About Us

Our Team

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Our History

Impact

Our Team

Our global team is comprised of a dedicated and diverse group of people with a passion for conservation and improving livelihoods.

Meet Our Staff

The following staff members were part of the EcoAgriculture Partners team at the time of the organization’s wind-down in 2026.

Réka Blakemore

Réka Blakemore

Program Analyst

  • Washington, DC, USA
Réka Blakemore

Heidi I. Jones

CEO

  • Buffalo, NY, USA
Réka Blakemore

Andrea Klein Mattioli

Ops and Admin Manager

  • Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Réka Blakemore

Stacy Langner

Partnerships and Program
Development Advisor

  • Johannesburg, South Africa
Réka Blakemore

Max Levy

Program Lead, Governance and Capacities

  • Turrialba, Costa Rica
Réka Blakemore

Gustavo Rojas

Program Lead, Landscape Finance

  • Mexico City, Mexico
Réka Blakemore

Paul Wanyoike

Strategic Communications and Community Engagement Advisor

  • Nairobi, Kenya

Meet Our Board

The following board members were part of the EcoAgriculture Partners team at the time of the organization’s wind-down in 2026.

Réka Blakemore

Jeannette Tramhel

Board Chair

Réka Blakemore

Dr. Emile Frison

Board Member Emerit

Réka Blakemore

Kay Quam

Board Member Emerit

Réka Blakemore

Jagdeesh Rao Puppala

Board Member

Réka Blakemore

Barbara Rose

Board Member Emerit

Réka Blakemore

Darryl A. Simon

Board Member

Réka Blakemore

Timothy J. LaSalle

Board Member

Réka Blakemore

Dr. Lindani Mhlanga

Board Member

Réka Blakemore

Dr. Daniel Murdiyarso

Board Member

Réka Blakemore

Graham Wood

Board Member

Meet Our Fellows

The following fellows were part of the EcoAgriculture Partners team at the time of the organization’s wind-down in 2026.

Réka Blakemore

Bhushan H. Sethi

Senior Policy Fellow

Réka Blakemore

Thomas Forster

Senior Fellow

Réka Blakemore

David Kuria

Leadership Fellow

Réka Blakemore

Changxiao Li

Senior Fellow

Réka Blakemore

John Recha

Research Fellow

Our Team Through the Years

Over the years, EcoAg was shaped by the contributions of many talented board members, fellows, staff members, and interns. The list below recognizes those who were part of the EcoAg team throughout its history. Staff members who worked with EcoAg for five years or more are shown in bold.

45

Staff

Meike Anderson
Patricia Bon
Jessica Breitfeller
Louise Buck
Lindsay Buchanan
Essayas Cherakassa
Alexandra Cook
Benjamin Dappen
Tom Derr
Joan Downie
Ava Eucker
Lucila Fernandez
Rachel Friedman
Alyssa Gartenberg
Lee Gross

Bemmy Granados
Lily Hamilton
Abby Hart
Krista Heiner
Peter Hazlewood
Nathan Kalb
Michael Keller
Izabella Klein
Manon Koningstein
Raffaela Kozar
Terhi Majanen
Kedar Mankad
Lisa Markslag
Brianna van Matre
Carolina Mesquita

Jeffrey Milder
Tom Miewald
Jenny Nelson
Christine Negra
Erik Nielsen
Cosmas Ochieng
Thomas Oberthur
Lola Ogunremi
Heather O'Neil
Elizabeth Peña
Chris Planicka
Christine Puri
Juan Carlos Ramos
Claire Rhodes
Sara J. Scherr

Seth A. Shames
Michelle Sims
David Starrels
Sajal Sthapit
Ariela Summit
Shannon Sutherland
Elizabeth Sweitzer
Lisa Swann
Melissa Thaxton
Louisa Trujillo-Cordova
Neerakar Uprety
Courtney Wallace
Louis Wertz
Kata Young

Board Members

Fellows

David Boyer
James Brumm
Chimere Diaw
Emile Frison
Dennis Garrity
Luc Gnacadja
Minu Hemmati
Michael Jenkins
Melinda Kimble
David King

Bruce Lloyd
Jeff McNeely
Alexander Mueller
Daniel Murdiyarso
Odigha Odigha
Sara J. Scherr
Ibrahim Thiaw
Raul Tuazon
Jim Woodhill

Demelash Ale Ayana
Enrico Celio
Jose Joaquin Campos Arze
Thomas Forster
Minu Hemmati
Frank Hicks
David Hodgson
David Kuria

Changxiao Li
Robin Marsh
Jenny Nelson
John Recha
Bhushan H. Sethi
Paul Sternhagen
Louis Wertz

Interns

Eghosa Asemota
Zoe Barr
Rachel Beardsley
Henry Betts
Jamie Blatter
Delania Castillo
Janet Chemitei
Ubwiza Chiyungi
Colin Custer
Christian Ross De La Guardia

Nadeem Demian
Sara D’Anzeo
Laura Eugine
Eva Fillion
Emma Gamble
Eleanor Greene
David Hecht
Lindsey Hethcote
Milan Ivankovic
Brett Jacobson

Caroline Kuria
Jamie MacDonald
Andrea Manes
Tony Mazza
Shelby McClelland
Emily Miller
Aziza Moore
Marvin Mundo
Mara Novak
Elizabeth Peña

 

Dario Pollicino
Christine Puri
Rachel Rasmussen
Spencer Robinson
Leala Rosen
Catherine Rothacker
Jarsm Famatta Russell
Marissa Sherman
Tonthoza Uganja
Elise Ursin

 

John Recha

John Recha

Research Fellow

Dr. Recha is a land management and climate change scientist, specializing in East Africa. In 2004, he founded the Environmental Resources Management Center for Sustainable Development (now called Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resource Management – Africa, or SANREM-Africa) and now serves on its board. Since 2012, he has been involved in the collaboration of SANREM-Africa with EcoAgriculture Partners. He currently serves as a researcher in the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) in Kenya.

While studying for his PhD at Cornell University, Recha served as a research fellow at the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) from 2007-2011. Prior to that, he worked as a research technician with the World Agroforestry Centre, coordinating soil fertility management research in western Kenya. He has worked with environmental non-governmental organizations, promoting climate smart agriculture for improving rural livelihoods, and has written articles on sustainable land management and hydrology in the tropics. He has a Masters in Soil Science and Land Management (Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania), and Bachelors in Agriculture (University of Nairobi, Kenya).

Changxiao Li

Changxiao Li

Senior Fellow

Dr. Changxiao Li is a professor at the College of Life Sciences of Southwest University in Chongqing, China, where he received his Ph.D. in 2003, and a former Humphrey fellow at Cornell University from 2008 – 2009. He was a short-term visiting scholar of EcoAgriculture Partners from May through June 2009. He teaches courses in Ecology, Natural Resources, Watershed Management, and Biostatistics. He has also been the Chief Expert of the State Key Laboratory of Seedling Bioengineering in Yinchuan, Ningxia, China since 2010. He now serves as a member of the National Expert Committee for the State Nature Reserves in the Ministry of Environmental Protection of China.

Li has over 25 years of experience in ecological restoration and integrated ecosystem management. He began his career as a forestry program officer working with local farmers and agencies in 1991, and got his Community Forestry Certificate at Asia-Pacific Regional Community Forestry Training Center (RECOFTC) in Bangkok in 1995. Besides his abundant practical experiences working with a wide range of partners such as the FAO, UNDP, WWF, GTZ, Ford Foundation, the US-China Friendship Volunteers (Peace Corps China) and others in the field of ecology and environment, he is also a widely published researcher, and globally-involved project leader of ecological restoration and other environmental study issues, including those connected to China’s mammoth Three Gorges Dam Reservoir Region (TGDR) in the Yangtze River.

David Kuria

David Kuria

Leadership Fellow

David Kuria was raised on the periphery of the Kikuyu Escarpment Forest on the southern side of the Aberdares in Central Kenya. Seeing how this forest was undergoing rapid changes resulting from unsustainable human activities, he established a community-based conservation forum, Kijabe Environment Volunteers (KENVO), which he has steered over a decade from a humble beginning into a professional grassroots conservation forum. David first encountered EcoAgriculture Partners shortly after founding KENVO, when he was a student at our very first EcoAgriculture leadership course. Our mutually beneficial relationship with David, and KENVO, has continued to grow since.

KENVO works with other community groups advocating for good environmental conservation and improvement of local livelihoods. They have developed strong local partnerships enabling the implementation of a series of successful grassroots projects. KENVO has become a leading authority in the rehabilitation of local indigenous forests through tree planting, community awareness, and education, research and information dissemination, lobbying, and advocacy.

Thomas Forster

Thomas Forster

Senior Fellow

Thomas has worked for over 20 years with government and non-governmental agencies to address policy changes to strengthen urban and rural linkages in food systems, especially in relation to school food, sustainable agriculture, and food and nutrition security. Since 2002 he has worked to secure legislative and administrative changes affecting public procurement, and leveling the field for small to medium-scale farmers and processors. He is the senior advisor for government affairs at School Food FOCUS and previously was policy director for the Community Food Security Coalition in Washington. Recently he helped facilitate an international initiative to raise the profile of “city region food systems”.

He joins EcoAgriculture Partners to continue to integrate his work on city region landscapes with our expertise in rural development, as well as advise on international policy processes. Thomas teaches food policy and governance in the Food Studies Program of the New School for Public Engagement.

Bhushan H Sethi

Bhushan H. Sethi

Senior Policy Fellow

Bhushan holds a degree in Industrial Electronics and Computer Engineering. With nearly thirty years of experience in technology and global operations management within prominent Fortune 50 companies, he’s a seasoned senior professional in IT and Operations. In 2000, Bhushan led immigration policy reform on Capitol Hill as Vice President and board member of the Immigrants Support Network. Heading congressional communications, he helped reform and pass hi-tech immigration policy, aiding millions of hi-tech workers.

Besides his professional achievements, Bhushan has been a passionate wildlife enthusiast and photographer. In 2008, he embarked on a remarkable journey across Africa, crossing 26 borders to capture the beauty of wildlife through his lens. This adventure ignited his dedication to conservation and biodiversity. As a result, he has served as a Goodwill Ambassador for Project Tiger since. Bhushan also has interests in trekking and mountaineering, leading to a parallel study of mountain ecosystems, providing formal inputs toward Mountain Protection (conservation) to state governments, and helping systemically define the ecosystem of The Great Outdoors Model.

Drawing from his diverse experiences, in 2020, he started the GALLOP Initiative, marking the start of a decade dedicated to Ecosystem Restoration. Bhushan recognizes that a solid foundation is necessary for large-scale policy success. Collaborating with EcoAg and other prestigious institutions like Columbia & Cornell Universities, UNDP, the World Bank, and European governments, Bhushan published the report, Public Policy to Support Landscape and Seascape Partnerships: Meeting Sustainable Development Goals through Collaborative Territorial Action, and brief.

EcoAgriculture Partners and the GALLOP Initiative are now working towards developing a Landscape Policy Lab, to learn more read the concept note.

For more insights into Bhushan’s background and accomplishments, visit his website: www.bhushanhsethi.com.

Dr. Daniel Murdiyarso

Dr. Daniel
Murdiyarso

Board Member

Daniel Murdiyarso, is currently a Senior Associate after serving Center for International Forestry Research – World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF) for more than 22 years. Up until 31 December 2025 he held a position of Principal Scientist at the institute. His first degree in Forestry was obtained from Bogor Agricultural University (IPB University), Indonesia in 1977, and his PhD from the Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, UK was awarded in 1985. Since 1997 he was a full Professor of Atmospheric Science at the Department of Geophysics and Meteorology, IPB University until he retired in October 2025.

Dr Murdiyarso received several prestigious awards/prizes, including Doctor Honoris Causa from the University of Helsinki, Finland, in 2022; The Habibie Prize from the foundation of the 3rd President of the Republic of Indonesia, 2020; The Sarwono Award, dedicated to the founder of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, in 2088; The Achmad Bakrie Award of Science Category for Scientific Achievement and Promotion on Science-Policy Dialogues, in 2010; and part of the Nobel Peace Prize Winning IPCC in 2007 as Convening Lead Author of IPCC Reports.

His research works are related to land-use change and biogeochemical cycles, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and wetland science. He has published more than 150 articles in high impact peer-reviewed journals with more than 30,000 citations, resulting in h-index of 79 in 2025. Among other tools he contributed to developing are (i) Protocol for the MRV of Carbon Stocks and GHG Emissions in Tropical Peatlands, (ii) Protocol for the MRV of Carbon Stocks and GHG Emissions in Mangrove Forests, (iii) Field and Laboratory Manual for Unsupported 210Pb Analyses. Dr Murdiyarso played key roles in the establishment of the International Tropical Peatland Center, and World Mangrove Center. He is the founder of Blue Carbon Deck, a Transformative Partnership Platform established at CIFOR-ICRAF.

He served the Government of Indonesia as Deputy Minister of Environment for 2 years, during which he was also the national focal point of the UNFCCC and CBD. Since 2002 Professor Murdiyarso has been a member of the Indonesian Academy of Sciences (AIPI) and elected as the President of AIPI in 2023 to take the office until 2028.

Dr Lindani Mhlanga

Dr. Lindani Mhlanga

Board Member

Dr. Lindani Mhlanga is a legal scholar specialising in property law, land governance, and social justice.

He is currently a Post Doctoral Research fellow at the Free State Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of the Free State in South Africa, where he also teaches Property Law at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He is also a Fellow of the International Association of Law Schools.

Dr. Mhlanga’s scholarship engages critically with land use regulation, analysing how land governance regimes shape and are shaped by local and global commitments to socio-economic rights, substantive equality, and democratic accountability. His work contributes to broader debates on the role of law in advancing sustainable development and enhancing horizontal accountability in resource-rich contexts shaped by competing land uses and governance claims.

In addition to his academic work, Dr. Mhlanga is actively engaged in professional and institutional leadership. He serves on the executive committees of the Environmental Law Association of South Africa and the UFS Africa Reparations Hub, where he contributes to interdisciplinary and policy-oriented work on environmental justice, reparations, and governance reform. Dr. Mhlanga is also a member of the Association of Law, Property and Society.

Dr. Mhlanga holds a BA, LLB, and LLM from the University of Pretoria and a Doctor of Laws (LLD) from the University of the Free State.

Timothy J. LaSalle

Timothy J. LaSalle

Board Member

Tim LaSalle is adjunct professor and Co-founder of the Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems, California State University, Chico. The Center is leading and providing science-based research in agriculture ecosystems for a regenerative food system that will improve soil health, mitigate climate change, and offer affordable and productive methods to the benefit of smallholder and commercial farmers around the globe.

LaSalle previously served as the first CEO of Rodale Institute, Executive Director of the Allan Savory Center for Holistic Management, and he was research coordinator for the Howard G. Buffett Foundation in Africa on soils and food security for smallholder farmers.

He is Professor Emeritus, California Polytechnic State University, and served as President and CEO, of the California Agriculture Leadership Program. Also, he lives and works on his farm in Atascadero, CA.

Darryl A. Simon

Darryl A. Simon

Board Member

Darryl A. Simon is President and Founder of Vantage Growth Strategic Advisors, a Washington, DC area-based global advisory consortium established in 2000. He is a highly sought-after organizational strategy and change advisor; executive coach, leadership and organizational development consultant; diversity, equity and inclusion strategist; and former international corporate and non-profit executive. With 35 years of senior-level experience, Darryl has advised and coached 300 executives, teams and boards from 100 U.S. and global private, public, and non-profit organizations. He has consulted to agribusiness, economic development, and public policy clients in agriculture, environment and energy, among 25 other industries and sectors in his career.

Darryl leverages his non-profit board experience and executive experience gained from advising corporate and non-profit boards in several key areas, including governance; strategic planning; leadership succession planning, executive compensation; change and transformation; and board diversity, equity and inclusion.

Darryl has traveled and worked internationally and advised the boards of international NGOs, including Pact, ACDI/VOCA, and Management Sciences for Health, and has also advised leaders of multi/bilateral organizations such as the Global Fund, International Monetary Fund and USAID. Darryl most recently served on the boards of Oatlands Historic House & Gardens, owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company. He also has previous non-profit board service and advisory experience in professional development, healthcare, education and housing organizations.

Prior to Vantage Growth, Darryl held executive positions in human resources, organizational development, administration and risk management, where he advised corporate boards of Fortune 1000 U.S. and global technology healthcare, energy and commercial real estate companies. He later served as an executive and board advisor in non-profit international development.

Darryl earned his M.S. degree in Applied Behavioral Science and Organizational Development from Johns Hopkins University, his B.S. degree in Psychology and Communications from John Carroll University; and holds 12 professional certifications from other leading institutions.

Barbara Rose

Barbara Rose

Board Member Emerit

Barbara Rose is the Executive Director of Aid to Africa, a unique nonprofit federation of select charities devoted to addressing the needs of Sub Saharan Africa.

Through her work with many nonprofits, Rose has demonstrated a skill in putting issues around food production, health, and development at the forefront of the international arena. One of her many achievements is her foundational work with Future Harvest, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building awareness of the importance of science for food production, the environment, and the world’s poor. As the founding Executive Director, she interwove voices of world leaders and scholarly institutions into targeted messaging online, effectively planting the seed for agriculture’s role in development and environmental stewardship. Ms. Rose is now the Executive Director of Aid to Africa.

Ms. Rose has a MBA from Columbia University, a MA in Journalism with a focus on African studies from the University of Maryland, and a BA from Hood College.

Jagdeesh Rao Puppala

Jagdeesh Rao Puppala

Board Member

Jagdeesh Rao Puppala is an Entrepreneur in Residence at Omidyar Network India. For the past 35 years, he has been at the forefront of thought leadership, systems thinking and on-the-ground efforts at the interface of ecology, society and economy. He was the CEO of the Foundation for Ecological Security (FES) from 2001 to 2020, leading the organization to restore 11 million acres of land by accelerating grassroots efforts and elevating public discourse.

Currently, he is leading the design of the Common Ground initiative and promoting systems leadership for environmental governance and resilient rural livelihoods. As an engaged practitioner, Jagdeesh’s ideas and efforts have played an essential role in the growing recognition of local stewardship of the Commons to reduce poverty and reverse environmental degradation. Jagdeesh has been conferred with the prestigious ‘Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, is a Henry Arnhold Conservation Fellow (Mulago) and a Senior Ashoka Fellow.

An Agricultural Sciences graduate, Jagdeesh completed his postgraduate training in Rural Management at the Institute of Rural Management, Anand, India, followed by a postgraduate degree in Forestry for Rural Development from the International Institute for Aerospace Survey and Earth Sciences, the Netherlands.

Kay Quam

Kay Quam

Board Member Emerit

Kay Quam is a retired organization and management consultant providing pro bono consulting services to international and national NGOs, health care, and conservation organizations.

Kay’s career has focused on delivering unique, system-wide solutions to organizing, building, managing and changing organizations. With broad consulting and management experience, she brings a pragmatic understanding of organizational issues and approaches across a range of settings—nongovernmental organizations, government, health care, technology, and financial services.

She loves the creative challenge of optimizing complex working environments and has consulted in international settings. She has a track record of solving management puzzles such as (1) creating a fully-embraced strategy, (2) integrating work and aligning stakeholders across complex initiatives, (3) taking new organizational approaches from concept to operation, and (4) “fixing” organizations that “aren’t working.”

From an agricultural background, Kay holds an MA in Human Development from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota and a BS in Medical Technology from the University of South Dakota. She has published on team-based organizations and the changing nature of work.

Emile Frison

Dr. Emile Frison

Board Member Emerit

Dr. Emile Frison is a leading advocate of the importance of agriculture in promoting biological diversity, a role he now administers as a member of the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food), and previously as the Director General of Biodiversity International, one of the 15 Future Harvest Centers of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).

Previously, Dr. Frison was the Director of the International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain (INIBAP). During this time he launched two prominent initiatives: the Global Programme for Musa Improvement (PROMUSA) to bring together researchers and growers with an interest in bananas and plantains (1997) and the Global Consortium on Musa Genomics (2002). He also worked in Africa for six years and was a Development Manager of an agrochemical company in Belgium for three years. In 1992, as Regional Director for Europe, he initiated a new phase of the European Cooperative Programme for Crop Genetic Resources Networks. In collaboration with FAO, he also launched the European Forest Genetic Resources Programme.

Dr. Frison obtained a MSc in Plant Pathology from the Catholic University of Louvain and a PhD from the University of Gembloux in Belgium. He is a Belgian national who has spent most of his career in international agricultural research, including 18 years of work related to plant genetic resources.

Jeannette Tramhel

Jeannette Tramhel

Board Chair

Jeannette Tramhel is a globally recognized leader in building food systems and sustainable agriculture, specifically through the use of international law. An independent legal consultant based in Montreal, she is currently supporting various initiatives of UNIDROIT, serving as Chair of the Sustainable Development Workstream and preparation of an international guidance document on Collaborative Legal Structures for Agricultural Enterprises. Previously, she served as Senior Legal Advisor at the Organization of American States (OAS) in the Department of International Law to support legislative reforms among OAS Member States in furtherance of economic development. Jeannette has also served with the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) and has held diverse roles in the private sector and with the Canadian government. She has also worked in partnership with communities in Southeast Asia, Africa, Central America and the Caribbean to orchestrate projects that emphasize a community-based, participatory process. Jeannette has an extensive list of publications and has lectured widely, with a particular focus on capacity-building workshops for senior government officials from the global south.

Jeannette holds a Master of Laws (LL.M) from Georgetown University, a Master of Environmental Design (M.E.Des.), and bachelor degrees in law and agricultural economics. She is a member of the bar in Ontario and New York.

Paul Wanyoike

Connect with Paul Wanyoike

Strategic Communications and Community Engagement Advisor

  • Nairobi, Kenya

Paul Wanyoike is a strategic communications and digital engagement professional specializing in brand positioning, stakeholder communication, and data-driven content strategy. His work focuses on supporting organizations to sharpen their messaging, strengthen audience trust, and translate complex ideas into clear, compelling narratives.

He has led the growth of digital communities to over 5,000 organizations through targeted
campaigns, multimedia storytelling, and structured engagement strategies that enhanced visibility and credibility. By integrating analytics with strategic communication planning, Paul has increased audience engagement, improved user activation, and optimized digital communication systems to support institutional growth.

At EcoAg, Paul provides strategic advice on communications direction, digital engagement
frameworks, and content development. He engages closely with EcoAg leadership to align
messaging with organizational priorities, ensuring consistency, clarity, and impact across
platforms.

Paul holds a Master of Business Administration from United States International University–Africa and a Bachelor of Education in English and Literature from Kenyatta University. His expertise spans CRM systems, marketing automation, editorial strategy, and performance analytics, enabling him to approach communications as both a creative and strategic discipline.

Gustavo Rojas

Connect with Gustavo Rojas

Project Lead, Landscape Finance

  • Mexico City, Mexico

Gustavo Rojas is a creative and innovative project manager with extensive experience in natural resource management and international development. He brings a holistic perspective and strong project-oriented mindset to addressing complex landscape and climate challenges.

With a deep understanding of policy processes and years of experience working with international NGOs and aid agencies, Gustavo has managed the full project cycle, from proposal development and theory of change design to contractual negotiation, monitoring, and evaluation. His work bridges strategy and implementation, ensuring that programs are both technically sound and operationally effective.

Gustavo is known for his strategic thinking, initiative, and ability to lead multidisciplinary teams.

He is passionate about landscape restoration, climate resilience, and advancing collaborative approaches that enable both people and nature to thrive.

He holds a Master’s degree in International Cooperation and Risk Management in Emerging Countries from Sciences Po Bordeaux and a degree in Political Science and Law from Universidad de Los Andes.

Stacy Langner

Connect with Stacy Langner

Partnerships and Program
Development Advisor

  • Johannesburg, South Africa

Stacy Langner is an advisor on partnerships and program development. She brings over two decades of experience supporting organizations to expand their reach and impact through strategic collaboration and evidence-based program design and mobilizing resources to support lasting systems change. She has worked with diverse organizations, primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, with programming spanning agriculture and food security, climate resilience, sustainable livelihoods, natural resource management, and inclusive local governance.

Stacy holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the University of Southern California and a Master’s degree in Information Systems from San Jose State University, with a focus on knowledge management in international development.

Originally from the midwestern United States, Stacy has lived in East and Southern Africa for more than 15 years and is currently based in Johannesburg. She enjoys traveling, cooking, hiking, and exploring South Africa’s diverse landscapes.

Heidi I Jones

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Heidi I. Jones

CEO

  • Buffalo, NY, USA

Heidi I. Jones is currently CEO of EcoAgriculture Partners, and formerly director of finance and operations. She works collaboratively with board, staff and partners to advance and strengthen EcoAg's mission. She works collaboratively with staff and partners to create smooth and efficient processes and ensure that all financial reporting is accurate, documented, and timely.

A practicing attorney, Heidi is a graduate of the University at Buffalo Law School (J.D. with concentrations in community economic development and finance transactions) and Pennsylvania State University (B.A. in sociology). She is a member of the Pennsylvania and New York bars. She has worked in the fields of accounting, communications, community development, programming, I.T. management, and law in nonprofit, government, and for-profit sectors.

Previously, Heidi owned the Intersection, a tiny community cafe in the historic Allentown neighborhood in Buffalo, New York. She has also volunteered with multiple nonprofit groups, including Blossburg V.I.B.E., a rural community development organization that she co-founded in 2004; PUSH Buffalo, a housing development organization building multiracial democracy where she was an officer and chair; and Summer of Sass, an LGBTQIA+ youth housing/work nonprofit based in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where she was the founding treasurer.

Outside of work, Heidi enjoys Buffalo's beautiful summers, which include lots of biking, hiking, and live music. In the winter, she enjoys board gaming, yoga, and more live music. She's a year-round reader of politics and speculative fiction and is usually accompanied by her small, fluffy talking dog, Chase.

Max Levy

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Max Levy

Program Lead, Governance and Capacities

  • Turrialba, Cartago, Costa Rica

Max Levy is a Program Lead for EcoAgriculture Partners, largely working on governance and capacity building. He plays a vital role in developing training tools that strengthen landscape partnerships' capacity to create transformational change.

After he obtained degrees in biological sciences from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (Brazil) and a Master of Science in Development and Conservation Practice from the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE), Max gained experience centered around environmental conservation, forest governance, regenerative agriculture and businesses, landscape restoration, and capacity building, in both the public and private sectors. Max is a member of the Latin American Model Forest Network and has worked for organizations such as FAO, CATIE, and Natural Resources Canada.

Max is passionate about forest landscape restoration, participatory territorial governance, regenerative food systems, and education.

Andrea Klein Mattioli

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Andrea Klein Mattioli

Operations and
Administration Manager

  • Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Andrea Klein is the Operations and Administration Manager for EcoAgriculture Partners. In this role, she supports directors with Human Resources strategies, recruitment and selection processes, onboarding and orientation, performance management, employee relations and benefits, and organizational policies compliance. She also works with project cost control and analysis and assists in accounting and payroll activities.

Andrea has a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Universidade Candido Mendes (UCAM), part of which she completed in Brussels, Belgium, at Vrije Universiteit de Brussel (VUB). In 2012 she earned her Master’s in Business Administration at Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), where she completed her thesis, “The Impact of Organizational Actions: A Proposal for Planning Sustainable Projects.” Her studies also included courses in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), environmental and social impacts and the criteria needed to implement effective CSR projects.

Before joining EcoAgriculture Partners, Andrea had her own small business. She lives in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where she enjoys aerial sports, playing tennis and board games and traveling to remote areas away from the noise of the city.

Réka Blakemore

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Réka Blakemore

Program Analyst

  • Washington, DC, USA

Réka Blakemore is a Program Analyst at EcoAgriculture Partners, where she supports the design, coordination, implementation and reporting of programs, with a primary focus on the Capacity Building Program and the 1000 Landscapes for 1 Billion People (1000L) initiative. Her work includes delivering trainings and workshops, supporting project implementation and communications, and contributing to partnership development and fundraising initiatives.

Réka graduated from Georgetown University with a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service, majoring in Culture and Politics with a focus on the relationship between climate change and human rights. As a student, her diverse interests led her to intern with nonprofit organizations focusing on global poverty, prison justice, conflict resolution, and community development. Her academic work explored decolonization, feminism, and racial justice within the environmental movement, and as a Krogh scholar, Réka researched the global governance of climate displacement as it relates to human rights concerns.

Originally from South Bend, Indiana, Réka now lives in Washington, DC. She is committed to advancing integrated landscape management that links conservation, sustainable production, and livelihoods, while keeping equity and justice at the center. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, concerts, travelling, and exploring the outdoors.

Graham Wood

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Graham Wood

Board Member

Graham Wood joined the EcoAg board of directors in early 2024, and served as EcoAg's interim CEO and President from December 2024 to June 2026. He is managing partner of Hattrick Advisory Services, a Kenyan-based consultancy firm specializing in executive coaching, mentoring, leadership training and providing interim leadership support.

Graham's career has primarily been in the humanitarian and development sectors. He has lived experience in Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Iraq, Afghanistan, the US, and the UK. He has worked in more than 50 countries. He has served as the CEO of the Aga Khan Foundation in East Africa, in various roles with US-based NGO non-profit Pact, including as global SVP for programs and has held five country Director roles in Africa and the Middle East.

Graham enjoys working with organizations in periods of change, focusing on people and culture. He has a deep understanding of what makes organizations work. He also loves hiking, marathon running, and the arts. He currently serves on the board of CoachActivism, a global program offering professional pro bono coaching to those volunteering in humanitarian or development work, and the Advisory Board of DotGlasses in Kenya, a start-up providing affordable eye care to traditionally underserved populations.

Graham has a BA and MA from Balliol College Oxford and an MSc from London University. He holds a Diploma in Executive Coaching and a Professional Practitioner Diploma in Executive Coaching from the Academy of Executive Coaches. He has been awarded a Professional Certified Coach credential from the International Coaching Federation.