Kalona SuperNatural, Newville, PA
Joe was raised in south-central PA. He began working for local farmers and selling produce when he was 14 years old. Since that time, much of his career has centered around food production and processing. In 2009 Joe joined a small creamery in Pennsylvania to market and sell their organic milk and other dairy products throughout eastern US. By 2019 they grew from a brand presence in approximately 150 stores to their products being sold in over 1,700 locations. Today, Joe is working with several food brands to develop their marketing and grow sales opportunities in an ever-changing retail environment.
Independent Consultant, Leyden, MA
Katherine DiMatteo is an independent consultant, previously managing partner at Wolf, DiMatteo + Associates. Formerly the Executive Director of the Organic Trade Association from 1990 to 2006, she was instrumental in shaping the outcome of the U.S. National Organic Program standards and the U.N. Codex Guidelines for organically produced foods. She currently serves on the Fairtrade America Board of Directors. Katherine was a founding member of the Climate Collaborative and now serves on its management board. Previously she served as the president of IFOAM-Organics International Board of Directors and was a founding member of The Organic Center’s Board of Directors.
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.
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.
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), State College, PA
Kristy grew up on a small family beef and poultry farm in Western New York State and pursued formal education in sustainable agriculture on the east and west coast. Kristy is the Associate Director of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. SARE is a competitive grant program established by the USDA whose mission is to advance the whole of American agriculture by supporting innovations that improve profitability, stewardship, and quality of life on farms. SARE upholds this mission by investing in groundbreaking research and education that is led by farmers and their closest associates. As the Associate Director, Kristy leads SARE's National Reporting, Communications, and Coordination Office. Kristy is committed to supporting farmers and allied organizations, like PCO, in having long-term sustainable production systems and high qualities of life in an ever-changing agricultural landscape.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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