Ashley Allen Jones is an investment executive leading environmental finance innovation across the water, agricultural, and energy sectors. She specializes in the securitization and quantification of environmental assets and relentlessly pursues new forms of innovation to push the industry towards growth.

Joseph Bartenfelder serves as the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Agriculture. Mr. Bartenfelder grew up on a farm, and has been a full-time farmer and small businessman since graduating Towson University with a bachelor’s degree in business.  He served as a member of the Baltimore County Council from 1994-2010, and as a member of the House of Delegates from 1983-94, representing District 8 (Baltimore County).

Chris Becraft is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Underwood & Associates, Inc., a pioneering ecological restoration design/build firm based in Annapolis. Chris works with both the design and construction teams to implement climate-resilient projects that enhance valuable habitat and protect our water resources.

Samora Bennerman-Johnson began her federal service career with the USDA in 1987 with the former Farmers Home Administration.  After a six year break in service, in March 1999, she returned to federal service maintaining various positions in the Civil Rights/Equal Employment Opportunity community with the Department of Treasury and various USDA agencies.  In April 2022, Ms. Johnson officially joined the NRCS Equity Division wherein she serves as a Senior Equity Program Manager.  Ms. Johnson’s experience includes agency leadership and extensive experience in a range of Civil Rights, EEO, Diversity and Inclusion, and Equity topics.  Ms. Johnson received her Bachelor of Science degree, with honors, in Business Administration with a concentration in Management from Bowie State University.  She resides in Maryland with her husband and they have three sons.

Sarah Blaney is the Executive Director at the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts.

Delegate Regina Boyce is one of three delegates in the 43rd district. Regina was born in Washington, D.C. to Caribbean parents who emigrated to the United States from Jamaica and Barbados. She has worked in Baltimore City for 22 years, and holds a Masters degree in Public Administration from the University of Baltimore. Regina was elected in 2018 as one of three delegates in the 43rd District. After being sworn into office on January 9th, 2019, Regina was assigned to the House Environment and Transportation Committee, serving on both the Environment and Motor Vehicle and Transportation Subcommittees. Regina is also a member of the Baltimore City Delegation serving as 2nd Vice Chair as of 2021 and sits on the Transportation and Alcohol Subcommittees.  Regina is a member of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, The Women’s Caucus, The Transit Caucus, and is an Associate Member of the Latino Caucus.

Colton Buckley serves as the Executive Director of the National Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils. Previously, he held positions as the 2nd Vice President of the National Association and the Executive Director of the Texas Association, in addition to several capacities with local councils and state associations in both Texas and Oklahoma. He is the former campaign manager and adviser to Texas Commissioner of Agriculture Sid Miller and is a former member of the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, appointed by Governor Rick Perry. 

Jonathan Burgess is the Programs and Policy Director at the Allegheny County Conservation District in Pittsburgh, PA, where he oversees the District’s agricultural tech assistance, watershed, farm preservation, and urban soils programs. His educational background merges environmental science and policy analysis,, and he founded ACCD’s Urban Ag and Soils Programs in early 2016.

Gabe Cohee is the director of the Office of Restoration and Resilience at Maryland DNR’s Chesapeake and Coastal Service. Gabe has directed the state’s Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund since 2012, focused on improving water quality, habitat and climate resilience in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.

Victoria Coles studies physical and climate impacts on coastal and marine ecological communities. She combines analysis of long term data sets with analysis of model future projections to better understand local climate impacts to the environment and people. She became interested in climate impacts as she watched local sea level and weather change, increasing the number of flooding events in her yard and local roads and impacting the lives of her three boys and the local community.

Elise Cruce- As the Managing Director of Leadership Development, Elise sets the strategic direction for the leadership development team at AFBF. She facilitates strategic planning, goal setting, and professional development opportunities for Farm Bureau leaders. Elise joined the AFBF team in 2017 from the Florida Farm Bureau Federation, where she was the Leadership Programs Coordinator. Elise is certified in Game Design and Facilitation by the North American Gaming and Simulation Association and in Management Essentials from Harvard Business School. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Education and Communications from the University of Florida where she also holds a graduate certificate in Agriculture and Natural Resources Leadership. Elise is currently an MBA candidate at Louisiana State University. A member of the Society for Association Executives, Elise earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) Credential in 2022. She and her husband Jamison live in Washington, DC.

John Dawes is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of The Commons, nonprofit that helps organizations access software development capacity and deploy data management systems that further improve our natural world. He grew up on and manages an Angus Beef farm in Huntingdon County, PA where the operation has implemented various management practices to improve water quality to Emma Creek, a small tributary to the Juniata River.

Shelly Dehoff has worked for the Lancaster (PA) County Conservation District for 20 years, covering the eastern half of PA handling conflict management related to agriculture. Shelly serves as a moderator or facilitator between parties involved in conflict. As a District employee, she appreciates being involved with an assortment of special projects, including administering the Manure Injection Incentive Program for farmers in Lancaster Co. Promotion of injection for nutrient benefits, soil health benefits, and odor reduction are directly in line with her desire to educate farmers and the public, and minimize conflict where possible.

Alex Echols joined the Campbell Foundation in January of 2019 and brings experience in the agricultural sector, philanthropy, conservation and government. Prior to joining the Foundation, Alex ran an independent business to help advance conservation outcomes, particularly in water quality and biodiversity. He also built a company, Ecosystem Services Exchange, that improves farm profitability and water quality. Previously Alex ran the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, worked as the government affairs director of a recycling trade association and worked for the U.S. Senate for 12 years. While working for the Senate, Alex was the principal staff lead in developing the Conservation Title of the Farm Bill.

Emily Fife is the NRCS acting Northeast regional conservationist stationed in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she is normally the Utah state conservationist and has worked with the agency for 18 years. Fife began her conservation career with two Soil and Water Conservation Districts and as an NRCS Earth Team Volunteer in Kentucky while in college. She was hired as an NRCS soil conservationist in Oregon, district conservationist in New York, team leader in Oregon, and assistant state conservationist for programs in Arizona.

Diane Gray is serving a 120-day detail as Acting State Conservationist for Maryland NRCS. Diane comes to Maryland from Michigan NRCS, where she is the Assistant State Conservationist for Management and Strategy and responsible for integrating conservation strategy and financial planning, personnel, locally-based administrative services, and other resources to deliver the mission of the state, area and local field offices. She has over 35 years of experience with the USDA, and has served in a number of leadership roles throughout NRCS including Acting State Conservationist for New Jersey and Michigan

Matthew Houser researches farmers’ decision making related to nutrient management and climate resilience. Co-appointed at The Nature Conservancy and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Matthew’s work is applied with the goal of producing new insights that increase our capacity to engage and enable farmers to implement conservation practices. In this effort, he draws on both large-scale surveys and statistics, while also using on-the-ground interviews with farmers and others in the agriculture sector. Matthew grew up in rural Central Pennsylvania on a small beef cattle farm. This background inspired his interest in revealing the substantial challenges facing agricultural and rural communities, and how these challenges hinder progress toward conservation goals.

Tim Hushon is the Sustainable AgTech Director for local ag retailer, The Mill. Utilizing data driven management decisions, he takes pride in maintaining superior grower support around nutrient efficiency. These actions place a vital focus on farm profitability, resulting in sustainability for future generations.

Gennifer Keller is the Urban Agriculture Program Coordinator for the Northern Rhode Island Conservation District (NRICD), where she assists urban farmers, gardeners and community leaders in the field. The foundation of her career began with B.S in Environmental Science & Management with a minor in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems from the University of Rhode Island. She continues her advocacy for urban agriculture and food sovereignty through her role at the District in grant writing and program coordination.

Cliff Lane has been active in conservation since 2004. He started as a county commissioner director and continues in that role to this day. In 2013 he was elected as chairman to serve the 13 county NW region of PA. In 2019 he was elected to represent PA in NACD. He was just re-electd for 2 more years. He also serves on the NE region of NACD as vice chairman. He is a strong advocate for using conservation practices and new ways to keep our enhance our soils and keep our waters clean.

Neith Little is the urban agriculture Extension Educator for Baltimore City. Her role is to help urban farmers learn what they need to better achieve their goals through one-on-one technical assistance, workshops, field days, written resources, and applied research. Prior to this position, Neith worked as an agricultural Extension Educator for Dakota County, Minnesota and as Assistant Grower at Hampshire College Farm Neith earned an M.S. from Cornell University in Soil and Crop Sciences and a B.A. from College of the Atlantic in Human Ecology.

Major Tyrone (TJ) Love is a Conservation and Agriculture Reach Everyone (CARE) Champion from the Wagoner County Conservation District in Oklahoma.

James McKitrick is the Senior Policy Manager with the American Forest Foundation. As the government relations lead for the Family Forest Carbon Program, he works at both the federal and state level to monitor and ensure a positive policy environment for family forest owners. James has spent his career in various positions with the State of Maryland and on Capitol Hill and is a native of Annapolis, Maryland.

Erin McNally is a Project Development Coordinator who works to develop comprehensive ecological restoration projects, bring together stakeholders, and facilitate community engagement. Her background in natural resource management has been cultivated through working with diverse stakeholder groups from state to nonprofits and directly with landowners to create meaningful and impactful projects.

Jeffrey Parker is the District Manager for Steuben County Soil & Water Conservation District. He possesses 34 years of experience in the soil & water conservation field. He holds an Associate’s Degree in Agronomy Conservation & Recreational Land Management from SUNY Cobleskill and a Bachelors Degree in Agronomy from Delaware Valley College. He is recognized as a Certified Professional in Erosion & Sediment Control both nationally and New York State. He has served on NYS Conservation District Employees Association as Member At Large and Division Representative. He currently serves as the President of the Northeast Association of Conservation District Employees and is the Northeast Regional Director for the National Conservation District Employees Association.

Jeremy Peters joined the staff of NACD in 2006 and became the association’s Chief Executive Officer in April 2015. Peters manages the association and leads advocacy efforts on behalf of the nation’s 3,000 conservation districts. During his career with NACD, Peters has served as Chief Operating Officer as well as Legislative Affairs Manager. Earlier in his career, he served as Federal Policy Director for American Farmland Trust and directed climate, conservation and energy programs for National Farmers Union. He previously worked on Capitol Hill for former Congressman Earl Pomeroy, D – N.D., who sat on the House Agriculture Committee and the Ways and Means Committee. Peters grew up on his family’s farm raising cattle in Wise County in rural southwestern Virginia. He holds bachelor’s degrees in political science and history from Emory and Henry College, as well as a Master of Public Administration degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Jake Reilly is the director of Chesapeake Bay programs for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, where he oversees a $50 million annual portfolio of competitive grants and technical assistance programming in support of Bay watershed restoration and protection. Prior to joining NFWF, Jake served as a budget and policy analyst for the White House Office of Management and Budget where he oversaw policy development and program execution for USDA private lands conservation programs. Jake has degrees in agricultural and natural resource economics from the University of Maryland and environmental science and policy from Johns Hopkins University.

Timothy Rosen manages ShoreRivers’ agricultural department, partnering with academic, state, and federal agencies to advance research on agricultural best management practices, managing restoration projects, completing watershed assessments, and working with farmers and landowners to reduce land-based pollution. He has spearheaded efforts in Maryland and Delaware to address agricultural drainage using updated technologies and new management techniques. He partners with universities and the agricultural industry on efforts to reduce the impacts of agricultural nutrients at the source through better implementation of cover crops and investigating new technologies such as biostimulants and biofertilizers. He has been a part of implementing over 150 projects across Maryland and Delaware that total more than $18 million invested. His partnership with Oakland View Dairy and Land O Lakes was awarded the 2017 U.S. Dairy Sustainability Award.

Jonathan Shears is the Partnerships Manager for the Family Forest Carbon Program. In this role, he works to build partnerships with peer organizations to leverage carbon markets to achieve landowners’ goals and advance conservation initiatives. Jonathan lives in Virginia and has been with the American Forest Foundation for three years.

Jess Single is a Project Development Manager at Ecotone, LLC who is responsible for developing ecological restoration projects that align multiple stakeholders under shared missions and goals. She utilizes her extensive background in federal and state grant writing & management to unearth funding solutions for project partners.

David Stephens is a staff member at the Oklahoma Black Historical Research Project Inc. (OKHBRI).

Taryn Sudol is the Coastal Resilience Coordinator for Maryland Sea Grant, where she focuses on sea level rise impacts to natural and working lands and ways to improve communities’ preparedness to these hazards. She also coordinates the Chesapeake Bay Sentinel Site Cooperative, a network of researchers and decision-makers who monitor tidal wetlands and the effects sea level rise has on wetland management. Taryn received her Masters of Science in Conservation Biology an Sustainable Development from the University of Maryland in 2012.

Grant Victor is a Conservation & Agriculture Reach Everyone (CARE) Champion from the Ottowa County Conservation District in Oklahoma. Victor Ranch of Afton was the 2021 recipient of the Oklahoma Leopold Conservation Award.

Madison Walter is the urban agriculture coordinator for the New Castle Conservation District, a steering committee member of the Delaware Urban Farm and Food Coalition and recently completed the LEADelaware agriculture leadership program. With a B.S. in Landscape Architecture from Cornell University and a M.S. in Environmental Education from Antioch University New England, Madi thrives by creating learning experiences that cultivate curiosity and illustrate how connections developed through farming and gardening build stronger communities.

Emily Zobel is the Senior Agent Associate for Ag and Food System for University of Maryland Extension in Dorchester County. Her current focus areas are sustainable vegetable production, pesticide safety, integrated pest management, and farm stress. She is also 1/3 of the Garden Thyme Podcast, a monthly podcast that helps people learn how to get down and dirty in their gardens.