Dedicated Leadership

Poppy Davis is a full time business and policy adviser, providing agricultural producers assistance on business formation, land tenure, credit, taxation, liability, regulatory compliance and value-added inventory. Poppy also works with nonprofits and local governments to develop financial and managerial capacity and programs to improve the environment for farming, ranching and healthy food access. Poppy has a B.S. in Agricultural Economics from U.C. Davis, a Masters in Journalism from Georgetown University, and a J.D. with a certificate in agricultural law from Drake University Law School. She is also a past fellow fo the California Agricultural Leadership Program. Additionally, Poppy teaches a class in Agricultural Tax Law a the University of Arkansas School of Law and has ongoing affiliations with beginning farmer and rancher training programs nationwide. After working as a California CPA emphasizing on family-scale farms, Poppy began working for the USDA in 2004 initially with the crop insurance program and later as the National Program Leader for Small Farms and Beginning Farmers and Ranchers. During her time at the USDA, Poppy served as a member of the management team for Secretary Vilsack’s “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” initiative. Poppy served for a year as the Executive Director of the Ecological Farming Association. Her past board service includes the Farmer-Veteran Coalition, The Carrot Project, Red Tomato, The Center for Land-Based Learning, and The Community Alliance with Family Farmers.

I have been involved with agriculture and food production my entire life, and I have had the great opportunity in my career to work closely with issues of sustainability and equity. I have been a buyer, an advocate, and educator for sustainable and regenerative agriculture both personally and professionally. I have extensive experience and skill with managing P&L responsibility as well as a long track record of successful multi-stakeholder relationships. Additionally my experience has centered on realizing new projects that showcase and grow markets for sustainably produced foods. I have managed the complex relationship between contractors, leaseholders, and building owners while building and operationalizing a 26,000 square foot food processing, delivery, and storage facility. I have also lead the building of, and operationalized a 10,000 square foot educational and sustainable museum eatery. Oregon Tilth's challenging projects and institutional change require steady, responsive, and creative leadership. I have a varied background, experiences, and a desire to share that can support Oregon Tilth as it grows into the future. I believe wholeheartedly in the mission of Oregon Tilth and would be honored to have the opportunity to serve as a board member.

Justin Freeman is the owner/operator of Bagel Sphere, a bagel wholesaler based in Eugene, Oregon. Previously, Justin served as the general manager for Hummingbird Wholesale, a major player in supporting both established organic producers and farmers who are transitioning or are new to organic cultivation in the Pacific Northwest. Justin brings a diverse professional and educational background to the sustainable food industry, having previously worked in academic biological research and in corporate and non-profit settings. He holds bachelor’s degrees from the University of Colorado Boulder and The University of Texas at Austin (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and Management Information Systems, respectively), as well as an MBA from the University of Notre Dame.

Kim Gibson Clark is the CEO of Coconut Bliss and is excited to contribute a manufacturer's/brand's insight into the organic consumer, as well as barriers to entry and opportunities for the organic industry. Kim was raised on a conventional farm and dairy north of Junction City, Oregon – Lochmead Farms. She has an understanding and compassion for all farm families and communities. She believes that organic and conventional folks working together towards organic solutions and opportunities is the best forward for sustainable solutions for all. Kim’s board experience includes six years with the Oregon Dairy Products Commission (processor representative, secretary) and one year with Lane Food and Beverage Sector Strategies. She is also a member of the Oregon Supported Living Program board (OSLP) and is in the process of joining the OSC2 CEO board (founders of Climate Collaborative). Kim has a B.A. in business from Oregon State University and is passionate about financial accounting.

Kellee James is Founder and CEO of Mercaris, a market data service and trading platform for organic, non-GMO and other identity-preserved agricultural commodities. Prior to Mercaris, Kellee spent five years at the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX), the first electronic trading platform and registry for spot, futures and options contracts on carbon, sulfur, clean energy and other environmental products. In 2009, she was appointed by President Barack Obama as a White House Fellow where she advised members of the administration on environmental markets. She has also worked with coffee farmers and commodity banks in Latin America on risk management and income diversification strategies. Kellee was named by both Black Enterprise Magazine and Crain's Chicago Business Magazine as a '40 under 40' rising leader. Ms. James is an Aspen Institute Catto Environmental Fellow and has also served on the board of Net Impact, a membership organization of more than 12,000 MBA professionals committed to sustainability. She is currently a non-resident senior fellow at the Joint Center for Political & Economic Studies, a think tank in Washington, DC. Kellee received her MBA and MA in International Development from American University and completed a BA in Spanish from the University of Kentucky.

I was raised in Oregon, with a deep sense of place, and a love of Douglas fir trees, rain on rooftops and tie-dye. Like many native Oregonians, I too have a ferocious affection for all things "Made in Oregon," and when Oregon Tilth first started showing up on products and farms, I couldn't have been more excited to be connected—if only by place—to a brand that wasn't just doing certification, but was hosting real conversations about our relationship to place, food, community and more. I was raised in a mixed family—a Hawaiian father and a Montanan mother. With the blondest Hawaiian hair anyone has ever seen, I had a tough time finding my Hawaiian side for many years and found solace in Big Sky country and my grandparents' garden in Missoula, MT. It was there that I really discovered a love for dirt under my nails, one that was fed when I married the son of a former CSA farmer. Together, we fueled a love of gardens and growing our own food, and despite taking up residence in Washington, D.C. for almost 10 years, we continue to nurture one in our backyard. Life in the nation's capital, while emotionally challenging has provided remarkable professional opportunity for me in conservation and environmental policy. I've worked on Capitol Hill with lawmakers on public 'lands' policy to ensure the safekeeping of our natural and cultural resources, and offer a breadth of knowledge of today's political climate and strategic policy opportunities and challenges. While I have not served on other boards, I have over 15 years of experience working with conservation non-profits, started my own NGO focused on environmental education, service and recreation as a young adult, and have experience in these roles with fundraising, including grant management and donor cultivation. It would be my honor to serve on the Oregon Tilth board.

Roger became enthusiastic about agriculture when he started a hobby garden in high school. After graduation with a degree in plant biology from the University of Nebraska, he began working with a nonprofit, Sustainable Agriculture Education, executing programs around an 18-acre farm (AgPark). Following this, he worked for leading organic food brand, Amy’s Kitchen, to bring agricultural products from farm to processor to manufacturing facilities. Currently, Roger is working full time and studying for a Master’s Degree in agriculture through Washington State University. Additionally, Roger and his partner are farming one acre of mixed vegetables and seasonal cover crops at AgPark, selling produce to local restaurants and craft food producers.

William F. (Bill) Tracy, Ph.D., is professor and chair of the Department of Agronomy at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. At UW-Madison, Tracy leads the largest public sector sweet corn breeding program in the world. In 2014, Tracy was named public plant breeder of the year by the National Association of Commercial Plant Breeders. Bill's research areas include the genetics, genomics, and biochemistry of endosperm carbohydrate synthesis, the relationship between plant development and pest resistance. Tracy serves the plant breeding community in a number of roles. He has been on the Maize Crop Germplasm Committee for more than 20 years and is currently chair. He is the first chair of the newly created CIMMYT Maize Germplasm Committee. He also chairs the International Sweet Corn Development Association, the corn breeding research executive committee and the NAPB advocacy committee. Tracy has served on numerous USDA regional committees. For 20 years Tracy has been a passionate advocate for reinvigorating public plant breeding, recognizing the serious threats to US agriculture in having highly concentrated decision-making and germplasm ownership. He has been a board member of a number of nonprofits including Organic Seed Alliance, The Michael Fields Institute, and the Dane County Humane Society.

Glenn is the COO, General Manager, and co-owner of BumbleBar. In 1996, after a year in business, he joined BumbleBar, the company his wife founded the year before. BumbleBar was one of the first certified organic snack companies. BumbleBar exclusively made BumbleBranded products until 2007. This is when we decided that our mission of supporting sustainable agriculture and family farms would be greatly amplified if we started making products for other similarly committed companies. He graduated from San Diego State with a degree in social science (emphasis on economics) and a minor in German. He serves on the board of Temple Beth Shalom in Spokane, Wash.