Agriculture Advisory Board

Purpose

The Agriculture Advisory Board will bring together a diverse group of agribusiness leaders to identify economic and workforce development needs that support economic growth and competitiveness for the commonwealth. Through this work, the Agriculture Advisory Board will provide strategic direction for Team Pennsylvania’s policy and programmatic work.

Goals

  • Elevate business leaders’ voices on agricultural economic and workforce development topics;
  • Ensure Team Pennsylvania’s work is forward-thinking and focused on high-growth sectors and opportunities for economic growth;
  • Leverage Team Pennsylvania’s resources and capacity, consistent with our core values, to identify system-level projects and initiatives;
  • Foster broad-based policy dialogue, leveraging strategic thinking of business leaders to develop solutions to complex policy challenges; and
  • Catalyze collaborative action on shared priorities that strengthen Pennsylvania’s economy, addressing businesses’ pre-competitive needs that underpin long-term economic success.

Current Membership

The Board is currently co-chaired by Secretary Russell Redding and Scott Sechler, Chairman and President of Bell & Evans. Secretary Redding and Sechler also serve on Team Pennsylvania’s Board of Directors.

  • Mike Brownback, Farmer, Spiral Path Farms
  • Mike Brubaker, Partner, Principled Strategies
  • Bryan Cotner, President, Boyds Station Foods, Inc.
  • Darrell Curtis, President and CEO, AgChoice Farm Credit
  • Daniel Eichenlaub, President, Eichenlaub Landscaping
  • Calvin Ernst, President, Ernst Seeds
  • Gale Ferranto, President, Buona Foods
  • Joe Fox, Marketing Representative, Philadelphia Port
  • Chad Geise, President, Furmano Foods
  • Scott Hauseman, Senior Vice President, Agricultural Financial Services, Fulton Bank
  • Peter Hughes, President, Red Barn Consulting
  • Mike John, COO, Milk Marketing, Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association
  • David Masser, President, Sterman Masser
  • Mario Mazza, General Manager and Vice President, Mazza Vineyards
  • Alan Novak, President and Founder, Novak Strategic Advisors
  • Mike Peachey, Partner, Ag and Agribusiness Services, Acuity Advisors and CPAs
  • Chris Pierce, President, Heritage Poultry Management Services, Inc.
  • Scott Sechler, Chairman and President, Bell and Evans
  • Amy Shields, Executive Director, Allegheny Hardwood Utilization Group
  • Gary Smith, President and CEO, Chester County Economic Development Council
  • Chuck Turner Jr., President, Turner Dairy Farms

History

In early 2016, Team Pennsylvania and the PA Department of Agriculture entered into a formal partnership in order to explore ways to strengthen Pennsylvania’s agricultural sector. At that time, five leaders from the sector were nominated to serve as charter members of the Agriculture Advisory Board. They first convened at Ag Progress Days in August 2016 to discuss the mission and goals of the Advisory Board. By the inaugural meeting in January 2017 at the 101st Pennsylvania Farm Show, 21 additional leaders in the sector were invited to join the board.

One of the first charges of the Advisory Board was to release an RFP to commission an in-depth economic impact analysis of Pennsylvania’s agriculture sector. The study was foundational to the partnership and results now help to inform the direction of the work of the partnership.

If you are interested in learning more about the Agriculture Advisory Board, please contact our Director of Ag Policy and Programs, Kelly Kundratic at Kelly@teampa.com.