Tom Chapman | Co-CEO | Organic Trade Association
Tom Chapman serves as co-CEO of the Organic Trade Association. He joined the trade association in April 2022, bringing 20 years of industry experience with expertise in policy and certification. Together with the Board of Directors and co-CEO Matthew Dillion, he is responsible for defining the association’s mission and establishing shared objectives for OTA’s member companies. Tom leads the association’s regulatory and technical affair work, oversees the development of association programs and products, and is responsible for operations and financial management. He represents both the association and the organic trade in an official capacity when interfacing with members of Congress, the Executive Branch, media, stakeholders, and strategic allies.
Tom possesses a strong understanding of organic principles and standards and has had a career-long dedication to the organic industry, including experience in organic certification and supply chains. He started his career at Quality Assurance International (QAI), working on international organic export programs and USDA accreditation. Tom and his teams have sourced over one billion pounds of organic ingredients during his 15 years in supply chains at Kinder’s Premium Sauces and Seasonings, Clif Bar & Company and Numi Organic Tea. Tom actively engaged with the organic ingredient supply chain, meeting with farmers and manufacturers to encourage and support the continued growth in organic acres to ensure supply meets growing demand.
Tom has served and chaired the National Organic Standards Board and California Certified Organic Farms Certification Services Management Committee. He has also served on the board of Mercaris and on the California Organic Products Advisory Committee.
Dylan Daniels | Senior Policy Advisor, Import Programs, Trade Policy and Geographic Affairs | USDA
Dylan Daniels has a Jurist Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and a master’s in applied economics from the University of Utah. Mr. Daniels currently serves as the Senior Policy Advisor, the Licensing Official, and the Designated Federal Official for the Sweeteners Agricultural Trade Advisory Committee. In these roles Mr. Daniels advises senior leadership on various trade issues, administers the sugar and dairy import programs, and liaises between the USDA and sweetener industry.
Previously Mr. Daniels served as a Senior Economist with the Office of the United States Trade Representative in the Office of Trade Policy and Economics, where he conducted trade and economic-related analyses to support the development of U.S. trade policy, its implementation, and the monitoring and enforcement of U.S. trade agreements. He began at the Trade Representative’s Office in October 2017, previously serving as a Director in the Office of Agricultural Affairs. In that role, he served as chair of the agricultural committee under the Central American Free Trade Agreement, directed national sugar policy, and lead discussions on agricultural issues during the initial Kenyan trade negotiations.
Before joining USTR, Mr. Daniels ran the West Tennessee U.S. Export Assistance Center as a Senior Trade Specialist with the International Trade Administration of U.S. Department of Commerce. In this role he assisted small enterprises in growing their businesses through exports. Prior to that, he served as an international economist for the Foreign Agricultural Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Mr. Daniels began his government career as a Law Clerk with the Board of Veterans’ Appeals adjudicating veteran’s disability claims for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Mr. Daniels is a Marine Corps Veteran, having served in operations Nobel Eagle and Iraqi Freedom. He also served a two-year humanitarian mission for his church in Southern Mexico and is fluent in Spanish. Mr. Daniels and his family live in Northern Virginia.
Joe Rouleau | Head of Sustainability | Ciranda
Joe Rouleau has been passionate about the organic food movement and environmental issues since his youth. In 2005, he joined Ciranda, a leading supplier of organic and fair-trade food ingredients. He was drawn to the company's focus on organic and its appreciation for the livelihoods of those depending upon its work. He has since developed a deep understanding of organic supply chains, strong industry relationships, and extensive expertise related to organic food and agriculture.
In his current role as Ciranda's Head of Sustainability, Joe has created an ESG program and oversees global impacts. Prior to this, Joe led Ciranda's sales and commercial operations for more than 15 years. He has worked extensively in supply management, including supplier relations and inventory management.
Joe has visited organic farms worldwide – including those of many rice, tapioca, agave and honey producers – sharing meals with farmers and listening to their challenges and hopes. These experiences have further inspired him to advocate for organic food and agriculture.
Throughout his career at Ciranda, a global leader in organic and non-GMO sweeteners, Joe has gained extensive knowledge of the sweetener category and deep appreciation for its supply chain complexities and impacts. Joe has played a key role in driving Ciranda's sales growth in the category, working directly with brands and product developers on formulating their innovations with Ciranda's sweeteners.