Catherine Maxwell joined the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) in July 2021 as director of strategic partnerships. In this role, she works with corporate, academic, governmental and nonprofit organizations to facilitate unique partnerships to support audacious science addressing today’s food and agriculture challenges.
Maxwell comes to FFAR with over two decades of experience in partnership development and a deep commitment to agricultural institutions and the people they serve. Prior to joining FFAR, she was director of corporate and foundation relations at Zamorano University, where she developed support for agricultural education, research and outreach advancing socio-economic progress in Latin America and the Caribbean. At North Carolina State University and Meredith College, she provided leadership in major gifts, campaign management, board development, corporate and foundation relations, grant writing and event planning. As a member of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service team, she worked with NC State faculty, administrators and external partners to build synergistic research collaborations addressing local and global challenges and opportunities.
Maxwell is driven by her belief in the power of shared mission and her dedication to partners who, working together, deliver on that mission to serve society. She is inspired and delighted to be a part of the team advancing FFAR’s vision for a world in which pioneering, collaborative science provides every person access to affordable, nutritious food grown on thriving farms.
Maxwell loves dogs, good food and community volunteering, and is a member of the International Cloud Appreciation Society.