Appointments Include Expert Business & Thought Leaders in Regenerative Organic Farming, Organic Food, & Lifestyle Medicine
Rodale Institute, the global leader in regenerative organic agriculture, has announced four new Board of Directors as of July 1, 2024. The Directors include Christa Barfield, Founder and CEO of FarmerJawn; Brian Lenhart, Vice President of Global Talent Acquisition Strategy, Marketing, and Workforce Planning, American Express; Dr. Scott Stoll, international leader in lifestyle medicine and whole food plant-based nutrition; and Bill Wolf, President, CEO, and Founder of Wolf & Associates.
“We are thrilled to have a breadth of groundbreaking and longstanding thought leaders in the organic industry and Fortune 500 join our Board,” said Rodale Institute CEO Jeff Tkach. “Their diverse and valuable points of view will help guide Rodale Institute as we continue in our mission to grow the organic movement through research, farmer training and technical assistance, and consumer education.”
James Beard Winner Christa Barfield is a health care professional turned farmer and lifelong Philadelphia resident. It was 10 years into her career in health care administration when her life led her to pursuing health and happiness in a more sustainable way. After a solo trip abroad in January 2018, she returned home inspired to connect with the land, plant life, and social issues that heavily impact Black and brown communities and people’s perception of food. Her business is a reincarnation of her career in health care with a focus on regeneration and nutrition security.
Now with 128 acres across three counties in Pennsylvania, she has built FarmerJawn with an equitable focus on Food as Medicine, and she is leading conversations nationwide on how to take a Farm First approach to America’s relationship with food and health.
Brian Lenhart is a Vice President at American Express with a 20-year career covering advertising, product management, marketing, digital development, human resources, strategic consulting, and partnerships and has served premium customers, small businesses, and large corporations. Before joining American Express, he worked at Saatchi & Saatchi on advertising campaigns for Procter & Gamble. He has proven to be deeply invested and involved in the Rodale Institute mission for nearly five years. Brian and his wife, Lisa, were some of the first Pennsylvania-based clients to engage with the Institute’s Organic Consultancy when they moved back to their family farm in 2019.
Dr. Scott Stoll is an international leader in lifestyle medicine and board-certified physician specializing in sports and regenerative musculoskeletal medicine. During his career, he has provided care to top Olympic, professional, and collegiate athletes as well as Royal families in Europe and the Middle East. An innovator, he is the co-founder of the Plantrician Project and served as a member of the Whole Foods scientific and medical advisory board and consults with healthcare organizations globally to
integrate lifestyle medicine solutions. As a past keynote speaker at the Institute’s Regenerative Healthcare Conference, he has been a long-time thought leader to the organization.
Bill Wolf is Founder and CEO of Wolf & Associates, a leading global organic consultancy, and an innovative thought leader in organic and value-added product development and sustainable agricultural practices. He passionately mentors numerous individuals, projects, and companies to enhance food and agriculture for healthier soils, plants, animals, and people. Bill’s pioneering work includes founding the first national organic farming supply company and Thorvin, the largest U.S. certified organic seaweed brand and co-founder of New Resource Bank to fund organic and sustainable businesses. He received the Organic Trade Association’s top accolade, the Organic Leadership Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement. He and his wife, Bonnie Brooks, operate Second Star Farm in Sinking Creek, Va.
“As we continue to expand our expertise within the Rodale Institute Board of Directors, I am proud to be a part of an organization leading in the country’s efforts to improve soil health for the benefit of human health,” said Roberta Lang, Co-Chair of the Board and former General Counsel and Global Vice President of Legal Affairs for Whole Foods Market, Inc. “These new voices will push boundaries and lead thinking as the organization pursues the ambitious and necessary goal of transitioning one million acres of farmland to regenerative organic practices by 2035.”
