The FFAR Board of Directors includes 19 voting members, and five ex-officio members designated by Congress. FFAR’s non-voting ex officio members are the stewards of the Foundation's close partnerships with the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Specifically, these members provide insight into the federal research enterprise and ensure that FFAR’s work complements USDA and NSF research.

Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum chairs the FFAR board, which includes the current U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.

The voting members on FFAR’s inaugural board were selected from lists of nominees provided by industry and the National Academy of Sciences.

Appointed Members




Portrait of Dr. Kathryn J. Boor

Dr. Kathryn Boor

Ronald P. Lynch Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Cornell University




Portrait of Dr. Doug Buhler

Dr. Doug Buhler

Director, MSU AgBioResearch and Assistant Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies
Michigan State University








Dr. Doug Cameron

Managing Director
First Green Partners and Alberti Advisors






Dr. Gail Christopher

Former Senior Advisor and Vice President for Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation
W. K. Kellogg Foundation






Portrait of Dr. Nancy Creamer

Dr. Nancy Creamer

Distinguished Professor of Horticulture and Sustainable and Community-Based Food Systems
North Carolina State University






Dr. Debby Delmer

Professor Emeritus
University of California - Davis








Hon. Dan Glickman

Past Chair
Executive Director, Congressional Program
Aspen Institute






Dr. Rob Horsch

Deputy Director, Agricultural Research and Development
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation






Portrait of Pam Johnson

Ms. Pam Johnson

Past President
National Corn Growers Association




Portrait of Mark Keenum


Dr. Mark Keenum

Chairman of the Board
President
Mississippi State University








Dr. Mehmood Khan

Vice Chairman and Chief Scientific Officer, Global R&D
PepsiCo





Portrait of Dr. Michael Ladisch

Dr. Michael Ladisch

Director of the Laboratory of Renewable Resources Engineering
Purdue University






Portrait of Dr. Christopher Mallett

Dr. Chris Mallett

Corporate Vice President, Research and Development
Cargill, Inc.







Dr. Pam Marrone

Founder and CEO
Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc.






Portrait of Dr. Terry F. McElwain

Dr. Terry McElwain

Regents Professor Emeritus, Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health
Washington State University





Portrait of Dr. Stanley Prusiner

Dr. Stanley Prusiner

Professor of Neurology and Director of the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases
University of California - SF






Portrait of Dr. Yehia “Mo” Saif

Dr. Yehia "Mo" Saif

Professor Emeritus of the Food Animal Health Research Program of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center
The Ohio State University







Mr. Bob Stallman

Past President
American Farm Bureau Federation









Dr. Alton Thompson

Executive Director
Association of Research Directors of 1890 Land Grant Universities









Ex Officio Board Members




Portrait of Dr. Ann Bartuksa

Sonny Perdue

Secretary of Agriculture
U.S. Department of Agriculture





Portrait of Dr. Sonny Ramaswamy

Dr. Sonny Ramaswamy

Director, National Institute of Food and Agriculture
U.S. Department of Agriculture





Portrait of Dr. Jim Olds

Dr. Jim Olds

Assistant Director for Biological Sciences
Designee of Dr. France Córdova, Director
National Science Foundation






Portrait of Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young

Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young

Administrator, Agricultural Research Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture