Staff
Aliza Drewes
Executive Director
Aliza is a seasoned nonprofit program director and policy expert, with a focus on facilitating consensus-based policy recommendations. She previously worked at the National Governors Association as director of energy and environment, Community Alliance with Family Farmers, and Business for Social Responsibility. Aliza received her master’s degree in Public Affairs from Princeton University with a concentration in domestic politics and environmental policy through the Science, Technology and Environmental Policy program.
Contact Aliza at adrewes@RIPEroadmap.org.
Martin R. Barbre
Vice President of Engagement and Government Relations
Martin is a past president of the National Corn Growers Association Corn Board, where he led negotiations for the 2014 Farm Bill, and is a member of the Illinois Corn Growers Association. He was chair of the National Corn Growers Association Biotechnology Working Group and served on the White County Farm Bureau Board for 24 years. In 2018, Martin was appointed USDA Risk Management Agency administrator. He is a lifelong farmer who uses conservation practices on the 6,000 acres he farms with his son. Martin splits his time between Illinois and Kentucky.
Contact him at mbarbre@RIPEroadmap.org.
Jamie Powers
Agricultural Outreach Director
Jamie comes to RIPE with extensive experience engaging private sector farm advisors on working lands stewardship. Additionally, Jamie worked for nine years as a social network analyst, first as an intelligence collector with the U.S. Army and then as a senior and principal analyst in support of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. With a bachelor’s degree in political science, Jamie went on to earn a graduate degree in both negotiation and conflict resolution, as well as environment and resource policy from The Fletcher School at Tufts University.
Contact him at jpowers@RIPEroadmap.org.
Andre Carter
Southeast & Equity Farm Outreach Coordinator
Andre is passionate about agriculture and the culturally significant practices that come with it. He grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, listening to his great grandmother’s stories about picking cotton and living as a sharecropper in the early 1930s. He found a passion for agriculture and farming while working at the Federation of Southern Cooperatives as a cooperative development specialist. Andre holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and government from Faulkner University and a master’s degree in agricultural and resource economics from Tuskegee University. He has been dedicated to service since serving more than four years in the United States Navy.
Contact him at acarter@RIPEroadmap.org.
Adam Pugh
Government Relations Director
Adam joins RIPE with expertise in government relations, and federal agriculture and environmental policy. He previously worked at the National Association of Counties (NACo) as the legislative director for agriculture and rural affairs and environment, energy and land use. Before NACo, he worked at the National Association of Conservation Districts as the natural resource policy specialist. Adam started his career working for a U.S. representative where he was responsible for the natural resources portfolio. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Rochester in New York.
Contact him at apugh@RIPEroadmap.org.
Donna Main
Development Director
Donna joins RIPE with expertise in fundraising backed by deep knowledge of ecological and social sciences. She has raised millions of dollars from foundations and government agencies in support of habitat management, environmental education and land protection. She holds a doctorate in human dimensions of wildlife management and a master’s degree in wildlife management from Michigan State University as well as a bachelor’s degree in wildlife management from West Virginia University. Donna resides in Massachusetts.
Contact her at dmain@RIPEroadmap.org.
Danica MacAvoy
Special Projects Advisor
Danica comes to RIPE with more than 20 years of experience in sustainability, corporate responsibility, and national and international development. She brings a depth of experience in strategy development and execution, project management, and building and supporting high-functioning teams, having done this work with corporations, nonprofits and other NGOs, and social enterprises. Danica resides in Northern California, surrounded by dairy cows and vineyards.
Contact her at dmacavoy@RIPEroadmap.org.
Clara Greider
Senior Policy Analyst
Clara joins RIPE with over two years of policy research experience. Prior to this role, she worked with RIPE as a research fellow, providing policy insight, recommendations and environmental impact assessments. Clara received her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies with a focus on land, water and food security from Brown University.
Contact her at cgreider@RIPEroadmap.org.
Jacquelyn Gutc
Communications Manager
Jacquelyn joins RIPE with nearly 15 years of experience in sharing compelling stories and helping organizations strategically connect with their audiences. After working as a reporter and editor at a daily newspaper and business magazine, Jacquelyn went on to provide various public relations and marketing services to small businesses, nonprofits and professionals across the country. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Oakland University and lives in Southeastern Michigan.
Contact Jacquelyn at jgutc@RIPEroadmap.org.
Consultants
Bradley Karmen
Former USDA Assistant Deputy Administrator for Farm Programs, 41 years with USDA’s Farm Service Agency
Kevin Norton
Former USDA Associate Chief for Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), 39 years with NRCS
Janet Cassidy
Communications consultant with over 25 years of experience providing marketing communications strategy to food and agricultural brands.