About the Rodale Institute: Staff

Executive Staff and Program Managers

Timothy J. LaSalle, CEO (chief executive officer)
Tim LaSalle holds his doctorate in depth psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute, a master’s in populations genetics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and a bachelor of science degree from California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly). For 12 years he was a full professor at Cal Poly, where he taught dairy science classes and served as the president and CEO of California’s Agriculture Education Foundation. While at Cal Poly, LaSalle started and operated a conventional dairy near Templeton, California. More recently, LaSalle served in an executive capacity with various nonprofit organizations, including the Environmental Center of San Luis Obispo County and the Allan Savory Center for Holistic Management.

Jeff Moyer, farm manager
Jeff Moyer is an expert in organic crop production systems including weed management, cover crops, crop rotations, equipment modification and use, and facilities design. He has helped countless farmers make the transition from conventional, chemical-based farming to organic or sustainable methods. Throughout his more than 30 years at the Rodale Institute, Moyer has brought a farmer’s perspective and approach to issues in organic agriculture. He chairs the National Organic Standards Board, which assists the USDA Secretary of Agriculture in developing standards for materials to be used in organic production as well as advising on other aspects of implementing the National Organic Program.

Paul Hepperly, research director
Paul Reed Hepperly holds a doctorate in plant pathology, a master’s degree in agronomy and a bachelor of arts degree in psychology from the University of Illinois. He has worked with farmers from regions around the world, including Central and South America, the Caribbean, India and Africa. He has extensive expertise in organic and conventional agriculture and has contributed to more than 150 publications on topics such as plant pathology, fungal diseases, plant disease resistance, disease management, epidemiology, diagnosis, fungal ecology, seed pathology, agronomy, horticulture, weed management, carbon sequestration and research program management. In September of 2007, Hepperly was honored as a recipient of a Fulbright Scholar Award. In 2005, he received the Rachel Carson Council’s Sense of Science award in Silver Springs, Maryland, and in 2004 he was awarded the Da Vinci in the Community award from the Da Vinci Discovery Center of Science and Technology in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Jake Blehm, director of operations
Jake Blehm holds a master’s in business administration from California Lutheran University, a bachelor of science degree from Colorado State University in agricultural business, and a Certificate in International Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. Over the last 30 years he has visited more than 50 countries, working as a consultant in sustainable and organic agriculture, specializing in the production and implementation of natural and biological pest-management programs. More recently, he did work in agricultural marketing, agri-brand management and small- and medium-enterprise development. Before coming to the Rodale Institute, he was director of programs for the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation, managing a non-profit professional education team.

Paula Gray Hunker, director of policy and communications
Paula Hunker brings an extensive background in varied media, public policy and strategic business development to the role. She most recently served as chief of staff to the Under Secretary of State for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs, working on issues such as food security, biofuels impact and reform of United Nations efforts in humanitarian assistance and sustainable development. She also helped launch a new office at the Department of State to advance multi-sector partnerships. Prior to her tenure at State, she was a strategic consultant, working with both nonprofit and Fortune 500 companies. Before that she worked as an editor, columnist and reporter at The Washington Times and at Discovery Communications.

Greg Bowman, communications: managing editor
Greg Bowman holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science and communications from Goshen College, Indiana. He brings 27 years of journalistic experience to his work within the communications department of the Institute, and its New Farm stream of online content focusing the sustainable agriculture and food news and research. Bowman supports the Institute’s leadership through New Farm in building regional food systems which engage sustainable farmers with their communities. He helped edit the Institute’s New Farm magazine from 1990-1995, and collaborated with the USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program to produce two farmer how-to books: Steel in the Field: A farmer’s guide to weed management tools (1971) and Managing Cover Crops Profitable, 2^nd Ed. (1998), which was updated and reissued in 2007.

Maria Pop, communications: outreach and education manager
Maria Pop holds a master's in adult education and a certificate in distance education from Pennsylvania State University and a bachelor of science in horticultural engineering from the Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Romania. She manages the development, planning and implementation of all online and on-site outreach and education programs at the Rodale Institute headquarters in Pennsylvania as well as other locations throughout the United States.

Louise DeVall, communications: bookstore manager
Louise DeVall holds a bachelor of science degree in secondary education, social studies from Kutztown University. She purchases and maintains the inventory of both the on-farm and online bookstores and manages the bookstore’s wholesale division. She serves as the Rodale Institute’s Information Specialist, researching answers to all e-mails received by the Institute. Louise is the first person that visitors will see when they tour the Institute’s farm, offering them her wealth of knowledge and passion about organics.