OMRI Board of Directors
The OMRI Board of Directors broadly represents the constituencies of the organic industry with members selected from the community of certifiers, inspectors, farmers, suppliers, processors and handlers, and organizations serving consumer and environmental interests. The Board is the highest governing body at OMRI. It determines OMRI policy and standards and plays an active part in guiding OMRI in its public service role and in carrying out its mission.
Officers
Chair, Ramkrishnan P. Balasubramanian, Quality Certification Services, Gainesville, Florida.
Ram holds an M.S. in agricultural and biological engineering from the University of Florida, an M.S. in production and sustainable agriculture from Wageningen Agricultural University, and a Bachelor’s in agriculture from Tamilnadu Agricultural University. He’s received training as an ISO 9001:200 Lead Auditor, an organic inspector, and a USDA-NRCS Nutrient Management Specialist. Ram is currently Program Director for Quality Certification Services.
Vice-Chair, Katherine Withey, Washington State Department of Agriculture Organic Food Program, Olympia, Washington.
Katherine holds a B.A. in sustainable agriculture from Evergreen State College where she is currently enrolled in the Masters in Environmental Studies program. She participated in the Essence of Herbalism program at Rocky Mountain Institute for Botanical Studies and is an IOIA trained livestock and processor inspector. She has four years experience as a farm manager and has served as an Environmental Specialist for the Washington State Department of Agriculture Organic Food Program since 2002.
Secretary, Mark Whalon, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.
Mark holds a Ph.D. in entomology from Pennsylvania State University, an M.S. in Plant and Soil Science and a B.S. in biology from the University of Vermont. He serves as Professor of Entomology and Director of the Pesticide Alternative Lab at Michigan State University. Mark has authored more than 100 publications and is an internationally recognized expert in IPM, resistance management, and pesticide alternatives in fruit and vegetable production.
Members
Cissy Bowman, Indiana Certified Organic, Indianapolis, Indiana.
Cissy has been an organic farmer since 1977. She owns and operates Indiana Certified Organic, LLC. Previously, she managed the Center Valley Organic Farm CSA and served on the board of Organic Crop Improvement Association as secretary, vice president, and president. Since 1990, Cissy has been moderating the organic workshops for the Indiana Horticulture Society. She has also been an active volunteer in environmental organizations in Indiana since the 1980s.
Jenneke DeJong, Bonanza View Dairy, Bonanza, Oregon.
Jenneke holds a bachelor’s degree in management information systems. She has been co-owner/manager of Bonanza View Dairy since 1989.
Salvatore (Sandy) Pacro, Neptune's Harvest, Gloucester, Massachusetts.
Sandy studied marketing and computer science at Salem State College. He has worked in various capacities in the seafood and fish products industry since 1974. Sandy has served as the president of Neptune’s Harvest a company that produces and markets fish hydrolysate for agricultural use, since 1994.
Jennifer Ryder Fox, California State University, Chico, California.
Jennifer holds a Ph.D. in woody plant physiology and an M.S. in soil microbiology from New Mexico State University. She has 25 years experience in the field of agriculture, working both in academia and industry. Jennifer’s past positions include Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Technical Development for AgraQuest, Inc. and Head of the Horticulture and Crop Science Department at California Polytechnic State University. She currently serves as the Dean of the College of Agriculture at California State University, Chico.
Bob Scott, PMI Nutrition International LLC (Bradfield Organics), St Louis, Missouri.
Bob studied economics at the University of Missouri. He served for 10 years as the president of Bradfield Industries, Inc. where he developed formulations and distribution of organic fertilizers. Since 2004, Bob has worked as a consultant to Bradfield Organics providing technical know how and assistance in marketing and educational efforts to expand organic product usage worldwide.
Eric Sideman, Ph.D., Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, Unity, Maine
Eric holds a Ph.D. in botany and plant ecology from the University of New Hampshire, an M.S. in biology from Northeastern University, and a B.S. in agriculture from Cornell University. He is the Director of Technical Services for the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) where he has worked since 1986. Eric served on the National Organic Standards Board between 1997 and 2002.
(Catherine) Anne Wells, Springpond Holistic Animal Health, Prairie Grove, Arkansas.
Ann received her DVM as well as a B.S. in zoology from Oklahoma State University. She has practiced veterinary medicine since 1981 and has also been a farmer. Between 1995 and 2004, Ann worked as a technical specialist for the National Center for Appropriate Technology.
Bill Stoneman, W.F. Stoneman Company LLC, McFarland, WI
Bill holds degrees in Natural Resources (B.S., 1977) and Agronomy (Masters of Agriculture, 1990) from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN. His work experience includes wildlife habitat inventory, urban forest management, time as a county agent in the Minnesota Cooperative Extension Service, technical services in the liquid fertilizer industry and in non-GMO agricultural biotechnology. He is the Executive Director for the Biopesticide Industry Alliance, Inc. (BPIA). He is also active in a consulting role with several biological pesticide manufacturers’ regulatory affairs, OMRI listing and assisting biological pesticide and bio-stimulant developers sourcing manufacturing of their microbes and fungi. Bill is from a small Northern Minnesota dairy farm and is an IOIA trained independent organic inspector inspecting part-time for Midwest Organic Services Association (MOSA).
Jake Lewin, CCOF Certification Services, LLC, Santa Cruz, CA
Jake Lewin is the Chief Certification Officer for CCOF (www.ccof.org), one of the nation’s oldest and largest organic certification agencies. CCOF certifies more than 2200 operations in North America and performs more than 2800 inspections annually including more than 25 certification staffers and 100 inspectors. Since starting at CCOF in 2004, the organization has doubled in size. His experience in the organic industry includes all aspects of organic certification from farm production to organic inspection and certification of producers, processors, retailers and private labelers. Mr. Lewin also has extensive experience with international organic certification issues and trade promotion. Mr. Lewin has taught seminars and training events on organic regulations and certification worldwide. He holds a AS degree in Horticulture and an MBA degree from Golden Gate University.