NOSB Member Bios

Danone, Lafayette CO

Kathryn Deschenes is the Director of Regulatory Affairs at Danone, which produces dairy, plant-based products, and infant food, including the Happy Family Organics brand. She holds both master's and bachelor’s degrees in Food Science and Technology from Kansas State University

Taylor Farms, Salinas, CA

Amanda Felder is the Organic Integrity and Environmental Compliance Manager at Taylor Farms, a leading producer of organic salads, where she oversees the organic compliance of a network of farming, food processing and manufacturing operations. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.

Sprouts Farmers Market, Phoenix, AZ

Andrea Hatziyannis is the Category Strategy Manager at Sprouts Farmers Market (Store Brand’s and Progressive Grocer’s Retailer of the Year), where she leverages over 20 years of experience in the organic food industry. Recognized for her contributions she was honored as one of the Top Women in Store Brands for Merchandising and Marketing.  This award is reserved for women in the private label industry who have had and continue to have a major impact in the store brand segment. 

With a solid foundation in product development and quality control, Andrea has spent over 15 years on the manufacturing side, specializing in the formulation and commercialization of organic certified products. Her expertise ensures compliance with organic standards and supports suppliers in navigating the complexities of sourcing organic ingredients. For the past 5 years, she has focused on the private label sector working directly for the retailers.  These responsibilities include building organic private label brands and enhancing product positioning to align with consumer trust and market trends.

Andrea holds a master’s degree in Food Science from Kansas State University and a bachelor’s degree in Food Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, along with a Certification in Business Strategy from Harvard Business School Online. Committed to sustainability, she also served as chair of the Pembroke, MA Recycling Committee from 2021 to 2023.

Organic Seed Alliance, Madison, WI

Dr. Cathleen “Cat” McCluskey is the Policy and Advocacy Director for Organic Seed Alliance, a national organization that conducts research and training with seed producers and develops policies for organic seed, food, and farming systems. She holds a Doctorate in Environment and Resources, a master’s in Agroecology, and a bachelor’s in Agricultural Systems Analysis.

Bread & Butter Farm, South Burlington, VT

Corie Pierce is the owner and operator of Bread & Butter Farm, a 600-acre diversified organic vegetable, grass-fed beef and pork farm in Vermont. She is a first-generation farmer and brings over 20 years of experience in running a start-up farm business that has led the way in diversified production alongside value added agritourism and land based educational programs. She is also a founder of The Agrihood Collective, a non-profit dedicated to providing communities with quality foods, clean air, rich soil, and healthy water for future generations. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Middlebury College and a certificate in Agroecology from UC Santa Cruz.

Cyclone Farms, York, Nebraska

Amy Bruch is a farmer and president of Cyclone Farms, a sixth-generation organic farm in Nebraska. Ms. Bruch has almost 20 years’ experience in agriculture, including agricultural business management and regulatory compliance, operational improvements and transitioning farms to new crops and to organic production. Ms. Bruch’s career highlights include interning at the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, working as a systems engineer at General Mills and consulting internationally on agri-business. She has a background and expertise in certification, compliance, crops and the National List, and has a commitment to organic that will serve her well as a member of the NOSB representing the organic farming sector.

Hemlock Grove Farm, West Danby, New York

Brian Caldwell has been involved in organic agriculture for more than 40 years as an educator, research, and farmer. In 1983, Brian was a founding member of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY) and has remained active in the organization since then as a staff person (2002-2005), educator at numerous winter conferences and member. Brian spent many years working for Cornell University, first as the vegetable and fruit specialist for Cornell Cooperative Extension, and then as a field manager and researcher for the Cornell Organic Cropping Systems project. He has operated an organic farm in West Danby, NY since 1978 and has a deep understanding of organic standards. As an educator, farmer and longstanding NOFA-NY member, Brian understands consumer perspectives. He has a deep-rooted commitment to the success of the organic label, a diverse background in the organic sector to inform his service and a lifetime of connection with organic consumers and the public to serve as a member of the NOSB representing the consumer/public interest sector.

New York University, New York, New York

Dr. Carolyn Dimitri is an applied economist and currently serves on the faculty at New York University. She also has extensive experience with the USDA, working for more than a decade at the Economic Research Service (ERS) where she authored numerous reports on different aspects of the organic sector, including consumer expectations and attitudes about organic food. Carolyn has a demonstrated commitment to public service, currently serving as a member of the Executive Board for the Organic Farming Research Foundation. She is familiar with many of the most pressing issues related to organic standards and National List materials and has the knowledge, expertise and dedication to serve on the NOSB as a member representing the consumer/public interest sector.

Grimmway Farms, Lee, Florida

Logan Petrey is the organic ranch manager of 9,000 acres at Grimmway Farms located in Georgia and Florida. She is a fourth-generation farmer with experience in produce, corn, cotton and peanuts and has previous experience as an agronomist and organics farm manager with Generation Farms and as a field technician for Robinson Fresh, where she was exposed to farms in the Southeastern and Midwestern United States. Ms. Petrey has served on the Board of Directors for Florida Organic Growers and is currently a member of the United Fresh Working Group. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Valdosta State University and a Master of Plant Protection and Pest Management from the University of Georgia. Logan has the diverse farming experience and dedication to serve on the Board as an organic farmer representative. 

Pennsylvania Certified Organic (PCO), State College, Pennsylvania

Kyla Smith is the Certification Director for Pennsylvania Certified Organic (PCO), a USDA-accredited certifying agent. During her 17-year tenure with PCO, Ms. Smith also worked as an organic inspector, materials specialist and reviewer, and held leadership positions for 6 years as the Chair and Vice Chair of the Accredited Certifiers Association Board. She has extensive knowledge of the USDA organic regulations and the work of the NOSB. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Arts in Transformative Leadership and Social Change from the Maryland University of Integrative Health. Ms. Smith’s lifelong commitment to the organic industry and knowledge of the regulations and certification process will make her an outstanding member of the NOSB as the USDA-accredited certifying agent position.

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Oakland, CA

Allison Johnson is a senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and a policy advocate with a multi-disciplinary background in sustainable food systems. Johnson has dedicated her career to protecting people and the environment and to making food systems safer. She is eager to support a strong organic sector that advances public health, equity, and environmental protection. In addition to her current role at the NRDC, Johnson has also worked as an organic certification and policy specialist for California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) and as an attorney at a public interest firm. Allison holds a J.D. with an Environmental Law Certificate, a Master’s in Gastronomic Sciences and Quality Products, and a Bachelor’s in Nutritional Sciences.

Tennessee State University, Franklin, TN

Dr. Dilip Nandwani holds a Ph.D. in Botany. He has 10-years of teaching experience, with a focus on organic agriculture, certification, and crop science. Dr. Nandwani is currently serving on the boards of Tennessee Organic Growers Association (TOGA), Southern Cover Crops Council (SCCC) and Chair, Organic Tropical and Subtropical Fruits workgroup of International Society of Horticultural Science (ISHS). He is editor of several books on Organic Agriculture, Sustainable Agriculture, and Urban Agriculture (Springer, Dordrecht), serves on the editorial board of the Organic Agriculture Journal, and has published over 250 articles and received over 3.1M in grants and contracts. Dr. Nandwani has received several awards and honors in horticulture, extension, F2F and urban agriculture, and he serves on several professional interest groups (PIG) of the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) including Organic Horticulture, University, regional and state committees.

JSM Organics, Aromas, CA

Javier Zamora owns and operates JSM Organics, a 100-acre family-owned vegetable/fruit farm in California. He brings to the Board twenty years of farming experience, ten of which is in organic farming, with extensive experience marketing produce through retail stores, restaurants, farmers markets, and via his own private label. Zamora is a leader within his community and devotes his time to mentoring young farmers and Spanish-speaking farmers by providing them assistance with direct marketing regulations, organic certification, and compliance to USDA organic regulations. He is also passionate about sustainability and environmentally conscious farming, climate change mitigation, labor issues, and farmworker rights. He has served on several Boards, including the USDA’s Small Farmer & Rancher Advisory Committee, the Agriculture and Land-based Training Association (ALBA), and the Ecological Farming Association (Eco Farm). Mr. Zamora has a deep commitment to organic principles and will bring a unique perspective to the NOSB representing the organic farming sector.

Tuskegee University, Auburn, Alabama

Dr. Quarcoo is a Research-Extension Associate Professor at Tuskegee University and has extensive experience with integrated pest management in organic vegetable production systems, ecological approaches to insect pest management, and insect behavioral toxicology with particular interest in the behavioral response of insects to insecticides. He also led the Tuskegee Human Capital Project in partnership with the National Organic Program, to establish an organic internship program for high school and graduate school students.

Dr. Quarcoo holds a Ph.D. in Entomology, a master’s degree in Plant and Soil Sciences, and a bachelor’s in Agricultural Science.

Washington Farmland Trust; Organic Farmer, Oyster Bay Farm, WA

Mr. Lewis works as the South Sound Conservation Manager for the Washington Farmland Trust in Washington State, and he has close to two decades of experience as an organic farmer and organic certifier. He holds a B.S. in Organic Chemistry and Agricultural Science from The Evergreen State College, and he previously held positions with the Organic Trade Association and the Washington State Department of Agriculture.