Resource Innovation Institute Adds Big Names to Its Board of Directors
April 28, 2023 Resource Innovation Institute (RII), a leading not-for-profit energy and water benchmarking organization providing resource efficiency best practices for CEA producers, has added six new members to its Board of Directors, each bringing a unique perspective and seasoned experience to help guide RII’s research and programs.
“Each of our new board members is committed to RII’s ideals of leveraging resources to support a broad range of producers and the design and construction community around them,” says Derek Smith, Executive Director of Resource Innovation Institute. “Each will also be engaged in helping us roll out new USDA-invested services to the market, including efficiency credentialing and other initiatives. We are grateful to have them on the board and look forward to the great things we can offer the CEA community moving forward.”
The six new board members include The Ohio State University’s Dr. Chieri Kubota, Priva strategic business developer Dr. Jan Westra, researcher Kimberley Player, strategic product management consultant Shanita Penny, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture conservation and innovation director Mike Roth, and government affairs specialist Brian Herrington.
Dr. Chieri Kubota is a professor in the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, and Director of the Ohio Controlled Environment Agriculture Center at The Ohio State University (OSU). A Fellow of the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS), Dr. Kubota joined the faculty at the OSU in 2017. She received her Ph.D. in Horticultural Engineering and M.S. in Horticultural Science from Chiba University, Japan and worked as faculty for six years in Chiba University, as well as 16 years in the School of Plant Sciences at University of Arizona. In research, Dr. Kubota has worked on issues in CEA crop production such as lighting technologies, water and nutrient management, and introducing new crops for CEA. She is very active in training professionals through online courses, hands-on training, and consultations.
Dr. Jan Westra is a strategic business developer at Priva, which develops leading-edge technologies, services, and knowledge for climate control and process automation in buildings and horticulture. He graduated M.Sc. at the TU Delft in 1985, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Refrigeration and Indoor Climate Control (HVAC) and subsequently conducted PhD research at the same department, culminating in a thesis in 1990 on the topic “Development of an Advanced Absorption Heat Transformer.” Following his departure from TU Delft, Dr. Westra worked for more than five years at an HVAC consultancy firm in Rotterdam. He joined the Priva company in 1996.
Kimberley Player is the Director of Research at Equilibrium, an asset management firm that develops sustainable finance and active ESG strategies in food & agriculture and carbon transition infrastructure. Equilibrium has one of the largest portfolios of advanced technology indoor and greenhouse growing facilities in North America, which delivers a year-round supply of fresh produce to major retailers and food service firms across the US. Player focuses on identifying and evaluating real asset investment strategies that support a “sustainability drives returns” philosophy. Her role includes assessing the economic, environmental, and social impact of these strategies, and their alignment with both global standards and Equilibrium’s proprietary sustainability framework. Player previously led Equilibrium’s sustainability reporting initiatives, including the creation of this framework and she continues to advocate for the use of measurable outcomes to drive operational productivity.
Shanita Penny is an internationally recognized strategy and management consultant with 20 years of experience helping Fortune 1000 companies and startups solve complex issues and improve business performance. Penny is currently a Senior Vice President with Forbes-Tate Partners, where she helps agricultural clients connect with federal resources, build brand awareness, and plan for the future. She earned a BS in transportation and logistics management from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and an MBA from the University of Baltimore and Towson University.
Mike Roth serves as the Director of Conservation and Innovation at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. A Pittsburgh native, Roth acquired his BA in Environmental Studies from Washington and Jefferson College and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh. He started at the Department of Agriculture in 2019 as a William Penn Fellow where his work focused on climate change, industrial hemp and food security.
Brian Herrington has 21 years of experience in local, state, and federal government affairs work. As Vice President External Affairs & Foundation President at The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, he works to develop programs that improve our communities, builds legislative and policy solutions, develops stakeholder relationships, and creates employee engagement in the political process.
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