Board of Directors

Managing Board Members

Kristy Borrelli

Penn State University, University Park, PA

Kristy grew up on a small family beef and poultry farm in Upstate New York and pursued formal education in sustainable agriculture on the east and west coast. Kristy currently serves as the Sustainable Agriculture Extension Educator and the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NE SARE) Coordinator for Pennsylvania at Penn State University. Kristy’s professional interests focus on diversifying cropping systems to manage soil fertility and plant nutrients in order to maintain soil and water quality. Her goal is to make science-based information about agroecosystems and value-added crop enterprises accessible. Kristy is also enthusiastic about improving knowledge about food production and human nutrition in rural and urban communities.

Bob Eberly

Denver, PA

Bob Eberly has been involved with the organic food movement since the 1980s and has shown dedication to PCO’s mission from the time of its inception in 1997. A charter member of PCO, Bob has served as Board President, Board Member, and Standards Committee Member. Until June 2013 Bob served as the President of Eberly Poultry, an organic and specialty poultry business, family owned and operated since 1947. Bob has extensive experience in organic food processing, distribution, retail marketing and exporting. Bob takes great pride in his passionate tie to the organic movement as a longstanding member of the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture, the Organic Trade Association, PennAG and PCO.

Betty Harper

Penn State University, University Park, PA

Betty Harper is an assistant director of learning outcomes assessment in the Office of Planning and Assessment at Penn State University. She supports faculty, program coordinators, and administrators across Penn State to develop and execute plans to assess student learning. Immediately prior to accepting this position December 2018, Betty served as PCO’s executive assistant, where she gained an understanding of PCO’s mission, organizational structure, and strategic goals, as well as working directly in support of its Board of Directors. Although Betty recently accepted an invitation to return to Penn State, where she previously worked for 19 years, her commitment to PCO, its staff and members, and its vision remains and she would very much like to continue to contribute to the pursuit of that vision.

Denele Hughson

Grow Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

Denele is the Executive Director at Grow Pittsburgh. Grow Pittsburgh is an urban agriculture non-profit committed to teaching people how to grow food and to promote the benefits that gardens bring to our neighborhoods. Prior to her position as the Executive Director, Denele was the Director of Production and Farm Education and was integral to expanding food access initiatives across Allegheny County. She has a Master of Science degree in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and History from the University of Pittsburgh.

Mike Spangler

Indigo Ag, Milford, DE

Mike Spangler was raised in the small town of New Freedom, PA. While Mike did not grow up on a farm, his parents owned a Nursery and Garden. Center and Mike worked for the farmer that tended the land. This experience established Mike’s interest in agriculture and in 1996 he started studying at Penn State University focused on an Agricultural Business Management degree. Upon completion, and for the next 17 years, Mike worked for various agricultural companies such as Perdue AgriBusiness, Lansing Trade Group, and Cargill Animal Nutrition. Mike held manager/director positions in grain trading, handling, processing, and business development. Mike is currently with Indigo Ag.

Advisory Board Members

Tina Ellor

Phillips Mushroom Farms, Kennett Square, PA

Tina is a mycologist and the Technical Director of Phillips Mushroom Farms, a certified organic farm in Kennett Square, PA since 1995. She has served on the Board of Directors of several organizations including PCO, OMRI, NOSB, and USDA FVIAC. She lives and gardens with her farmer husband and various pets in beautiful Chester County, PA.

Lisa de Lima

MOMs Organic Market – Gaithersburg, MD

Lisa has worked at MOM’s for the past 20 years and has been a driving force behind the growth of this independent chain of organic grocery stores. Her expertise includes organizational strategy, major initiative implementation and change management, employee engagement & development, category management, and merchandising & pricing strategies. Lisa has also had the unique opportunity to spearhead and implement various environmental initiatives, helping MOM’s drive its mission. Lisa earned her BS from the University of Vermont in Environmental Studies & Political Science, and her MBA from Johns Hopkins University. Outside of work Lisa enjoys teaching Tai Chi and traveling.

Samuel Malriat

Rodale Institute – Kutztown, PA

Sam is the Lead Organic Crop Consultant with the Rodale Institute, an agricultural research and education center based in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. He is part of a new, collaborative effort to help farmers transition their agricultural operations from conventional to certified organic systems by providing direct consultations to farmers that need support throughout the transition period. This service is currently free to farmers in Pennsylvania. Sam has approximately 12 years of farming experience in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New York.

Spencer Miller

Boyd Station, LLC, Danville, PA

Spencer Miller currently works as the organic grain/oil seed merchandiser at Boyd Station LLC in Danville, PA. Spencer holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agribusiness Management and a minor in Poultry Sciences from Penn State University. He has been involved with organic grain and feed ingredients for over 5 years and has managed organic chicken farms. Spencer’s areas of expertise include organic soybeans, organic corn, and organic grain marketing. Spencer plays an important role in the organic grain industry by supporting organic grain farmers and is committed to the continued growth of organic acreage in Pennsylvania. Spencer lives in Reinholds, Pennsylvania.

Chelsie Romberger

Ketterman Consulting, Duncannon, PA

Chelsie Romberger is currently the Food Safety & Regulatory Manager at Bell & Evans in Fredericksburg, PA, but transitioning to a new Food Safety Consultant role with a new agency. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition Science from Kaplan University and a Master of Science degree in Food Safety from Michigan State University. She has over 10 years of experience in food safety and regulatory compliance in a variety of food industry sectors, including meat and poultry, bakery, and prepared meals. Chelsie’s area of expertise includes regulatory compliance and process improvements. Her passions include leadership, innovation, and upholding the safety of the food supply. Chelsie lives in Duncannon, Pennsylvania.

Andrew Smyre

Lazy Dog Farms/Tuscarora Grain Co. LLC, PCO Certified, Mohrsville, PA

Andrew grew up working on his family farm in Central Pennsylvania. He attended Delaware Valley University and after working in the family business, he lived in Alaska for 3 years. Upon returning, Andrew took a position as an organic agronomist working to transition land in Pennsylvania. He then moved into marketing organic grain and began an agronomic consulting business. Andrew is a Certified Crop Advisor. Andrew is farming 50 organic acres and lives in Berks County with his wife, Kim and young son, Lukas.

Interested in becoming a board member?

Visit our board nomination page to fill out an application. If you have any questions, contact Stacey Budd: 814-422-0251 or sbudd@paorganic.org