Shaila Cook, Executive Director

Shaila Cook leads the organization’s mission to promote sustainable agriculture and strengthen the integrity of food supply chains across North America. With nearly three decades of professional experience spanning environmental science, aerospace, and sustainable agriculture, Shaila brings a practical, systems-oriented perspective to her work with farmers, ranchers, processors, and food companies.

Shaila holds a Master of Science in Environmental Science from the University of Idaho and a Bachelor of Science in Geology from Central Washington University. She began working with Food Alliance in 2014 as a contract auditor, conducting on-site audits for both producers and handlers. In 2018, she joined the organization full time to manage certification operations and later served as Operations Director, overseeing day-to-day operations and helping expand Food Alliance’s programs throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Over the years, Shaila has played a key role in developing and administering certification programs that verify responsible practices in areas such as soil and water conservation, biodiversity, labor conditions, animal welfare, and traceability. In 2026, she was promoted to Executive Director, where she now oversees organizational strategy, operations, and partnerships.

Claudia Ingham

Claudia Ingham, PhD is a Senior Instructor II in the Department of Animal and Rangeland Sciences at Oregon State University. In addition to teaching, Claudia is an active member of the Society for Range Management. She served on the board of the Pacific Northwest Section and is past Chair of the SRM Targeted Grazing Committee.

She led an international team to establish Targeted Grazier Certification which endorses the knowledge and skills of livestock managers who apply best practices in the use of grazing as part of integrated pest management, fire risk reduction and wildlife habitat enhancement. Her research using goats to control English ivy and Himalaya blackberry is published in Invasive Plant Science and Management.

Claudia earned life-long certification with the American Riding Instructors Association for eventing, dressage and recreational riding and consults with small farm owners for pasture management.

Bobbi Hudson

Bobbi Hudson is the Executive Director of the Pacific Shellfish Institute a non-profit research organization providing shellfish producers and resource managers with practical tools and information to support healthy shellfish populations. Bobbi oversees a diverse research portfolio of biological, oceanographic, and social science projects along the U.S. west coast. She grew up in a commercial fishing family, seasonally living aboard a 90-ft wooden schooner built in 1926 as a salmon trap tender.

Bobbi completed B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Environmental Science from The Evergreen State College. She worked on a mussel farm in south Puget Sound and as a fisheries technician with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Grand Canyon. Bobbi serves on various state and regional working groups related to marine water quality and shellfish production, and the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) Expert Working Group on Ecological Carrying Capacity in Aquaculture (WGECCA). Bobbi splits her time between Olympia, Washington, SE Alaska, and Vancouver Island, BC.

Don Ashby Jr.

 Don Ashby Jr. is an experienced conservation professional and the principal of D Rockin A Ranch Consulting. He serves as an Audubon Conservation Ranching Program Auditor and a Food Alliance Whole Farm Crop Program Inspector, bringing decades of hands-on expertise to his work with farmers and ranchers across diverse landscapes.

Don retired in 2020 after a successful career spanning three federal conservation agencies. He held a range of roles with the Bureau of Land Management as a Rangeland Management Specialist, with the Natural Resources Conservation Service as both a Rangeland Management Specialist and Soil Conservationist, and with the U.S. Forest Service in range management and as a Natural Resources Staff Officer. Over the course of his career, Don has worked on hundreds of farms and ranches, gaining a deep appreciation for the families who steward them. He finds particular fulfillment in working alongside producers who are progressive, proactive, and deeply committed to the long-term health of their operations. As he often says, “I get to see farms and ranches that most people will never see—and some don’t even know exist,” a privilege he does not take lightly. While his role includes auditing and inspection, Don values the opportunity to learn from the many innovative approaches he encounters, often reflecting, “I wish I knew back when.”

Karen Conant

Karen Conant is a soil scientist and agricultural specialist with a degree in Soil Science and Rangeland Resources from Humboldt State University. For the past eight years, she has worked with a leading non-profit organic certification organization, conducting inspections and evaluations on over 800 farms and ranches across the western U.S. Her work has taken her across a wide range of agricultural sectors, giving her broad and hands-on experience in diverse farming systems.

Karen holds an Associate Professional Soil Scientist (APSS) certification and brings a strong technical foundation along with a passion for sustainable land stewardship. When she’s not in the field, you’ll likely find her tending her garden, experimenting in the kitchen, or rock climbing.

Matt Stoltenberg

Since 2017, Food Alliance auditor Matt has been making his mark across the American landscape, conducting audits for Audubon's Conservation Ranching program. His work has taken him to ranches in 13 states, where he's collaborated with more than 100 livestock operations from Montana to Arkansas.

Matt brings impressive credentials to his work: a Master's degree in Range Management from South Dakota State University and certification as a Certified Range Management Consultant through the Society for Range Management. Beyond his Food Alliance auditing role, he operates his own range consulting and services business across Nebraska, South Dakota, and Eastern Wyoming.

Teresa Matteson

Teresa Matteson brings more than two decades of conservation leadership to her work as a Food Alliance auditor. She recently completed a 22-year career with the Benton Soil and Water Conservation District, where she helped advance soil health, water quality, and conservation education efforts in Oregon. Teresa’s impact spans generations-- from introducing young students to salmon habitat through hands-on educational programs to encouraging farmers and landowners to adopt soil-health and regenerative management practices. Since 2002, she worked with Benton SWCD staff and hundreds of volunteers during the District’s annual Native Plant Sale, raising community awareness around native species and encouraging wildlife habitat restoration.

With a Master’s in Soil Science from Oregon State University, Teresa designed and led soil and water assessment programs, supported a Willamette Riverkeeper volunteer monitoring team, and authored the water quality monitoring proposal for the Upper Muddy Creek Strategic Implementation Area. She has mentored 28 interns, mostly students pursuing careers in natural resource management and many of whom now work in conservation fields. Known for combining her passion for soil health with collaborative, hands-on learning, Teresa is a trusted partner to farmers, researchers, and conservation professionals, and a valued member of the Food Alliance auditor community.

Joe Franklin

Joe Franklin is a rangeland management professional with more than four decades of experience in conservation planning, grazing management, and land stewardship across South, Central, and West Texas. He currently works as a private rangeland management consultant, advising ranchers on conservation planning, brush management, stocking rates, drought and wildfire recovery, and rangeland health assessments. Previously, Joe spent over 30 years with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, serving in leadership roles including Zone Rangeland Management Specialist, Resource Team Leader, and Area Range Conservationist, where he managed large multi-county regions and worked directly with landowners to implement best management practices. Joe holds a BS in Range Management from Texas Tech University and an MS in Range Science from Texas A&M University. He is a Certified Professional in Rangeland Management and Certified Range Management Consultant, and has received numerous honors, including the Distinguished Alumni Award from Texas Tech University in 2025.

Our Board

Our Board of Directors is intended to represent a broad spectrum of interests in the food system, including: farming, ranching, food processing and manufacturing, distribution, retail, university and agency scientists, and advocates for consumer affairs, labor, animal welfare, and the environment.

The Board of Directors is responsible for the vision, strategic plans and policies that guide Food Alliance. This includes ultimate responsibility for standards, criteria, policies and procedures governing the Food Alliance certification program. They are charged to ensure that the certification standards are meaningful, practical and scientifically defensible, and to ensure that related policies and procedures support the desired social and environmental outcomes and are fairly and consistently applied. The board also has fiscal responsibility for the organization and reviews and approves all budgets and financial reports.

Board Members