Our Team

Our Team

Jo Ann Baumgartner

Executive Director

Jo Ann is the author of many publications on the intersection between biodiversity conservation and agriculture, including beneficial birds, the conservation mandates within the National... Read more

Shelly Connor

Deputy Director

Shelly has worked in the sustainable agriculture field for more than 20 years, including working with the Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides and working... Read more

Ashley Chesser

Communications Director

Ashley is an avid gardener and advocate for creating healthy habitat on farms and in community spaces. She brings over ten years of previous nonprofit... Read more

Courtney Tchida

Midwest Program Associate

Courtney brings over 20 years of experience as an organic farmer, community organizer, educator, researcher and collaborator. She played a pivotal role in founding and... Read more

Stephen Pryor

Technical Advisor - Entomologist

Stephen brings expertise in natural enemy insects and their habitat to provide technical assistance for growers to implement conservation plans and on-the-ground projects. His background... Read more

Nick Filannino

Technical Advisor - Ecologist

Nick has a background in ornithology, working on multiple breeding bird surveys and bird banding studies. He supports WFA programming through a variety of tasks,... Read more

Rowan O'Connell-Gates

GrizzlyCorps Fellow

GrizzlyCorps is an AmeriCorps program designed by Project Climate at UC Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy, and the Environment. Rowan brings a background in communications... Read more

Katie Goode Donaldson

Working Lands Conservation Corps Fellow

Katie is a communications and visual design professional passionate about fostering collaboration between environmental organizations and the intersectional communities they serve. Throughout her career, she... Read more

Alayna Merchlewitz

Working Lands Conservation Corps Fellow

Alayna has experience educating a wide variety of folks on land stewardship, specifically in regards to growing native habitat and food in their communities. For... Read more

Consultants

Tony Fleming

Naturalist, Geologist and former Organic Inspector

Sam Earnshaw

Hedgerows Unlimited

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Anne Hamersky

Photo + Video Services

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