Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research Expands Board of Directors

Six New Members Join Board in Advance of October 5 Public Board Meeting Session

The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research Board of Directors has appointed six new members, significantly increasing food and agriculture industry representation on the board.

The following new Directors are serving five-year terms and began their participation at the Foundation’s board meeting taking place this week in Washington.

Doug Cameron, Ph.D., is managing director of First Green Partners, an early-stage venture investment company and of Alberti Advisors, a family business focused on innovation and education. Cameron’s extensive background in business and research includes serving as a professor of chemical engineering at University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is a board director for several startup companies and on the advisory board of AgTech Accelerator, which supports the launch of innovative agriculture companies.

Carl Casale is president and chief executive officer of CHS Inc., an energy, grains and foods company and the nation’s largest member-owned cooperative. Casale, who operates a family-owned blueberry farm, was previously executive vice president and chief financial officer for Monsanto Company. He currently serves on the boards of Ventura Foods, LLC; Ecolab Inc., National Council of Farmer Cooperatives and the Minnesota Business Partnership.

Gail Christopher, D.N., is senior advisor and vice president at W. K. Kellogg Foundation, where she leads the foundation’s Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation enterprise and contributes to overall direction for the foundation. Christopher has received numerous public service awards for her work to infuse holistic health and diversity concepts into public sector programs and health policy discourse. Her contributions to the Kellogg Foundation since 2007 have spanned racial equity; food, health and well-being; community and civic engagement; and leadership. She is chair of the Board of Directors of the Trust for America’s Health.

Mehmood Khan, M.D., is vice chairman and chief scientific officer of global research and development (R&D) at PepsiCo. Khan, who has also been faculty member at the Mayo Clinic and Mayo Medical School, oversees the PepsiCo global Performance with Purpose sustainability agenda, which includes planet, product and people sustainability, and leads the company’s R&D efforts, creating breakthrough innovations in food, beverages and nutrition–as well as delivery, packaging and production technology–to drive PepsiCo’s businesses forward.

Pam Marrone, Ph.D., is founder and CEO of Marrone Bio Innovations, a company Marrone founded to discover and develop natural products for pest management in agriculture and water. Marrone has won numerous awards for her products and businesses, including the Natural Resources Defense Council Growing Green Award recognizing Marrone as a pioneer in sustainable farming and food. She is an alumni-elected Board Trustee of Cornell University.

Bob Stallman is a rice and cattle producer and past president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, a nonprofit membership organization with affiliates in 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. Stallman has served on numerous state and federal panels, advising on economic issues including farm and trade policy. He was appointed by the President to the White House Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations and served from 2007 through 2016.
The Directors above join the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research Board of Directors ahead of the Foundation’s public board meeting session, taking place today in Washington.

“The six new Directors announced today add tremendous depth and diversity of expertise to the Food and Agriculture Research Board of Directors,” said former Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman, Chairman of the Board. “I welcome the addition of these leaders in their respective fields and look forward to their contributions to the Foundation’s mission to address today’s food and agriculture challenges through unique partnerships and innovative science.”

The new Directors join a roster of 19, including Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, an ex-officio member.

“I am pleased to have the opportunity to work with the other board members and staff of the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research to find real solutions to the challenges facing today’s food and agriculture systems,” said Stallman.

“My first job out of college was with an agricultural start-up company and I have been passionate about the importance of research and innovation in food and agriculture ever since,” said Cameron. “I look forward to helping to address opportunities and challenges in these areas though my service on the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research Board of Directors.”

“As someone who has formed and overseen innovative R&D groups in large companies and startup companies, I can’t emphasize enough the value of scientific research, partnerships and innovation to meet the challenges of food production,” said Marrone. “I am honored to work with the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research to lead the way.”

This addition of six Directors is the largest expansion of the Board since the inaugural members were appointed following the creation of the Foundation as part of the Farm Bill passed in 2014.