Madison, Wisconsin – April 22, 2010 — Leonardo Academy announces the appointment of two new members to the National Sustainable Agriculture Standards Committee, within the Environmentalist and General Interest categories.
Michelle Wander, representing the Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS), brings nearly 30 years of experience in soil science, agroecology, and farming systems research. She serves on the SWCS Policy Committee and also directs the Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture Program at the University of Illinois. Her current research includes the influence of tillage and cover-cropping, climate change, crop diversity, production of bioenergy crops, and organic management on soils and soil processes. Ms. Wander is actively engaged in the review of Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) tools for conservation programs and is experienced in the analysis of soil-related metrics used in standards and conservation models.
Jody Endres, Senior Regulatory Associate at the University of Illinois Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI), contributes a background in agriculture and over a decade of expertise in agricultural, environmental, and food law. Her current research focuses on sustainability standards for agriculture, particularly biomass. She has also conducted extensive research on laws affecting direct farm businesses. Ms. Endres serves on the Executive Committee of the EBI, as well as the Council on Sustainable Biomass Production (CSBP), where she is engaged in an effort to develop sustainability standards for biomass growers and bioenergy producers. In addition, she is the EBI's representative to the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels and has been nominated by EBI to serve on the EPA Agricultural Advisory Committee. Through her work, Ms. Endres maintains strong alliances with the farming community and will bring valuable insights from biomass stakeholders in particular to the Sustainable Agriculture Standard development process.
Ms. Wander and Ms. Endres will be filling seats vacated by Andrew Manale of the Soil and Water Conservation Society and Timothy Mahoney of Oxfam America.
Source: Leonardo Academy