OMRI Announces Executive Director/CEO Retirement

(February 7, 2022) It is with bittersweet sorrow and gratitude that OMRI (the Organic Materials Review Institute, based in Eugene, Oregon, USA, omri.org) announces the upcoming retirement of longtime Executive Director/CEO Peggy Miars, set to take place July 1, 2022, after 26 years of dedication to the organic sector. Miars joined OMRI in 2010 and has led the organization through more than a decade of unprecedented growth and accomplishment. According to Board of Directors Chair Matt Landi, “We are incredibly appreciative of all that Peggy has contributed during her time with OMRI. Her professionalism, incredible breadth of experience, and passion for organics all brought OMRI to a new level in terms of our service to the industry. We will never replace Peggy, but we are confident that we will find a new executive director to lead OMRI into the future, and that OMRI will provide continued, excellent service in the capable hands of our new executive director, along with our current staff and management team.” OMRI management includes Deputy Director Amy Bradsher, Review Program and Quality Director Kelsey McKee, and Technical Director Doug Currier, whose combined tenure totals more than 30 years of experience with the organization. 

OMRI’s Board of Directors has formed a Transition Committee and hired an executive search firm to recruit the next executive director. That process will take place over the next several months with the public search set to launch in March. 

Through the past decade of Peggy Miars’ leadership, OMRI has experienced significant expansion. The organization added new review programs in Canada and Mexico, and grew from fewer than 1,000 listed products to a combined list of more than 9,000 input products allowed for use in organic operations. At the same time, the organization has grown from 16 to 90 staff around the country, and established financial reserves to ensure long-term stability. With this solid foundation and consistent incoming applications, OMRI is poised to continue serving the organic industry into the future with reliable and clear information about inputs for organic use. Last year, OMRI signed a Cooperative Agreement with the USDA National Organic Program to provide Technical Reports and other technical support for the National Organic Standards Board. 

Miars leaves OMRI as the organization’s longest-serving executive director, leading for more than 11 of its 25 years of operation. According to Miars, “My time with OMRI is full of great memories, and I am extremely proud of the success that we have all accomplished together. Thanks to the hard work of so many, our world has grown organically. And OMRI is behind so much of that growth! I have complete faith that the staff, the dedicated board, and the new executive director will continue to improve efficiency, support integrity, and provide reliable and quality material reviews for the organic industry. I am looking forward to watching OMRI successfully do more of what we do best throughout the world of organics.” 

Last September, Miars completed her term as president of IFOAM – Organics International. She represented North America on the IFOAM World Board from 2014 to 2021, and she will continue to serve on the board of IOAS, an organic and sustainable accreditation organization. Miars will continue with OMRI until July 1, 2022, when a new successor will take the reins. 

Contact: Matt Landi, Chair, OMRI Board of Directors
(831) 818-0179

View the official position profile: OMRI Executive Director Position Profile