Meet Our Team

Aline DeLucia leads AgSpire in pursuing cutting-edge ideas to address challenges and advance goals. With a background in livestock nutrition and reproduction, stakeholder engagement, corporate issues management, and agricultural policy and advocacy, Aline offers a comprehensive and pragmatic understanding of the industry.

Aline started her career in livestock, where she worked on beef cattle reproduction, as well as exotic ruminants’ nutrition. She maintains strong ties to her family’s beef cattle ranch in Brazil, bringing a valuable perspective into discussions impacting producers and the food value chain.

She took that practical knowledge and applied it to public policy and business management. Through her roles with Syngenta, the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, and BASF, Aline gained extensive experience engaging stakeholders throughout the agriculture value chain to advance key industry issues.

She has three master’s degrees spanning the breadth of agricultural sciences and business from Indiana University, Purdue University, and the University of Florida. She received her bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from University of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

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Austin grew up helping on the family century farm and now operates that farm with his uncle raising hogs, corn, and soybeans. Austin has seen the effects of incorporating conservation practices on his own farm and uses those experiences to help others incorporate practices on their operations. Previously, Austin worked as a Sustainability Agronomist working with producers across the country helping bring value to their operations through sustainable practices.

Austin holds a bachelor’s degree in Agronomy from Iowa State University. He is also a Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) and Technical Service Provider (TSP) through NRCS, covering multiple practices and states.

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Jake’s passion lies in working with farmers which began on the family farm in northeast South Dakota. His pursuit has led him to work in research and development, seed sales, market development, and – more recently – soil health and sustainable agriculture. He enjoys sharing his knowledge with farmers to help them gain a better understanding of what the soil health principles can offer and how to manage expectations.

Jake holds a B.A. in Crop and Weed Sciences from North Dakota State University and a M.S. in Plant and Soil Sciences from Oklahoma State University. He is a sUAV licensed pilot and a board member for the Payne County Conservation District. Additionally, Jake serves as a crop consultant.

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Derek is passionate about conservation and natural ecosystems – a passion he uses to guide his work as Senior Conservation Agronomist at AgSpire. He has a deep respect for mother nature and the symbiosis organisms have with one another in the environment. In his work, Derek seeks to harness these natural relationships for crop production so that environmental impacts can be mitigated while still producing high quality commodities for the growing world’s population.

Prior to joining AgSpire, Derek spent more than 15 years working with landowners and corporations to design, manage, and validate research trials, maximizing short- and long-term crop outputs. Always eager to learn, he is continuously expanding his knowledge of soil health, chemistry, biology, technical advancements in crop production and integrated pest management (IPM).

Derek holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology from South Dakota State University and a master’s degree in Agronomy from Iowa State University. He is a Certified Crop Advisor (CCA), Technical Service Provider (TSP) for the NRCS, and is also a small business owner.

In his spare time, Derek enjoys the outdoors, coaching youth sports, and spending time with his family.

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Sheridan Wilson is deeply passionate about cattle, the plants they graze, and the people that care for them. She grew up ranching on her family’s cow/calf operation in western Nebraska and is committed to using her knowledge and experiences to help ranchers and improve native rangelands, ensuring their continuation for future generations. 

Along with her ranching experience, Sheridan has worked with Nebraska Extension, NRCS, and Green Cover, where she advanced her skills in communication, collaboration, and sales, while gaining technical knowledge in grassland management. Sheridan is a graduate from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a Bachelor of Science in Grassland Systems. 

Sheridan is excited to start her role at AgSpire as a Technical Advisor, where she can help improve agricultural systems from the ground up.  

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Dr. Kristina Porter serves as a technical advisor for AgSpire, bringing deep expertise to our livestock focused programs.

She has spent most of her veterinary career focusing on reproduction to maximize performance and profitability for her clients. She has complemented this focus with low-stress animal handling to create the healthiest, most efficient animal possible.

Dr. Kristina has worked alongside members of the Beef Reproduction task force to develop synchronization protocols for the industry. This earned her their “Service to Industry Award” in 2022 for her contributions.

Dr. Kristina is from eastern South Dakota and returned to the family ranch after veterinary school. Dr. Kristina received her BS in Animal Science from Kansas State University in 2008 and her DVM from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State in 2010. She completed the Executive Veterinary Program from the University of Illinois in 2023.

She and her husband, also a veterinarian, practice in Huron, South Dakota while raising their four daughters and working on the family ranch.

As an Enrollment Specialist, Gavan utilizes his passion for agriculture and conservation, as he helps expand producer enrollment and outreach efforts for AgSpire programs.

Gavan previously served as an Intern with AgSpire before joining full time after graduating from South Dakota State University with a degree in Ecology and Environmental Sciences.

Gavan has also worked with Millborn Seeds, where he primarily worked in the warehouse packaging orders while creating new ways to operate more efficiently within the company since January of 2023. Additionally, his background includes volunteering for the NRCS of Brookings County, being an active member of the Ida County Iowa Pheasants Forever Chapter and the South Dakota State University Pheasants Forever Chapter.

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As the Director of Carbon & Ecosystem Markets, Zach promotes company strategy and client success by developing and executing services at the intersection of MRV technologies, carbon accounting protocols, and ecosystem markets.

Throughout his career, Zach has focused on carbon issues for stakeholders across the agriculture value chain and in a wide array of commodities. His expertise in farm-level carbon accounting, MRV platform usage, voluntary and compliance market schemes, science-based targets, ESG reporting, and strategic planning allow him to assist industry groups, food and ag companies, and farmers on their sustainability goals.

Zach’s passion for agriculture started at Woods Hole Consortium, where he studied with scientists to evaluate carbon sequestration techniques in row crop systems. Prior to joining AgSpire, Zach managed sustainability services at Pinion Global. There, he advised clients on designing, measuring, and evaluating carbon strategies down to the farm level. Zach also has experience in social impact measurement and social entrepreneurship.

Zach has a BA in Environmental Science from Middlebury College and is an accredited verifier for both dairy and ethanol projects under the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard and the Oregon Clean Fuels Program.

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Abby brings fifteen years of experience in climate change mitigation strategy to her role as Director of Environmental Assets at AgSpire, where she is responsible for ensuring alignment between emerging GHG accounting standards and on-the-ground realities of farmer and rancher implementation.

Previously, as Senior Manager of Supply Chain Innovation at Verra, she co-managed the Scope 3 Program, driving credible, transparent emissions reductions and carbon removals within supply chains. As Senior Climate Advisor at SustainCERT, she advised multinational food and beverage corporations on intervention-based emissions accounting and market-based verification solutions, serving as lead technical author of the Verification Requirements for Value Chain Interventions, v0.91. Her corporate experience includes working as a sustainability consultant and in-house climate change mitigation expert in the dairy sector, where she authored the built on GHG-P, Scope 1 & 2 GHG Inventory Guidance for Dairy Processors.

Abby holds a Master of Environmental Management from Yale School of the Environment, specializing in corporate sustainability strategy and agricultural sciences. Her commitment to community-driven food systems is demonstrated through her 12-year involvement in co-creating an agroforestry project in Togo, which she is currently expanding to enhance the systems’ biodiversity.

Her international experience includes serving as a US Fulbright Fellow in Indonesia, a Natural Resource Management US Peace Corps volunteer in Togo, and supporting a U.N FAO initiative on technical training for small-holder farmers. Her contributions to environmental sustainability have been recognized through fellowships with the Environmental Defense Fund Climate Corps and World Wildlife Fund in Singapore.

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With a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, majoring in Animal Science from the University of Guelph, and an MBA from William & Mary in Virginia, Sydney has extensive experience in the agriculture industry and brings knowledge from having worked across many different segments.

Most recently, Sydney served as the North American Marketing Lead for the Seed Treatment business at BASF where she led a team responsible for managing all on-seed technology. Prior to this, Sydney was the Global Marketing Manager, responsible for the global strategy of three key active ingredients. Sydney’s experience also includes various country-level marketing roles focused on providing innovative solutions for farmer customers across North America.

Sydney brings a passion for the agriculture industry, and helping farmers identify meaningful and sustainable solutions to maximize productivity.

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Growing up on a diversified livestock and row crop operation in Northeastern South Dakota, Mitchell quickly learned the importance of taking care of the environment around him. Utilizing various crops to not only boost soil health, but to find another method to graze cattle more efficiently was pivotal in his understanding of sustainable agriculture.  

Mitchell holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Science & Agriculture Science from South Dakota State University. There, he was heavily involved in numerous collegiate organizations that truly shaped his college experience. Involvement on the livestock judging team, ambassador programs, student advisory councils, and co-founder of the Collegiate Cattlemen’s Club demonstrated the importance of effective leadership and cooperative activities.

Mitchell currently resides near Howard, South Dakota where he helps his family’s cow calf, feedlot, and row crop operation where regenerative agriculture is consistently at the forefront of decision making.  

He enjoys managing his own herd of Hereford cows and frequently attends livestock shows with friends, family, and customers.  

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With deep roots in agriculture and a commitment to sustainability, Sarah Roderick helps expand the reach of AgSpire’s work as Event & Outreach Coordinator. Raised on a cattle ranch in West Texas, she developed a passion for the cattle industry early on — a passion that has grown through hands-on experience and leadership roles in the agricultural sector.

Sarah has worked with the New Mexico Department of Agriculture as a Communications & Events Student Assistant and completed an internship with 44 Farms/Prime Pursuits valuable insight into beef production, marketing, and supply chain relationships.

A graduate of New Mexico State University, Sarah earned a double major in Agricultural Communications and Agricultural Business/Economics. While at NMSU, she was a proud member of the National Agri-Marketing Association team, helping secure a national championship in 2023. She also served as a Student Fellow for the International Livestock Congress in 2024, both experiences sharpened her skills in strategic communication, business strategy and industry economics.

Outside of work, Sarah enjoys traveling, reading, and exploring new ways to connect people, ideas, and resources to strengthen agriculture for future generations.

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With a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, majoring in Animal Science from Texas A&M University, combined with experience in the agriculture industry, Lindsey brings knowledge from having worked across many different segments of the agriculture industry.

Most recently, she served as the Processing and Inventory Lead at 44 Farms, where she managed a team focused on all sale cattle and balanced hands-on tasks with whole herd data entry responsibilities. Lindsey‘s background includes growing up in the show cattle industry, where she raised and exhibited Red Angus cattle.

With a strong passion for agriculture, she is committed to helping farmers discover meaningful and sustainable solutions to enhance productivity.

Taylor Polka joined the AgSpire team as an Enrollment Specialist focused on our Producer Programs. She assists producers in the enrollment process as well as collects and manages data.

Taylor was raised in Wisconsin where a love for animals and agriculture were fostered. Being heavily involved in 4-H and FFA created further agricultural and leadership development opportunities.

She has an Animal Science degree from the University of Wisconsin- River Falls. During her time in River Falls, she focused on animal genetics and reproduction. Previously, Taylor was managing a dairy teaching farm for a technical college. Her role encompassed animal husbandry, education, and crop planning and management.

As the Senior Director of Finance and Operations at AgSpire, Andrea leverages over 12 years of experience in financial management, strategic planning, and operational leadership. Her extensive background across diverse industries enables her to excel in crafting robust financial strategies and enhancing operational efficiency to drive sustainable growth.

Andrea holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from California State University and a master’s degree from Capella University.

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Vivian leads AgSpire’s program operations, with a strong focus on achieving tangible outcomes and delivering meaningful results.

Growing up on a farm in Norway, Vivian knows the intricacies of working with the land and the vast opportunities for producers, the environment, and society at large. This spurred an interest in sustainable development that has guided her education and career since.

Prior to joining AgSpire as our inaugural hire, Vivian worked in sales at two indoor vertical farming startups, before moving into economic development for the State of Wyoming in an entrepreneurial ecosystem development role.

With a bachelor’s degree in Renewable Energy from the University of Life Sciences in Norway, she then moved to Wyoming to pursue her MBA in Energy Management at the University of Wyoming.

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