Our People

Meet the Team

Bringing an authentic passion to every project.

Senior Leadership

Emily

Johannes

Senior Vice President

Emily has a background in ecology and climate science, previously serving as the Climate Lead for Nestlé North America. In addition, she led Nestlé’s Sustainable Sourcing and Recycling Programs in the U.S., where she led projects with suppliers, farmers, non-governmental organizations, and stakeholders on topics of climate action, animal welfare, packing sustainability, and social responsibility.

Ask me about:

Climate science, sustainable sourcing, environmental advocacy, technology, carbon/regenerative agriculture programs

Andrew

Lyon

Senior Director of Conservation Agriculture

Andrew Lyon is Senior Director of Conservation Agriculture at Farm Journal’s Trust In Food™, where he promotes conservation, data intelligence, and communications efforts that help farmers and ranchers adopt practices and technologies that strengthen profitability, natural resources, and agricultural resilience.

Ask me about:

Soil Health, Regenerative Agriculture, Water Quality, Irrigation Technology Improvement to Reduce Water Use, Farmer-to-Farmer Engagement, Federal/State/Local Conservation Program Implementation, Building Public/Private Partnerships, Innovative Conservation Finance, and Ecosystem Service Markets.

Kaeli

Elisco

Senior Director of Operations

Kaeli is an experienced operations and customer success leader with 15+ years of experience in client engagement, operations, and business leadership. She combines client-focused leadership, business strategy, and operational expertise to build strong relationships, drive results, and support organizational growth.

Ask me about:

Leadership, building great teams, operational strategy, customer relationships, and finding better ways to work.

Producer Programs

Team Lead

Chelsea

Slaton

Director, Grants and Program Operations

Chelsea Slaton is the Director, Grants and Program Operations for Trust In food.  In this role, Chelsea utilizes her vast experience in managing grant programs and projects to ensure that we have the systems, processes, and reporting needed to meet requirements and to ensure that we can demonstrate the impact being made. She liaises with partners on financial and impact reporting, as well as operational needs. Chelsea comes to Trust in Food from California Farmland Trust where she served as the Conservation Director. Her previous roles include working as the Director of Development for the California Waterfowl Association and prior to that, managing the Political Affairs Department of the California Farm Bureau Federation. Chelsea has a keen awareness that it takes many contributing parties to succeed in conservation and believes that for long-term and widespread conservation practices in agriculture to be successful, the future will require support and consideration of many stakeholders.

Ask me about:

Conservation, project management, conservation easements, ag policy, specialty crops, food labeling, advocating for incentive-based conservation programs, grassroots advocacy, regenerative agriculture

Dr. Lais

Bastos Martins

Producer Advisor

Lais serves as a Producer Advisor, bringing her expertise in crop science with a focus on plant breeding from both her Master’s and PhD studies at North Carolina State University. Originally from Brazil, Lais has worked with cover crop breeding and is passionate about increasing the sustainability and resilience of Midwestern farms. Her work focuses on developing practical, science-driven solutions to improve the long-term viability of agriculture, ensuring a sustainable future for producers and the land they rely on.

Ask me about:

Cover crops, winter peas, new cropping systems, plant breeding, data analysis

Dr. Stella

Brownlee

Producer Advisor

Dr. Stella Brownlee is a soil scientist with over a decade of expertise in enhancing crop yield and plant quality under stress conditions through in-depth research in soil fertility, plant nutrition, plant physiology, soil microbiology, and water-plant management.

Ask me about:

Soil fertility and balanced nutrient management, Plant stress Tolerance and Recovery, Water Management in Agriculture, Biostimulats for Crop Enhancement, Regenerative and Sustainable Agriculture, Development of Crop Varieties for Pest and Disease Resistance, Yield and Quality improvement, Organic Soil Amendments and Soil Microbial Activity, Strategies to improve Crop Production and Plant Quality in areas with challenging conditions, Integration of Conservation Agricultural Practices in Commercial Farm

Dr. Robert

Williams

Producer Advisor

Dr. Robert Williams joins Trust In Food as the Sustainable Livestock Genetics Technical Manager, following a long career in the beef industry.

Ask me about:

Livestock Management, Genetics, Genetic Improvement Programs, Business Management, Marketing Strategy, and Science

Austin

Arrington

Digital Solutions & AI Manager

Austin Arrington is Trust In Food’s Digital Solutions & AI Manager, leading the development of digital tools and AI applications that support farmer and rancher engagement across conservation, technology and agricultural sustainability programs. He has more than a decade of experience in environmental technology, software engineering, geospatial data and agricultural carbon markets, with previous roles at ESMC, NextEra Energy and Teralytic. Austin has also worked with organizations including Cargill, General Mills and The Nature Conservancy. He holds graduate degrees in bioethics and environmental science and brings a technical, systems-focused perspective to building practical digital solutions for agriculture.

Ask me about:

AI and LLM applications in agriculture, digital MRV infrastructure, geospatial data, farmer-facing technology, carbon/regenerative agriculture programs

Betsy

Jackson

Enrollment Manager

With almost a decade of farming experience, Betsy has cultivated her expertise across various scales and climates, focusing on organically grown specialty crops and diversified operations. She most recently managed an incubator farm that supported refugee farmers from Burma, highlighting her commitment to equitable and community-driven agriculture. She currently resides in North Carolina with her family.

Ask me about:

Resilience and stewardship through conservation, cultivating specialty crops within sustainable farming small and urban farm operations, utilizing organic practices and systems floriculture for small farm profitability, building meaningful partnerships, advocating for farmer-centered equity, awareness and collaboration

Lindsey

Spero

Data Specialist

Lindsey specializes in spatial data, mapping, and remote sensing. She is passionate about data visualization and finding ways to communicate science and data in ways that are both clear and useful to people from all backgrounds.

Ask me about:

GIS, cartography, ecology, data visualization

Producer Advisors

Team Lead

Alisha

Horak

Senior Manager, Producer Advisors

Alisha Horak is Trust In Food’s Senior Manager of Producer Advisors, bringing extensive experience in conservation planning, technical assistance and Farm Bill programs. She previously worked with NCAT on a multi-state USDA conservation grant and spent several years with USDA-NRCS as a District Conservationist and Soil Conservationist, working directly with landowners on grazing systems and conservation practices. Alisha is also an active NRCS Technical Service Provider. She holds degrees in Applied Ecology and Natural Resource Management and brings both technical expertise and a producer perspective from her family farm in South Dakota.

Ask me about:

Conservation planning, NRCS programs, grazing systems, technical assistance and the producer perspective.

Kylie

Preisinger

Producer Advisor

Kylie Preisinger is Trust In Food’s Program Advisor for Dairy, bringing nearly two decades of experience in dairy research, education and industry leadership. Raised on a dairy farm in Vermont, she has conducted field research on farms across the U.S. and gained firsthand experience with dairy systems around the world. Most recently, she taught dairy production at Hartpury College in the UK. Kylie holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Animal Sciences with a focus on dairy management and brings deep industry knowledge to Trust In Food’s dairy programs.

Ask me about:

Dairy Cattle Management, Genetics, Cattle Evaluation and Judging, Dairy Production Research, Agricultural Education

Engagement

Team Lead

Amy

Frankel

Senior Manager of Influence Engagement

Amy has a background in agricultural communications and marketing, previously serving as Marketing and Communications Manager at The Land Trust for Tennessee, a statewide nonprofit protecting over 137,000 acres. There, she crafted stories and campaigns that made complex conservation topics feel relevant and accessible to the farmers and landowners most affected by them. She is passionate about helping producers and the agricultural industry adopt conservation practices that benefit both their operations and the planet.

Ask me about:

Conservation storytelling, agricultural communications, land conservation, farmer-focused content strategy, social media growth, connecting conservation to real-world farm outcomes, making complex topics accessible

Alena

Bardic

Manager of Influence Engagement

Alena Bardic is Trust In Food’s Manager of Influence Engagement, helping shape campaign strategy, content direction and engagement programs that connect with key audiences. Her background spans campaign development, content strategy, events, brand messaging and B2B marketing. She brings both a big-picture view of how campaigns support broader goals and close attention to the details that make them relevant and engaging. Alena earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing and advertising from Loyola University Chicago.

Ask me about:

Campaign strategy, audience engagement, content direction, brand messaging and event marketing.

Sam

Privitera

Content Specialist, Influence Engagement

Sam Privitera is Trust In Food’s Content Specialist, Influence Engagement, bringing more than five years of experience in design, marketing and content creation. She develops graphics, marketing materials, photography, video and other content that helps bring Trust In Food’s work to life across multiple channels. With a background in design and social media, Sam combines visual storytelling with thoughtful content development to connect audiences with the people, stories and impact behind Trust In Food. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Design from Lipscomb University.

Ask me about:

Visual storytelling, content creation, social media, photography and video.

Partnerships & Events

Team Lead

Emily

Maneval

Senior Manager of Partnerships

Emily Maneval is Senior Manager of Partnerships for Trust In Food™ at Farm Journal. Her work focuses on leading the planning, coordination and execution of strategic partnerships across Trust In Food. She is passionate about building strong relationships, creating seamless experiences and turning partnership opportunities into meaningful results.

Ask me about:

Sustainable food systems, on-farm planning and adoption of sustainable practices, history of U.S. farm policy, behavioral change models, farmer perspective on transitional agriculture, three-legged stool of sustainability

Becca

Bowman

Events Manager

Becca is Trust In Food’s Events Manager, planning and executing events, farm tours and other experiences that bring farmers, partners and agricultural organizations together. She previously spent more than seven years with Virginia Cooperative Extension’s Family Nutrition Program at Virginia Tech, coordinating statewide trainings and events supporting nutrition education and food access programs. Becca holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Virginia Tech, with a background spanning agricultural education, extension and event management. She is passionate about creating well-organized experiences that help producers and partners connect, learn and share practical solutions.

Ask me about:

Agricultural events and farm tours, event planning and logistics, producer engagement, agricultural education, and creating meaningful experiences for farmers and partners

Contact Us

Get in touch with Trust in Food to learn more about how we can help your organization meet its conservation and sustainability goals.