In 2021, the Organic Trade Association Board of Directors will consist of seventeen people, each of whom serves a term of three years. A Board member cannot serve more than three consecutive terms. OTA Board members are elected by OTA trade members each year. The Board is made up of nine at-large members elected by the general membership, two Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA) representatives who have been elected by the general membership of COTA and five members who are appointed by elected Board members. There is also a dedicated Farmer Board seat.
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BOARD PRESIDENT
Kim is the Business Development Director of Organics, Extracts and Sustainability for Firmenich. Kim has been involved in organic farming sustainability her entire life, and has over 30 years of experience and expertise regarding organic and non-GMO compliance and standards; her commitment to organic has been shown in her voluntary work with OTA throughout her career, both as a leader and a participant.
VICE PRESIDENT & COMMUNITY RELATIONS COMMITTEE
Paul is the Senior Director of Sustainability for Amy's, producer of organic frozen meals and soups. He oversees Amy’s Planet Strategy, which includes integrating sustainability into all aspects of the business, including sourcing and agricultural practices, manufacturing operations, and products. He also leads Amy’s Policy and Advocacy Strategy, and is a member of Amy’s Leadership Group.
TREASURER & GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
Domenic Borrelli is the President of Plant-Based Food & Beverages and Premium Dairy for Danone North America Danone North America, where he balances the company’s commitment to social and environmental progress while generating profitable, sustainable growth. Domenic brings 24 years of food and beverage experience, including work in sustainable meat, refreshment beverages, coffee, cheese, cereal and ready-to-eat meals.
SECRETARY
Britt Lundgren is the Director of Organic and Sustainable Agriculture at Stonyfield Farm. With over a decade of experience working to advance agricultural sustainability through policy and supply chain initiatives including six years at Stonyfield, she brings much relevant knowledge and enthusiasm to the Board.
COMMUNITY RELATIONS COMMITTEE, CHAIR
David Lively farmed professionally before joining the staff as the Vice President of Sales & Marketing and serving on the Board of Organically Grown Company. He is a co-founder of the Sustainable Food Trade Association, Organic Produce Wholesalers Coalition and the Organicology Conference. He has also served on the Boards of Oregon Tilth and the Organic Seed Alliance.
COMMUNITY RELATIONS COMMITTEE, VICE CHAIR
As Director of Government and Industry Affairs for Organic Valley, Adam oversees the cooperative’s government affairs and engagement with industry trade groups. His duties include cultivating relations with policymakers, engaging administrative agencies, and driving forward-facing public relations with numerous food, farm and media stakeholders.
COMMUNITY RELATIONS COMMITTEE
Mike is the Vice President of Food Safety & Technology for True Organic Products. His curiosity about the organic industry and how to affect the biological systems around it continue to be satisfied in his role by helping to find new inputs for use as organic fertilizers.
GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE, CHAIR
Bob Kaake is Principal at Slice of Kaake Consulting. He uses his entrepreneurial background in product development and quality to help companies bring great tasting, organic products to market. His time at Annie’s proved to him that good food can also do good. Bob firmly believes meaningful partnerships across all levels of the organic supply chain are key to a successful food company and are critical to the essential work needed to leverage agriculture as a solution to climate change.
GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE, VICE CHAIR
Ben graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from the University of Pennsylvania in 2002, and moved out to the Bay Area. While working on an MBA at Cal State Bakersfield, he found work with Grimmway Farms in the Cal-Organic division working in quality assurance, food safety and organic certification. He quickly developed an appreciation for the amount of hard work that goes into farming, especially organic farming.
GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
Tracy Favre is the owner of Fig Hill Farm Consulting. Fig Hill Consulting works with farm and food production supply chains to identify sustainability goals and to achieve regulatory compliance for organic certification. Formerly an organic inspector, she worked for 25 years in environmental management, as an engineer and in sustainable agriculture.
GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE & FARMER SEAT
Doug and his wife Anna own and operate Vilicus Farms, a 5,000-acre certified organic dry-land farm growing 12 to 15 grain, pulse, broadleaf and oilseed crops annually. Having started the farm “from scratch,” they share a passion for beginning farmers. Doug has been an active member of the Farmers Advisory Council and regular participant in OTA’s Policy Conference and Hill Visits.
GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
Kellee James is Founder and CEO of Mercaris, a start-up company that provides a market information service and online trading platform for organic and non-GMO crops and ingredients. Kellee currently serves on the Board of Oregon Tilth. Kellee has an interest and experience in values-driven entrepreneurship, finance, and governance issues.
CHAIR, ORGANIC PAC
Matthew Dillon is Vice President of Government Affairs and Social Impact at Clif Bar & Company and leads Clif Bar engagement in federal and state advocacy. Matthew spearheaded Clif Bar’s organic research investments, endowing four chairs in organic research and funding 17 Ph.D. students, making Clif the largest private funder of organic research in the United States. He has held diverse roles in organic agriculture and policy fields since 1982, including farmer, advocate, and consultant to food companies, government agencies, and non-profits.
BOARD MEMBER
Javier Zamora is the owner of a certified organic family farm JSM Organics Inc. With a lifetime of experience and knowledge in dealing with different farming methods, JSM Organics was established in April 2012 to bring sustainable food to the nation’s tables without the harmful effects of synthetic products and pesticides.
Patagonia's first Environmental Advocate, Avi Garbow, brings decades of environmental law and advocacy experience in tackling many of the most critical threats to our air, water, and lands. Avi helps provide strategic leadership and vision to Patagonia's robust environmental advocacy efforts.
CANADA, VICE PRESIDENT
James is the CEO of Yorkshire Valley Farms, a producer and marketer of organic poultry products. During James time as the CEO, the company went from a grassroots startup to a Canadian leader in organic poultry. James has also been successful in implementing new programs that helped support and enhance the organic chicken industry both domestically and internationally. James is excited to increase his involvement Canada Organic Trade Association.