks with a broad range of colleagues to implement conservation practices and organize educational programs. Lisa has a MS in Environmental Science, with a focus in Aquatic Ecology from Indiana University and a BS in Biology from Bucknell University.

Wade Thomason, Ph.D.

Professor and Associate Director for Outreach

Virginia Tech

Dr. Wade Thomason serves as the grain crops extension specialist for Virginia. In this role he provides state-wide leadership for extension and research programs in production and management of corn and small grains and oversees the hybrid and variety evaluation efforts. His applied research interests are in cropping systems and precision agriculture, especially remote sensing technologies. He received his Ph.D., M.S. and B.S. from Oklahoma State University.

Charlie White, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist

Penn State University

Charlie White is an Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in soil fertility and nutrient management in the Plant Science Department at Penn State. His position focuses on developing fertilizer, manure management, and cropping system recommendations that balance profitability with environmental stewardship. His areas of expertise and research interests include cover cropping, soil health, and precision agriculture. He has a MS in Soil Science from University of Maryland and a Ph.D. in Soil Science and Biogeochemistry from Penn State.

Jeff Herring

Farm Operator

Jeff Herring operates a 600-acre hog, cattle & grain operation in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. Corn, soybeans, wheat & hay are raised in a continuous no-till system. Manure from Jeff's 2,400-head finishing barn & 2,400-head nursery barn are applied to the operation's cropland using low disturbance injection (LDI) to place manure below the soil surface while maintaining his continuous no-till production system. LDI has reduced his annual nitrogen fertilizer use by over 20,000 lbs and has lead to increased economic & environmental sustainability for the farm. Jeff works closely with his local NRCS office to adopt conservation practices, using the EQIP & CSP programs to upgrade manure storages, implement nutrient management planning, establish cover crops, and increase on-farm energy efficiency.

Robb Hinton

Farm Operator

Robb is a 51 year-old farm kid from Northumberland County, Virginia, who grew up working with his dad, William, on the family farm. After high school he found work as a carpenter and by the age of 20 had started his own fabrication business. After 17 years of running his business, he had an opportunity to pick up some land of his own and start farming for himself. Robb sold his business in 2007 and began farming full time. Adopting technology early, Robb has created a detailed map of all of his farms. His willingness to try new practices brought the interest of government officials and agronomists that have helped educate him and encourage his passion for testing various practices. “You can’t manage what you don’t measure” is his philosophy and he relies on his agronomist to help quantify his work. Always looking to learn, Robb’s current focus is on getting full value from cover crops. Robb has partnered with NRCS, Virginia Tech and Sustainable Chesapeake to try and asses the value of a roller/crimper to terminate cover crops.

Lindsay Thompson

Owner

Thompson Ag Consulting, LLC

As the owner of Thompson Ag Consulting, LLC Lindsay Thompson serves as the Executive Director of the Maryland Grain Producers Association and Utilization Board as well as the Industry Task Force II on 2,4-D Research Data. Thompson and her team also manage the DE-MD Agribusiness Association, Maryland Pork Producers, Mid-Atlantic Certified Crop Adviser Program, Mid-Atlantic 4R Nutrient Stewardship Association and the Maryland Green Industries Council. After graduating from Washington College, Ms. Thompson worked in the Maryland State Legislature. While pursuing a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Maryland, Lindsay worked at the Maryland Farm Bureau Government Relations office in Annapolis. Thompson previously served as the Vice Chair of the Chesapeake Bay Partnership Agriculture Workgroup and is a current member of the Water Quality Goal Implementation team. Lindsay prides herself on building coalitions and working toward mutually beneficial agricultural and environmental outcomes.

Tim Woodward

Owner

Tellus Agronomics

Tim is the owner of Tellus Agronomics, a precision agronomy company located in Orange County, VA. He started the company shortly after completing his master’s program in 2011 at Virginia Tech in soil fertility and plant nutrition. Tellus serves farm operations across the Mid-Atlantic. Tim and his team focus on increasing farm profitability and sustainability through the integration of precision technologies and soil health building practices. Tim lives in Madison County, VA on a family farm with his wife and two daughters.

John Jackson, Ph.D.

Senior Research Scientist

Stroud Water Research Center

John K. Jackson, Ph.D University of California, Berkeley. Aquatic Entomology and Stream Ecology. John has worked at the Stroud Water Research Center for 30 years, and been involved in numerous research and monitoring projects involving stream and watershed assessment and restoration throughout the Delaware Basin as well as locations in the Mid-Atlantic region. Recent projects have included over 300 sites in Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey, distributed across some of the very best and most impaired waterways in the region. His research on stream restoration dates back to experiments that started in 1997.

Rich Starr

VP, Senior Water Resources Scientist

Ecosystem Planning and Restoration, LLC

Mr. Starr has over 30 years of experience in watershed and stream assessment, planning and restoration. He has led comprehensive and critical studies for major watershed-based ecosystem restoration projects and water resources development projects. He has developed, designed, and monitored plans for wildlife and fisheries habitat enhancement projects, stream restoration projects, stormwater management, TMDL reduction projects, and floodplain management projects. He has conducted numerous geomorphic watershed and stream assessments; implemented stream restoration and fish passage projects; provided construction oversight, developed stream assessment protocols and tools; produced technical and planning documents; and developed training courses on functional-based stream assessment and restoration. Prior to EPR, Mr. Starr worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for 16 years. As Chief of the Habitat Restoration Division, Chesapeake Bay Field Office, his responsibilities included leading and managing the Stream Habitat Assessment and Restoration Team, Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, and the Schoolyard Habitats Program. Before the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mr. Starr worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District for nine years where he led complex water resources development projects.

David Wood

Stormwater Coordinator

Chesapeake Stormwater Network

David Wood is the Stormwater Coordinator for the Chesapeake Stormwater Network, where he develops training programs and technical resources for a network of over 11,000 stormwater professionals from across the Chesapeake Bay watershed. David also serves as the Coordinator for the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Urban Stormwater Workgroup. David has worked on nearly a dozen BMP expert panels, including the most recent effort to revisit and update the Stream Restoration Protocols. Prior to joining CSN, David worked for the Chesapeake Research Consortium, supporting programs to improve tracking and implementation of practices to meet the Chesapeake Bay TMDL. David has his BA in Biology from St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

Jake Reilly

Director, Chesapeake Programs

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

Jake Reilly is the director of Chesapeake Bay programs

for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Prior to

joining NFWF, Jake worked as a budget and policy

advisor on agriculture, forestry, and conservation issues

for the White House Office of Management and Budget.

Earlier stops in his conservation career include stints in

environmental management at the Chesapeake Bay

Program and helping advance conservation and rural

community vitality in federal forest management at

American Forests, the oldest national conservation

organization in the U.S. Jake’s passion and curiosity for

waters, woods, and wildlife can be traced back to many

endless childhood afternoons spent meandering along

the Muddy Branch of Great Seneca Creek in northern Montgomery County, MD.

Lamonte Garber

Watershed Restoration Coordinator

Stroud Water Research Center

Lamonte is the Watershed Restoration Coordinator for the Stroud Water Research Center. He works with landowners, producers, and conservation organizations to advance soil health, stream health and water quality in Pennsylvania and the wider region. He brings 30 years of experience in agriculture and natural habitat restoration to projects in the Chesapeake, Delaware and Ohio watersheds. Prior to joining the Stroud Center in 2014, Lamonte held positions at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture. He helped develop PA’s REAP state tax credit program and the commonwealth’s Nutrient Management Program. He is the current president of the Keystone Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society, and works closely with the Pennsylvania No Till Alliance and Cover Crop Coaching, Inc. He has a B.S. in Agricultural Economics from Penn State University and also attended Goshen College and Nairobi University. He lives in Lancaster, PA.

Allyson Gibson

Coordinator

Lancaster Clean Water Partners

Allyson Ladley Gibson serves as the Coordinator for the Lancaster Clean Water Partners, facilitating collaboration between a unique set of multi-sector partners who are working to improve local water quality. Allyson spent her childhood in Lancaster County, exploring streams, investigating local culture, and growing up in her family’s business. She pioneered at the University of Richmond as the only female member of the first class of environmental studies majors and then spent 13 years in Maryland with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in their Education Department. She returned to her roots and served as the Innkeeper at Kitchen Kettle Village before bringing all of her worlds together with the Lancaster Clean Water Partners. Allyson received the Business Partner Award from the 21st Century Education Foundation in 2015 and she recently served on the comprehensive planning team at Manheim Township School District. Allyson, along with her husband and two children, enjoys travel, fitness, and cooking.

Mike Lovegreen

Stream Team Leader

Upper Susquehanna Coalition

Mike Lovegreen served as the Bradford County, PA Conservation District Manager from 1980 to 20013. He currently serves as the Stream Team Leader for the Upper Susquehanna Coalition, a coalition of 20 Conservation Districts in PA and NY.

Mr. Lovegreen serves or has served on numerous stream related initiatives that include:

• Stream Health Work Group for the Chesapeake Bay Program

• Citizens Advisory Committee to Chesapeake Bay Program

• Former PA Keystone Stream Team Member

• Former chair of DER EPA Chapter 319 Advisory Panel – Hydromodification Committee

Dustin Wichterman

Associate Director, Mid Atlantic Cold-Water Habitat Program

Trout Unlimited

Dustin Wichterman is the Associate Director for Trout Unlimited’s Mid Atlantic Cold-Water Habitat Program, where he assists with the oversight of watershed scale restoration programs in Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia. The restoration efforts focus on watersheds that have been impacted by poor land management practices associated with timber harvest, development, and agriculture. Dustin has an M.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Resources from West Virginia University, and has spent the last 8.5 years working with a suite of partners to restore aquatic organism passage, riparian, and in-stream habitat to the benefit of native brook trout and their watersheds. He is passionate watershed restoration because his personal mission aligns with TU’s mission, to improve our waters for future generations. Dustin has a dream that is about 20 inches long, as he strives to make these watershed improvements with efforts to maintain 20-inch native brook trout in these reconnected headwater systems. When he is not working on a stream, he can usually be found stumbling around in one with a fly rod.