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.
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.
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.
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
Sarah Roderick serves as the Event & Outreach Coordinator for AgSpire, with a focus on expanding the reach of our SustainAg Network Initiative. With a passion for agriculture and sustainability, she looks forward to finding innovative solutions for producers and consumers.
This passion was created by growing up on a cattle ranch in West Texas, where she learned the highs and lows within the cattle industry. This gave her a solid foundation in the agriculture sector and left her with a desire to improve the industry.
Sarah has previously worked for the New Mexico Department of Agriculture where she worked as the Communications & Events Student Assistant, as well as an intern for 44 Farms/Prime Pursuits.
Just recently, Sarah graduated from New Mexico State University (NMSU) with a double major in Agricultural Communications and Agricultural Business/Economics. While at NMSU, Sarah was a proud member of the National Agri-Marketing Association team where her team won the national title in 2023. She also served as student body treasurer for NMSU’s student government and held other various leadership roles.
As the Producer Programs Intern, Gavan utilizes his passion for agriculture and conservation, as he helps expand producer enrollment and outreach efforts within The SustainAg Network.
Gavan previously 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 is the treasurer of the South Dakota State University Pheasants Forever Chapter.
Gavan is currently a junior at SDSU working towards his degree in Ecology/Environmental Sciences.
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.
Drew Slattery, with his extensive experience in the regenerative agriculture and corporate sustainability realm, is committed to enhancing the impact on natural resources and the climate across global supply chains.
Throughout his career, Drew has partnered with leading agricultural and food brands to evolve their supply chains for greater sustainability and reduced carbon footprints. This has given him a broad range of expertise – from remote sensing, to ag media, producer engagement, behavior change programming, and corporate sustainability – and experience working with the beef, dairy, row crop, and specialty crop sectors.
Raised on a cow-calf operation in Texas and spending most of his life immersed in the beef seedstock industry, Drew brings a producer-centered approach that deeply influences his commitment to supporting agricultural producers in their path to continuous improvement. Additionally, he spent time as an agriculture extension agent with the US Peace Corps in Zambia.
He received a master’s degree in agriculture from Oklahoma State University and a bachelor’s degree in communication from Tarleton State University.
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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