Meet The Team

The sustainable agriculture team combines their diverse backgrounds in social science, conservation policy, agricultural decision-making, and wildlife ecology to drive working lands conservation across the country. They work with farmers and natural resources professionals to conduct innovative conservation outreach and support sustainable agriculture policy that ensures our farmers, ranchers, and the lands they steward thrive in now and in the future.  Need help fleshing out evaluation programs, building farmer networks, or communications assistance? We have someone for you!

Julie Sibbing

Associate Vice President, Land Stewardship

Julie Sibbing is the associate vice president for land stewardship at the National Wildlife Federation in Washington, DC. On the National Wildlife Federation staff since 2000, Julie oversees the Federation’s work to improve conservation outcomes on working agricultural and forest lands, with an emphasis on water, wildlife, and carbon storage. Her team is engaged both on federal policy as well as in promoting improved outreach to landowners to increase adoption of sustainable agriculture practices. Julie holds a B.S. in ecology, ethology, and evolution and an M.S. in forest ecology, both from the University of Illinois at Champaign/Urbana.

Jess Espenshade

Director, Sustainable Agriculture Outreach

Jess Espenshade is the Sustainable Agriculture Outreach Director at the National Wildlife Federation. She developed her love of agriculture growing up in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Jess manages the Cover Crop Champion program and Grow More trainings, traveling the country to equip on-the-ground agriculture professionals with the tools to make sustainable agriculture a fit for all farms. Her background includes work with the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts and the United States Department of Agriculture in Vermont. Her graduate work focused on human dimensions of natural resources, specifically how people make decisions about the environment. Her current role combines her interest in social science with her desire to promote a more sustainable future for agriculture and the environment. 

Adam Reimer

Outreach & Evaluation Scientist

Dr. Adam Reimer is our outreach and evaluation scientist at the National Wildlife Federation. He brings his experience in conservation behavior change to support the sustainable agriculture and outreach programs, evaluating the behavior change impacts of these programs. Adam has a background in wildlife ecology and management, as well as in conservation policy, and has established himself as a leader in research on agricultural conservation decision-making, with over 20 peer-reviewed publications. Adam holds a PhD from Purdue University in Natural Resources and Social Science, a Master of Public Affairs from Indiana University, and held a postdoctoral fellowship with the National Agricultural and Rural Development Policy Center in 2012, where he explored emerging rural policy issues, including water management and conservation policy. 

Lekha Knuffman

Senior Agriculture Program Specialist

Lekha Knuffman is a senior agriculture program specialist at the National Wildlife Federation based in Washington, DC. She works on federal policy, including Farm Bill conservation and biofuels, programs such as Cover Crop Champions, and hosts the biennial America’s Grasslands Conference. She has a doctorate degree from the University of Michigan in Resource Policy and Behavior. Her dissertation research tested theories of collective action for groundwater governance using experiments to study patterns in decision-making among farmers in India’s drylands.

Kennedy Mayfield-Smith

Senior Coordinator of Agriculture Communications

Kennedy Mayfield-Smith is the Senior Coordinator of Agricultural Communications at the National Wildlife Federation. Kennedy has a background in animal science as well as agricultural and environmental education and communication. She holds a Master of Agricultural and Environmental Education from the University of Georgia as well as a Master of Science in Strategic Communication from Agnes Scott University. Her primary area of study focused on the sources we look to for scientific information and how we can better reach different audiences. Her current role combines her love for teaching and her interest in the ever-changing world of science communication in hopes of influencing behavioral and cultural change.

Aleta Dam

Agriculture Program Coordinator

Aleta Dam is the Agriculture Program Coordinator at the National Wildlife Federation. She supports the sustainable agriculture team by aiding with data collection and analysis, as well as community outreach efforts. Growing up on a farm in rural Massachusetts surrounded by wildlife is where she gained her love for the environment and a passion for sustainable practices. Aleta has a M.S. degree in Conservation Medicine from Tufts University, which focused on using a One Health approach to solve conservation issues recognizing that human, animal, and environmental health are interconnected. Recently, she collaborated with students and faculty from the University of Global Health Equity and the University of Rwanda on a research project identifying risk factors, care-seeking behaviors, and the economic costs of snakebite envenomation in Rwanda.

Jenny Berkowitz

Agriculture Outreach Specialist

Jenny Berkowitz is an Agriculture Outreach Specialist at the National Wildlife Federation. She supports NWF’s Conservation Champions and Grow More training programs and other farmer outreach efforts. She completed a M.S. degree in Horticulture from Cornell University, where she studied mustard cover crops, soil health, and extension methods. Jenny uses her background in biology and soil health to help outreach professionals collaboratively apply soil health best management practices. She recently worked with New York City urban farmers to assess soil health and has experience working on small and urban farms in the Twin Cities, Minnesota area.

Cassidy Dellorto-Blackwell

Agriculture Program Specialist

Cassidy Dellorto-Blackwell is the Agriculture Program Specialist at the National Wildlife Federation. In this role, she works to sustain the impact and efficacy of the Conservation Champions and Grow More programs. Cassidy grew up among the corn and soybean fields of central Illinois and has always been fascinated by our working landscapes and those who steward them. She has fed her fascination working alongside those stewards on organic farms and supporting private forestland management. She holds a master’s degree from the University of Michigan where her studies focused on environmental psychology and conservation ecology.

Kaycie Waters-Brocka

Agriculture Outreach Specialist

Kaycie is an Agriculture Outreach Specialist and Grow More trainer at the National Wildlife Federation. She was born and raised in Yuma, Arizona. Her father is a lettuce farmer, and she grew up loving the outdoors. She received a B.S. in Natural Resources from the University of Arizona in 2017 and an M.S. in Agricultural Education in 2019. In Arizona, Kaycie met her now husband, an Iowa native, and moved out to Iowa in 2019. Kaycie worked at Iowa State Extension for 4 years before starting at NWF. Kaycie enjoys hiking, kayaking, crocheting, and spending time with her cats and dog. Kaycie loves working with NWF because it allows her to blend her love of natural resources with her love of agriculture.