The Strategic Advisory Council is a cross-sector group of distinguished leaders guiding CAST’s exploration of its potential role as the National Academy of Agriculture by providing strategic foresight, high-level insight, and recommendations to strengthen national leadership in agricultural science and technology.

Charting the Path to Becoming the National Academy of Agriculture​

Why Now

The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology is undertaking a comprehensive examination of how it can serve as the National Academy of Agriculture—providing strategic foresight, authoritative guidance, and trusted scientific information on issues critical to the present and future of U.S. agriculture.

To guide this work, CAST has formed a Strategic Advisory Council composed of 18 distinguished leaders from academia, industry, government, and nonprofit organizations.

For 53 years, CAST has convened and coordinated networks of experts to assemble, interpret, and communicate credible, objective, science-based information to policymakers, the media, the private sector, and the public.

As agriculture faces rapid technological change, rising geopolitical competition, shifting consumer expectations, and evolving food and national security risks, the U.S. needs strong, coordinated, cross-sector leadership in agricultural science and technology.

CAST’s credibility, nonpartisan structure, cross-sector membership, extensive expert network, and proven communication capacity make it uniquely capable of filling this leadership role.

To guide this work, CAST has formed a Strategic Advisory Council composed of 18 distinguished leaders from academia, industry, government, and nonprofit organizations.

The Strategic Advisory Council's Charge

The SAC will assess, define, and recommend the steps necessary for CAST to evolve into the National Academy of Agriculture. The council will work to answer critical questions:

  1. What would it mean for CAST to serve as the National Academy of Agriculture?
  2. What capabilities, partnerships, and resources are required?
  3. How should the National Academy of Agriculture be structured and governed?
  4. What role should it play in the national agricultural science landscape?

The SAC will regularly meet over the next several months and will provide recommendations to the CAST Board of Directors by mid-2026.

As agriculture faces rapid technological change, rising geopolitical competition, shifting consumer expectations, and evolving food and national security risks, the U.S. needs strong, coordinated, cross-sector leadership in agricultural science and technology.

CAST’s credibility, nonpartisan structure, cross-sector membership, extensive expert network, and proven communication capacity make it uniquely capable of filling this leadership role.

To guide this work, CAST has formed a Strategic Advisory Council composed of 18 distinguished leaders from academia, industry, government, and nonprofit organizations.

Chair
Ray Starling
NC Chamber | NC Chamber Legal Institute
Chair

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Strategic Advisory Council
2026
Members
Barbara Schaal
Washington University in St. Louis
Member

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Strategic Advisory Council
2026
Chris Boomsma
CAST
Member

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Strategic Advisory Council
2026
CEO

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Board of Directors
Dan Maycock
Emergent
Member

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Strategic Advisory Council
2026
David Crass
Michael Best
Member

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Strategic Advisory Council
2026
Douglas Steele
Association of Public and Land-grant Universities
Member

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Strategic Advisory Council
2026
Duane Simpson
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
Member

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Strategic Advisory Council
2026
Grant Ozipko
Syngenta
Member

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Strategic Advisory Council
2026
Jack Bobo
University of California, Los Angeles Rothman Family Institute for Food Studies
Member

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Strategic Advisory Council
2026
Janie Hipp
Native Agriculture Financial Services
Member

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Strategic Advisory Council
2026
Jay Vroom
Vroom Leigh Agriculture
Member

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Strategic Advisory Council
2026
Julie Borlaug
Borlaug Consulting
Member

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Strategic Advisory Council
2026
Manojit Basu
CropLife America
Member

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Strategic Advisory Council
2026
Representative

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Plant & Soil Sciences Workgroup
Molly Jahn
Department of Defense | University of Wisconsin-Madison
Member

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Strategic Advisory Council
2026
Paola de Almeida
Pegasus Capital Advisors
Food, Agriculture and Water Portfolio Head - Operating Advisor
Member

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Strategic Advisory Council
Paul Plummer
University of Tennessee
Member

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Strategic Advisory Council
2026
Rich Kottmeyer
FutureBridge
Member

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Strategic Advisory Council
2026
Ronnie Green
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Member

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Strategic Advisory Council
2026
Sally Rockey
Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research
Member

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Strategic Advisory Council
2026
Tom Adams
Pairwise
Member

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Strategic Advisory Council
2026