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

Brandi Brandes
Administrative Director

Devon Brock-Montgomery
Assistant Director of Partnerships

David Bruce
Director of Agroforestry Adoption

PJ Connolly
Business Analyst

Erin Crooks Lynch
Spring Green Campus Engagement Manager

Adam D’Angelo
Breeding Operations 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
Public Relations Manager

Eliza Greenman
Germplasm Specialist

Lucas Gully

Lucas Gully
Spring Green Campus Field Crew

Erik Hagan
Spring Green Campus Director

Julie Hager
Grazing Technical Service Provider

Lily Hislop

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

Raina Kuptz
Website Manager

Caleb Langworthy
Technical Service Provider

Nate Lawrence
Ecosystem Scientist

Zack Loken

Zack Loken
Imagery Analyst

Rai Mathis

Rai Mathis
Executive Assistant

MJ Oviatt
Illinois Agroforestry Educator

Erika Paschold
Development Manager

Sven Pihl
Technical Service Provider

Sam Purnell
Administrative Assistant

Jenn Ripp
Education and Apprenticeships Coordinator

Kathleen Rhodes

Kathleen Rhoades
Tree Crop Breeder

Monika Shea
Landscape Ecologist

Xinyuan Shi
Technical Service Provider

Meredith Stamberger
Technical Service Provider

Meg Weidenhof
Spring Green Campus Field Crew Manager

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

Deep-rooted long-lived tree crops improve the soil, help retain water, improve biodiversity, sequester carbon, and mitigate the effects of floods. Tree crops help us heal our climate, regenerate our communities, and share stories and values across generations. It is time to transform American agriculture through tree crops.