Our Staff

Our team is widespread throughout Wisconsin, Illinois and the US
Savanna Institute’s staff are committed to making agroforestry a widespread agricultural practice in the Midwest and beyond. They bring to the organization a wide range of experiences, expertise and educational backgrounds in agroforestry, regenerative agriculture, livestock grazing, ecology, tree crops, new market development and more.
Kaitie Adams
Demonstration Farms Director
Tonia Andreina
Technical Service Provider
Scott Brainard
Tree Crop Breeder
Fany Bortolin
Finance Director
Brandi Brandes
Administrative Director
Devon Brock-Montgomery
Water Quality Program Manager & Tribal Liaison
David Bruce
Director of Agroforestry Adoption
PJ Connolly
Business Analyst
Erin Crooks Lynch
Spring Green Campus Engagement Manager
Bill Davison
Tree Crop Commercialization Program Manager
Barbara Decré
Agroforestry Programs Manager
Heather Driscoll
Event Coordinator
Kathleen Fitzgibbon
Operations Manager
Renee Gasch
Assistant Director of Communications
Jacob Grace
Communications Project Manager
Eliza Greenman
Germplasm Specialist
Kristy Gruley
Education Program Manager
Lucas Gully
Spring Green Campus Field Crew
Erik Hagan
Spring Green Campus Director
Julie Hager
Grazing Technical Service Provider
Lily Hislop
Tree Crop Breeder
Dave Hopey
Spring Green Campus Field Operations Manager
Fred Iutzi
Director of Research and Commercialization
Keefe Keeley
Executive Director
Raina Kuptz
Website Manager
Caleb Langworthy
Technical Service Provider
Nate Lawrence
Ecosystem Scientist
MJ Oviatt
Illinois Agroforestry Educator
Sven Pihl
Technical Service Provider
Sam Purnell
Administrative Assistant
Jenn Ripp
Education and Apprenticeships Coordinator
Monika Shea
Landscape Ecologist
Xinyuan Shi
Technical Service Provider
Meredith Stamberger
Technical Service Provider
Meg Weidenhof
Field Crew Lead, Spring Green Campus
Kate Wersan
Senior Director, Impact & Engagement
Matt Wilson
Technical Service Program Manager
Kevin Wolz
Lead Scientist &
CEO of Canopy Farm Management
Do you have a question about adding trees to your land?

“I trust Savanna Institute to be careful stewards of land that’s important to me and my family, and to develop and spread farming practices that will increase biodiversity and fight climate change.”
– Jack L., Donor
