Board of Directors

Vonnie has dedicated her career to bridging technology and agriculture, drawing on her leadership experience at major firms like DuPont, Monsanto, and Syngenta. Currently serving as the VP of Innovation at the International Fresh Produce Association, she focuses on integrating technology into the produce industry's supply chain to address crucial needs.
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.

bio - coming soon

"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."

Patrick joined ARCO/Murray in 2010 and has provided operational leadership since 2015, when he helped start ARCO's Dallas office. He has been integral in building teams within new niches, providing successful management and leadership for over 200 projects across ARCO's major verticals, including tenant improvements, heavy processing, entertainment, industrial, self-storage, and controlled environment agriculture. In addition to his executive oversight, Patrick provides coaching and mentorship to high-performing project managers, focused on helping them grow into the next generation of ARCO leaders.

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.

Dr. Chieri Kubota is a professor in the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, and Director of the Ohio Controlled Environment Agriculture Center at Ohio State University. A Fellow of the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS), Dr. Kubota joined the faculty at the Ohio State University in 2017. She received her Ph.D. in Horticultural Engineering and M.S. in Horticultural Science from Chiba University, Japan and worked as faculty for 6 years in Chiba University, as well as 16 years in the School of Plant Sciences at University of Arizona. In research, Dr. Kubota has worked on issues in CEA crop production such as lighting technologies, water and nutrient management, and introducing new crops for CEA. Dr. Kubota is very active in training professionals through online courses, hands-on training, and consultations.

"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."

As the Senior Director, Innovation Start-Ups at WWF, Julia works to identify and research emerging issues, trends, and tools with potential to disrupt food and agriculture systems for environmental sustainability and financial growth. This includes launching multi-stakeholder platforms, designing and piloting new business strategies and models, and facilitating their adoption. In her career, Julia has founded her own urban, soilless farming system and advised numerous young and growing companies on business strategy and growth plans.

Before that, Julia spent four years in the research world at Hart Research Associates and then as the Director of Research and Policy at the National Women’s Business Council where she created a new research vision to re-energize a defunct organization and partnered with the private sector to create a policy agenda focused on meeting the needs of small businesses. Prior to her time in the research world, Julia spent nearly two years on the first Obama campaign traveling across the county building large constituent and volunteer coalitions in communities as diverse as inner-city Philadelphia to rural South Carolina.

For the past four years, Julia has worked as an adjunct professor at Rutgers Business School where she designed and now teaches in the Social Entrepreneurship program. Julia holds an SB from MIT, an MBA in entrepreneurial management from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and an MPA focused on sustainability from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Shanita Penny is an internationally recognized strategy and management consultant with 20 years of experience helping Fortune 1000 companies and startups solve complex issues and improve business performance. Penny is currently a Senior Vice President with Forbes-Tate Partners, where she helps agricultural clients connect with federal resources, build brand awareness, and plan for the future. She earned a BS in transportation and logistics management from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and an MBA from the University of Baltimore and Towson University.

"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."

Kimberley is passionate about the creation of sustainable agriculture and food systems that maximize social benefits, minimize resource use, and drive nature-positive outcomes. She has spent her career turning research into actionable investment strategies and high-impact financial solutions. In her recent role as Director of Research for Equilibrium, Kimberley was responsible for driving the firm’s thought leadership, with a particular focus on controlled environment agriculture (CEA), carbon transition infrastructure, natural capital, and green real estate. She continues to consult and publish forward-looking viewpoints on trends in all of these sectors, and regularly contributes to discussions around the interaction between the built environment, climate, and nature.

Kimberley has also led corporate sustainability reporting initiatives, producing impact reports and compiling climate and other ESG-related disclosures. She believes RII’s role in the development of standardized CEA benchmarks and sustainable operating criteria is critical to driving continued sector investment.

Prior to joining Equilibrium, Kimberley spent 15 years as an economic and real estate advisor. She held senior consulting positions with the global real estate firm CBRE, providing guidance for large-scale development and community revitalization projects, and aligning real asset portfolios to clients’ corporate objectives and sustainability commitments. Earlier roles include research positions with PwC, Intrawest, and Clarion Partners.

Kimberley earned a B.Comm. degree from the University of British Columbia with a concentration in Finance. She is a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), a Board member with the Resource Innovation Institute, and an expert advisor to the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST).

Mike Roth serves as the Director of Conservation and Innovation at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. A Pittsburgh native, Roth acquired his BA in Environmental Studies from Washington and Jefferson College and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh. Roth started at the Department of Agriculture in 2019 as a William Penn Fellow where his work focused on climate change, industrial hemp and food security.

"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."

Dr. Jan Westra is a strategic business developer at Priva, which develops leading-edge technologies, services and knowledge for climate control and process automation in buildings and horticulture. He graduated M.Sc. at the TU Delft in 1985, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Refrigeration and Indoor Climate Control (HVAC) and subsequently conducted PhD research at the same department, culminating in a thesis in 1990 on the topic: Development of an Advanced Absorption Heat Transformer. Following his departure from TU Delft, Dr. Westra worked for more than five years at an HVAC consultancy firm in Rotterdam. He joined the Priva company in 1996.

"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."

For more than 25 years, Elizabeth Whalen has developed and led sustainability strategies for a broad base of sectors, including multinational corporations, public utilities, international NGOs and academic institutions. Much of her focus has been centered on the use of alternative materials and on disruptive innovations that have reshaped the global marketplace.

Elizabeth served on the board of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for seven years, helping drive exponential growth in the LEED green building rating system and has continued to spur market growth for low carbon materials and decarbonization progress in the built environment. Throughout her career, collaboration and strategic stakeholder engagement have underscored every successful program she’s launched, leveraging her ability to effectively bring people with different viewpoints together for a common goal. In 2016 Elizabeth joined her colleagues Derek Smith, Margi Hoffman and John Morris in founding the Resource Innovation Institute, and has remained engaged in its mission since.

Michael is a passionate advocate for agriculture and a food systems strategist. He leads Innovation Agricultural Strategy at Walmart, with a focus on creating transformative solutions for the fresh food divisions by collaborating with dynamic teams to drive large-scale progress that benefit people and the planet. Over the past two decades, Michael has built a fulfilling career centered on sustainable energy and controlled environment agriculture, fueled by his commitment to advancing the intersection of biology and technology. In his current role, he spearheads strategies that harmonize consumer preferences, scientific progress, and sustainability goals.

Michael envisions a future where innovation and technology transform how fresh food is provided, creating resilient systems that meet consumer needs across omnichannel sales platforms.

“As the agriculture industry digitizes, we have a tremendous opportunity to leverage innovation to improve the fresh food supply chain. We can prioritize both quality and quantity while ensuring affordability and sustainability. By placing the consumer at the heart of every strategy, we can create win-win scenarios that benefit the planet and everyone across the supply chain."