Board & Advisors

Benjamin Uchitelle-Pierce was born in Illinois, USA and is honored to be of service to the OSA community. He believes seeds hold the shared story of our past, and the keys to our collective future. Benjamin works with HarvestPlus to build resilient and nutritious food systems by bridging the gaps between agriculture, nutrition, and health. He works collaboratively to tackle hidden hunger on a global scale.

For over 20 years, Natalia has dedicated her career to sustainable agriculture, weaving together research, education, production, and advocacy. A proud supporter of OSA since 2012, she is honored to serve the brilliant, passionate, and talented OSA staff by being on their board, drawing daily inspiration from their work. Natalia’s journey has taken her from analyzing soil microbes at the Rodale Institute to wrangling goats as the owner of a micro-dairy, harvesting a mind-boggling variety of vegetables as a farm worker, feeding worms and microbes as a compost maker, marrying mycorrhizae with their vegetable symbiotes as a mycologist at USDA-ARS, designing permaculture systems that recycle human waste to grow food in the tropics, and advocating for Latin American agroecology through activism across Central and South America, including her homeland of Colombia.

As co-founder of Farmer Campus, Natalia develops award-winning multimedia education programs that blend online learning with on-farm practices. These programs help farmers confront climate uncertainty, ensure economic viability, and build resilience by connecting them to peer networks and providing practical tools to navigate an unpredictable future. Currently a Postdoctoral Scholar at UC Davis, she collaborates with geoscientists to harness climate models and co-create decision support tools tailored to the needs of small and diversified farmers. Natalia is committed to advancing ecological and equitable farming systems that empower growers to thrive in a tumultuous economic and environmental landscape.

Joelle Mosso is an entrepreneurial scientist with a passion for pathogenic food microbiology, risk assessment, and working towards practical solutions for the food industry. Joelle currently is Western Growers Assoc. VP of Science Programs, working alongside growers to develop improved approaches to food safety and sustainability challenges. She has a background in Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA), building microbial testing laboratories, evaluating and designing microbial diagnostic tools/approaches, and firsthand produce experience, managing food safety for complex international supply chains. Before Western Growers, she was Sr. Director of Technical & Regulatory Affairs for the Organic Trade Association (OTA), was the chief scientific officer for the Eurofins Produce, and held food safety and business leadership roles at Earthbound Farm and Olam Spice & Vegetable Ingredients. She holds a B.S. from the University of Maryland in Microbiology with honors in Molecular Biology and a M.S. in Food Science focused on pathogenic food microbiology from the University of California, Davis. Joelle has served on numerous industry technical groups including the Center for Produce Safety Technical Committee, the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) Food Safety Council, USDA National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF), and the USDA National Organic Standards Board (NOSB).

Since 1993, Amy Grondin has worked on boats in the Alaska Salmon industry as a fish buyer, micro-processor of wild salmon and a commercial fisherman. When not on the water, she is a Sustainable Seafood Consultant and Commercial Fishing Outreach Specialist. A long time member of Slow Food and the Chefs Collaborative, she advocates for sustainable local food systems and has great concern for the sustainability of ocean resources

John has been active in the organic community and industry for 30+ years. He spent 12 years working in organic inspection and certification throughout North America and 11 years with Earthbound Farm, starting with the founders and ending his time there as the Director of Supply Chain Strategy under ownership by Danone NA. John has served on various industry Boards and Committees since 2000 and served on the National Organic Standards Board as a Handler Representative from 2010-2015. In the last several years, he has consulted in Strategic Business Development, Change Management, Organic R&D, Carbon Sequestration, and Climate Change Mitigation. In 2020, he partnered with Bill Wolf and Wolf & Associates to build out the capacity and reach of the firm’s business. John is best known for his un-stereotyped problem-solving skills, thirst for applicable knowledge and esoterica alike, appreciation for absurdity and abstraction in all their forms, and squeezing in quotes from The Big Lebowski into everyday conversations. He revels in bringing the benefits of organic theory and practice to as many as possible and serving as a catalyst for positive change.

Edward Johnson, an award-winning creative strategist with over 20 years of enriching storytelling experience in nonprofit marketing, is celebrated for his comprehensive approach spanning multiple platforms, from digital to print. With a democratic leadership style, Edward stands out as a transformative business leader, adept at harnessing creativity, design, branding, and digital strategy to achieve impactful and measurable outcomes. His fervor for positive change is palpable in all his ventures. In his role as the Communications and Marketing Deputy Director at Oregon Tilth, Edward’s strategic insights have been pivotal in advancing the organization’s mission. He’s championed initiatives that aim to make food and agriculture biologically sound and socially equitable through organic certification, education, and advocacy.

Being a proud recipient of the Graphic Design USA Health + Wellness Design Award underscores his professional prowess. As he aligns with Organic Seed Alliance, Edward’s values deeply resonate with their mission to foster a diverse supply of organic seed. Eager and committed, he envisions a future where growers maintain the power of seed, seamlessly aligning with OSA’s vision.