Board of Directors
RII is recruiting board members with investment and research experience in controlled environment agriculture (CEA).
Please contact Executive Director Derek Smith to learn more.
Her current work focuses on maximizing energy savings from key buildings policies including building codes and appliance standards, scaling up retrofit activity in homes and commercial buildings with an emphasis on deep retrofits, expanding opportunities for energy savings in low-income and multifamily housing, and analyzing new opportunities for energy efficiency in the buildings sector. Jennifer brings to ACEEE several years’ experience in the environmental technology field and has experience in community organizing and education on a variety of environmental and consumer issues.
Jennifer serves on the Board of Directors of the Attachments Energy Rating Council and the Resource Innovation Institute. She is an NCQLP Lighting Certified Professional. Jennifer earned a Master of Environmental Studies from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from Trinity University.
Jonathan was also previously a Managing Director and Investment Committee Member of Citicorp Capital Asia Pacific Region, a $350M growth equity fund based in Hong Kong. On behalf of Citigroup, Jonathan was a Board member of 3 listed and 2 private companies including WebPattern, a Korean company which in 2000, was one of the first to track consumer Internet usage behavior. Early in Jonathan’s career, as part of the Kyoto Protocol carbon credit program, he worked with a large Brazilian ethanol producer to introduce Sorghum into China as a source of biofuel.
Vonnie hosts the podcast "Fresh Takes on Tech," exploring practical solutions to industry challenges. She also leads the Fresh Field Catalyst Accelerator, introducing new technologies to the field. As the chair of the CEA Council, she plays a key role in fostering collaboration on industry issues. Vonnie received the Rosalind Franklin Award for Leadership in Industrial Biotechnology, recognizing her contributions.
Vonnie also shares her insights through speaking engagements and publications. She actively contributes to company, advisory, and government boards, emphasizing her commitment to advancing technology in agriculture.
"CEA is a new and dynamic sector full of potential. It needs to be studied and supported, and that’s why the work of RII is so critical. Ultimately, we need data, standards, and leadership recognition systems to drive good policy and smart public-private partnership to solve the energy and water challenges we face."
Over the course of Patrick's career, he has overseen over $660 million worth of projects and was promoted to Vice President in 2021 in which he brought in over $100 million in revenue within the first year for the CEA start-up group. During his leadership, his team has completed $600 million worth of projects. He helped establish ARCO's Dallas offices Self Storage group comprising 75% of the office's revenue and was one of the first three project managers to build the $200+ million TopGolf account. He is dedicated to building and growing the team and expanding sustainable ideas to further the growth of the business. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family.
Before KUBO Andrew worked as a Project Manager & Engineer at Little Leaf Farms, and as a Process Engineering consultant at the Barry-Wehmiller Design Group. Through his experience on both the operator and supplier sides of the CEA industry in both the United States & the Netherlands, Andrew can help the board in identifying and forging the strategic relationships across the industry needed to shape the industry’s future.
"I am looking forward to working with my fellow board members as RII expands its roster of efficiency programs and services for the growing CEA industry," Dr. Kubota said. "There continues to be a tremendous need for knowledge and information by CEA producers and the design and construction sector that support them. RII is providing a critical role that is complementary to the academic sector."
"I am honored to be on this board and working with the RII team," Penny said. "It is exciting to help shape the workforce development potential for modern agriculture. This is important work and an incredible opportunity to ensure equitable outcomes as the industry scales. I am grateful to be a part of it."
"CEA facilities are a new asset class of buildings that are key to humanity’s food-secure future. As impact investors, we need benchmarks to assess sustainability performance, and we value RII’s role in working with producers to standardize and aggregate information that explains the resource efficiency advantages of CEA within the agricultural ecosystem."
"Pennsylvania is a leader in CEA, which helps supply the state’s need for fresh, local produce while diversifying our agriculture industry," Roth said. "I have been gratified to work with Pennsylvania’s CEA community and I look forward to working with RII to help further the important work of building a stronger CEA industry."
"In many respects, the future of agriculture is CEA," Dr. Westra said. "By providing the resources and knowledge to help CEA producers optimize their facilities, RII is helping to shape and secure that future. It is a privilege to work alongside their team to assist in those efforts."