125 S Lexington Ave, Suite 101 - 11, Asheville, NC 28801
SEED PROGRAMS INTERNATIONAL
Our Team
Leadership team
Seed Programs International (SPI) was founded on the notion of enabling others to improve their local circumstances. Our organizational structure and team philosophy reflect this commitment by prioritizing support for in-geography implementing partners who work directly with communities and end-user beneficiaries.
We have a small leadership team that is highly integrated with a high-level of cross-training and mutual responsibility. When you talk to one of us you can feel assured you are talking with all of us. Our leadership team mobilizes first-in-class expertise that resides in our supporting technical partner network to address the continually emerging and evolving needs of our implementing partners.
We focus on keeping our work focused, lean, and timely. This approach ensures that every dollar entrusted to SPI delivers the greatest possible benefit to families around the world who are using vegetable production to strengthen food security and improve their livelihoods.
ROBYN LOVE
CEO and President
Robyn is an applied biologist and restoration ecologist with over 15 years of experience in environmental consulting, teaching, research, and program management. She has led and implemented complex, multi-stakeholder projects focused on protecting and enhancing natural systems. Robyn recognizes the critical role agriculture plays in building resilient environmental systems that sustain communities. At SPI, she is responsible for overall management of the organization. In her free time Robyn enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, and hiking.
MILCAH KIGONI
Programs and Partnerships Director
Milcah has over a decade of experience in agricultural improvement research, operations, and project management, with work spanning Africa, Southeast Asia, and the U.S., including roles with CGIAR research institutes and doctoral training at the University of Illinois. Growing up in Kenya’s rural highlands, surrounded by small-scale, mixed subsistence farms, she witnessed the resource constraints facing local farmers while recognizing the strong potential of these communities to thrive with the right support. Her work focuses on advancing agricultural solutions and translating research into practical, accessible tools that improve the nutritional, social, and economic well-being of smallholder farmers. At SPI, Milcah leads Programs and Partnerships, overseeing initiatives that deliver seeds, training, and resources to agricultural communities. In her free time, Milcah enjoys serving her local church, cooking, and gardening.
BRIAN LOVE
Strategy and Operations Director
Brian has over 20 years of experience in academia, philanthropy, and the private sector including previous stints at Land O’Lakes, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and CIMMYT. With an Anthropology degree and a doctorate in Plant Sciences, Brian’s interests focus on the need for combining technical and social solutions to seed sector challenges. He discovered his passion for seeds and working with smallholder farmers while learning from highland farmers in Mexico and Panama. Brian is responsible for seed logistics and technical contributions to Partnerships, Programs, and Projects. In his free time Brian enjoys a good game of pick-up futbol as well as improvement projects around the house.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jack Bernens
Chair
JTB Ventures, Inc.
Retired: Head, Enogen Business,
Syngenta
Thomas Tolman
Vice-Chair
Retired: President,
Condor Seed Production
Crystal Callahan
Treasurer
Global Process Manager
Purchase to Pay,
Enza Zaden USA, Inc.
Alan Krivanek
Secretary
Retired: Tomato Breeder,
Seminis
Tim Batcha
Board Member
Retired: CFO,
Standard Holding Company
Stacy Davis
Board Member
Global Marketing Content Manager,
Germains Seed Technology
June Lavelle
Board Member
Owner and Chief Consultant,
Lavelle & Associates, Inc.
Victoria Miller
Board Member
RN, BSN
Antonius Van Der Velden
Board Member
Retired: President and CEO,
Enza Zaden USA Inc.
BOARD EMERITUS AND ADVISORS
John Batcha
John Batcha, Board Emeritus, Post-humous,
Founder, Seed Programs International
Gary Kushner
Advisor to the Board, Retired: Hogan Lovells Law Firm
Seed Programs International is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates globally.
Our EIN/Tax ID is 56-2092576. Thank you for your support!
