WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 24, 2023) -- The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is pleased to welcome two accomplished and veteran organic experts to its staff to form a new technical and regulatory team at the association.
Joelle Mosso is joining OTA as the Senior Director of Technical and Regulatory Affairs, and Scott Rice is coming on board as Director of Regulatory Affairs.
“We are extremely fortunate to have Joelle and Scott join the OTA team,” said Tom Chapman, CEO of the association. “We are confident that their solid experience and in-depth knowledge of organic will enable us to keep pushing organic forward in these challenging times and be a vital source of support for our members looking to grow their businesses or navigate increasingly complex organic regulations.”
Joelle brings with her substantive experience in the organic produce industry, along with a deep technical microbiology and testing background and entrepreneurial spirit. She was most recently Chief Scientific Officer for the Eurofins Produce segment of the international analytical testing services company Eurofins Scientific. Prior to Eurofins, Joelle was a leader in the quality management team at Earthbound Farm, the world’s largest organic produce company. She currently sits on the Center for Produce Safety Technical Committee, International Fresh Produce Association Food Safety Council, USDA National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) and has served on the USDA National Organic Standards Board (NOSB).
“Organic food production and regulation are my personal and professional passions, and I am thrilled to be joining OTA and continuing to directly support the organic community and contribute to its ongoing growth and success,” said Joelle.
Scott has over 20 years of experience in the organic space, most recently from the Washington State Department of Agriculture Organic
Program, where he oversaw outreach and external affairs. During his time at Washington State, he worked in the many aspects of organic certification, conducted input material reviews for the program’s nationally recognized input list, coordinated the program’s USDA accreditation, and aided certified businesses in navigating international trade challenges. Scott also served on the executive committee of the NOSB, and chair of the Accredited Certifiers Association.
“I am looking forward to building on OTA’s strong history of regulatory engagement and advocacy on behalf of its members, many of whom I’ve enjoyed working with across my career,” said Scott.
Gwendolyn Wyard, currently Vice President of Regulatory and Technical Affairs for OTA, will be departing in June to form a new business, called Strengthening Organic Systems (SOS). SOS was founded to improve the resilience and overall integrity of global organic supply chains.
“We are deeply grateful to Gwen for her more than a decade of service for OTA and her incredible contributions to the organic industry,” said Chapman. “We wish her great success in her new adventure.”