John McKeon | Director of Organic Integrity & Compliance | Taylor Farms | OTA Produce Council Chair
John McKeon is the Director of Organic Integrity and Compliance at Taylor Farms Retail overseeing organic compliance and regenerative organic practices. John also supports field food safety research, agronomic and biodiversity programs and trails, and Quality Systems management. He has worked at Taylor Farms & Earthbound Farm for years 15 years working in organic field and facility food safety, international organic supply chain compliance and organic agricultural operations. Prior to working there, John spent 10 years working at CCOF, from an intern to certification director, then inspector. John studied horticulture, sustainable agriculture and environmental studies at Cabrillo College and University of California Santa Cruz. He lives with his family on the central coast of California.
Paul Mitchell | Director | Renk Agribusiness Institute & Professor | University of Wisconsin, Madison
Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Extension Funded Faculty for Cropping Systems and Environmental Management, Director of the Renk Agribusiness Institute, and interim Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Paul grew up on a farm in northeastern Iowa and attended Iowa State University for his PhD in Economics. He has been on the faculty at the University of Wisconsin since 2004 where he runs an active research, teaching and outreach program focused broadly on agriculture. As director of the Renk Agribusiness Institute, he leads the Institute’s broad mission to enhance education for students and support research and outreach for the state’s agribusiness sector.
Tim Griffin | Vice President of Global Sourcing | Amy’s Kitchen
Tim Griffin is the Vice President for Sourcing at Amy's Kitchen, one of the premier manufacturers of organic, gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian ready-to-eat meals. Tim has 25 years of experience helping companies and organizations like Amy's committed to social and environmental impact thrive. At Amy's, Tim has served as both Head of Sustainability and the Senior Director of Talent. Prior to working at Amy's, Tim served as Program Director at Ag Innovations, a non-profit that convenes multi-stakeholder innovation groups focused on building more vibrant and sustainable food systems. Tim also spent 8 years as a corporate sustainability consultant, advising Fortune 500 companies including Walmart, AT&T, Johnson & Johnson, and Duke Energy on their environmental and corporate social responsibility programs.
Tim served for 4 years in the US Peace Corps as a Crop Extension Volunteer and Technical Trainer in Paraguay. He earned a dual MS in International Agricultural Development and Agricultural & Resource Economics from the University of California, Davis, and a BA in Spanish for the University of Maryland, College Park.
Sara Neagu-Reed | Director of Production & Environmental Policy | International Fresh Produce Association
Sara Neagu-Reed serves as the Director of Production and Environmental Policy at IFPA. With a career spanning dynamic roles in advocacy and policy, Sara has focused on elevating specialty crop producers' needs in the legislative and regulatory space at the Federal level. Prior to her current role, Sara served as the Advocacy and Government Affairs Director at AmericanHort, where she spearheaded a comprehensive policy portfolio encompassing employment policy, pest and disease management, crop protection, and Farm Bill programs. Her dedication to advancing the interests of farmers and ranchers extended to her tenure as the Associate Director of Federal Policy for the California Farm Bureau Federation, where she represented California farmers before Congress, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on issues ranging from immigration to organic production.
Sara's commitment to organic and biotech programs was further demonstrated during her time serving in the Obama Administration as a Senior Legislative Analyst at USDA. In this role, Sara helped manage the implementation and development of Marketing Regulatory Program priorities for the Secretary. Sara holds a degree in Politics from the University of San Francisco and recently earned her master’s in public administration and policy from Texas A&M University. Sara is also an alumna of the California Agricultural Leadership Program and WeLead, American University’s program for empowering professional women in policy leadership roles.