National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture

Board of Directors

May, 2008

We are pleased to announce our 2008 Board of Directors!

For basic information on National Campaign Board development goals and principles, and what is expected of Board members, see Expectations of Board Members

Executive Committee:
Chair: Michael Heller
Vice Chair: Thomas Forster
Secretary: Lydia Villanueva
Treasurer: Kristen Greer
Frank Casey
Archer Christian

Karen Anderson Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group 40 Ferry St Lambertville, NJ 08530 (908) 243-3626	Deborah Burd (staff) National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture 2 Fish Pier, Suite 201 Portland, ME 04101 (207) 553-7001 fax: (207) 772-5503
Don Bustos New Mexico Acequia Association Western Sustainable Agriculture Working Group PO Box 5045 Espanola, NM 87533-5045 (505) 514-1662	Frank Casey Defenders of Wildlife 1130 17th St NW Washington, DC 20036-4611 (202) 682-9400 fax: (202) 682-1331
Archer Christian At-Large Board Member 8200 Pinecross Ln Ann Arbor, MI 48103-9701 (734) 424-1178 fax: (734) 332-9847	Stacie Clary California Coalition for Food and Farming Ecological Farming Association 406 Main Street, #313 Watsonville, CA 95076 (831) 763-2111
Carol Coren Rutgers Food Innovation Center 6930 SW Brier Pl Portland, OR 97219-2258 (215) 939-4094	Cornelia Flora At-Large Board Member Iowa State University, ISU-107 Curtiss Hall Ames, IA 50111 (515) 294-1329
Ruth Anne Flore 11 Bishop Park Rd Pound Ridge, NY 10576 (914) 763-2565	Thomas Forster International Partners for Sustainable Agriculture 80 Cranberry Street, Apt 7G Brooklyn, NY 11201 (360) 421-3781
Kristen Greer At-Large Board Member 35 W 23rd St Apt 2 New York, NY 10010-4208 (212) 691-2488	Michael Heller Chesapeake Bay Foundation/ Clagett Farm 11904 Old Marlboro Pike Upper Marlboro, MD 20772-2925 (301) 627-4393 fax: (301) 574-3705
Savi Horne Land Loss Prevention Project PO Box 179 Durham, NC 27702-0179 (919) 682-5969 fax: (919) 688-5596	Roger Jones Heifer International PO Box 23 New Augusta, MS 39462-0023 (601) 964-3371 fax: (601) 964-3660
Mark Lapping At-Large Board Member 12 Acorn Lane Cumberland Center, ME 04021 (207) 228-8180	Marty Mesh Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group Florida Certified Organic Growers & Consumers, Inc (FOG) PO Box 12311 Gainesville, FL 32604-0311 (352) 377-6345 fax: (352) 377-8363
Dennis Olson Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy 2105 1st Ave S Minneapolis, MN 55404-2505 (612) 870-3412 fax: (612) 870-4846	Kathy Ozer National Family Farm Coalition 110 Maryland Ave NE Ste 307 Washington, DC 20002-5622 (202) 543-5675 fax: (202) 543-0978
Steve Potts Potts Farms 8590 NW Lovely Ridge Rd Hamilton, MO 64644 (816) 465-0342	Brad Redlin Izaak Walton League of America Midwest Sustainable Agriculture Working Group 1619 Dayton Ave Ste 202 Saint Paul, MN 55104 (651) 649-1446
Lydia Villanueva Southern SAWG La C.A.S.A. de Llano 309 E 6th St Hereford, TX 79045-5419 (806) 364-4445 fax: (806) 364-4005

Board Development Goals and Principles

updated Jun 21, 2005

The National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture (National Campaign) has committed itself to the development of a diverse, regionally-, culturally- and gender-balanced Board with broad representation from the key constituencies that make up our network and the type and size of organizational partners with whom we work. Those who serve on the Board of Directors of the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture have a tremendous opportunity to interact with leaders in the movement from across the country and to shape, help implement and evaluate the long-term mission and shorter-term goals and activities of the network.

Although many organizations work with diverse constituencies, the National Campaign has an unusually broad scope of partners. The National Campaign works with an enormous variety of issue organizations and constituencies including family farmer, environmental, rural development, social justice, farmworker, faith-based, consumer, and animal welfare organizations. In addition, we work with local, state, regional, and national organizations from all regions of the country. These groups range in structure and size from large national groups and coalitions to small grassroots associations like farmers' markets and food purchasing co-ops, from minority farmers in the South to commodity growers in the Midwest or vegetable farmers in California.

The National Campaign Board of Directors has also renewed its commitment to ongoing inclusive, transparent, accountable decision making processes and to realizing the full depth and breadth of its ambitious mission: bringing together many diverse groups and interests to develop and promote agriculture policies that are economically viable, environmentally sound, socially just and humane.

We are seeking Board members who are fully committed to the mission, goals, institutional development and long-term future of the National Campaign; will actively promote and engage in our ongoing policy development, education, outreach, organizing and work; and will serve as a conduit between their organization/constituents and the National Campaign.

National Campaign Board Job Description:

Shaping the Mission and Direction:

The board ensures that all its members have a shared understanding of the mission and strategic direction of the organization. It further ensures that all major policy discussions include a consideration of the fit with the mission and strategic direction.
The board ensures that the organizationÕs long-term plan is kept current and that the plan identifies key outcomes that are linked to the mission and vision.

Ensure Leadership and Resources:

The board evaluates the executive director at least annually against pre-defined criteria that are linked to mission, direction and strategic plan.
The board works with staff as a part of the strategic planning and annual operations process to identify funding requirements and develops a clear plan to meet fund development targets. The board introduces staff to potential donors and assists in fund development activities. The board strives for 100% involvement by board members in the National CampaignÕs individual contributions program.
The board provides expertise or access to expertise that helps support the organizationÕs objectives.
The board ensures proactive outreach to constituents and other groups to build awareness about and foster participation in the organization and its aims.
The board ensures that new board members receive an orientation about roles and responsibilities, including the responsibility for providing leadership in the area of fundraising.

Monitor and Improve Performance:

The board regularly monitors financial statements and other key performance indicators. It ensures timely, independent audits. It plays an active role in financial planning and resource allocation. It keeps itself abreast of the compliance required by regulatory bodies.
The board works with staff to set outcome-based goals and measures as well as activity/efficiency measures. The board routinely monitors program and organizational performance and uses the results to inform the strategic plan, resource allocation, and evaluation of the executive director.
The board translates the strategic plan into concrete goals for itself and its committees, including timelines, budget, and required staff support. The board evaluates its performance against the goals and uses the lessons learned to develop plans to improve board effectiveness.

Cultivation of Partnerships

Board members are expected to encourage their own organization to join and/or renew its Campaign membership and to encourage other organizations join/renew as well.
Board members are expected to serve as a link between the board and the memberÕs own organization/constituency.

Specific Expectations of Board Members

Board members are expected to prepare for and participate in bi-monthly Board conference calls.
Board members are expected to prepare for and participate in face-to-face Board meetings (maximum twice per year). It is expected that Board members and/or their organizations will cover travel and lodging expenses to these meetings. In cases where this is simply not possible, the National Campaign will help cover those costs, contingent on funding availability.
Board members are expected to participate actively in at least one of the National CampaignÕs board committees or a policy committee.

A Code of Ethics for Board Members

As a member of the board, I will

Listen carefully to my teammates and the constituents I serve
Respect the opinions of my fellow board members
Respect and support the majority decisions of the board
Recognize that all authority is vested in the board when it meets in legal session and not in individual board members
Keep well informed of developments that are relevant to issues that may come before the board
Participate actively in board meetings and actions
Call to the attention of the board any issues I believe will have an adverse effect on the agency or our constituents
Attempt to interpret the needs of constituents to the agency and the action of the agency to its constituents
Refer constituent or staff complaints to the proper level on the chain of command
Recognize that the board member's job is to ensure that the agency is well managed, not to manage the agency
Vote to hire the best possible person to manage the agency
Represent all constituents of the agency and do my best to ensure that the agency is well maintained, financially secure, growing, and always operating on the best interests of constituents.
Always work to learn more about the board member's job and how to do the job better
Declare any conflicts of interest between my personal life and my position on the agency board, and avoid voting on issues that appear to be a conflict of interest

As a member of the board I will not

Be critical, in or outside of the board meeting, of fellow board members or their opinions.
Use the agency or any part of the organization for my personal advantage or the personal advantage of my friends or relatives
Discuss the confidential proceedings of the board outside the board meeting
Promise prior to a meeting how I will vote on any issue in the meeting
Interfere with the duties of the administrator or undermine the administrator's authority