Diversity drives success for Potato Sustainability Alliance

Potato sustainability requires collaboration across the entire value chain, with growers, researchers, processors, allied industries and buyers working together to address complex challenges and move the industry forward. At the Potato Sustainability Alliance (PSA), women serving on the board of directors play a vital role in shaping that collaboration, bringing diverse experiences, expertise and perspectives to potato sustainability efforts.

The PSA board of directors includes 10 women among its 24 board seats, representing a broad range of professional backgrounds across the potato value chain. Recently elected chair Tracy Shinners-Carnelley (pictured above) and vice chair Erika Wagner mark the first women concurrently elected to both top executive committee roles within the organization.

This milestone comes at a time when global recognition of women’s contributions to agriculture and science continues to grow. The United Nations has designated 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer, underscoring the essential role women play in food systems, farming and sustainability.

At PSA, these contributions are reflected daily through the women as they guide the alliance’s strategy, shape its programs and advance sustainability outcomes for potatoes.

Diverse leadership matters in potato sustainability because the challenges facing the industry are interconnected and multifaceted. As Shinners-Carnelley, also vice president of research, quality and sustainability at Peak of the Market, explained, progress depends on understanding the complexity of the system itself.

“Each point along the value chain is unique,” she said. “Diverse perspectives are critical for success. PSA was intentionally built to reflect that reality — creating space where multiple viewpoints strengthen outcomes.”

Leadership within PSA often shows up through asking the right questions, listening closely to growers and translating on-farm sustainability practices into valuable storytelling.

Stephanie Teclaw, PSA board member and director of food safety and quality assurance, regulatory and sustainability at Grimmway Produce Group, describes this diversity as one of the alliance’s greatest strengths.

“PSA’s superpower is in its diverse membership,” she said. “Diversity in leadership brings well-rounded, credible decision-making. No single perspective can see the whole system, especially in something as complex as the potato industry.”

Across the PSA board, women serve as scientists, researchers, agronomists, food safety specialists and sustainability professionals. They share a commitment to collaboration and continuous improvement.

For Teclaw, serving on the Board has provided an opportunity to bring her expertise to the table while learning from leaders representing other segments of the industry. Sustainability, she said, is no longer siloed: it is embedded in food safety, sourcing, customer expectations and grower strategies alike. Aligning sustainability initiatives with existing systems, rather than adding unnecessary burden, is critical to driving meaningful progress.

That systems-based perspective is echoed by Jane Canales, PSA board member and procurement manager of raw material at Basic American Foods.

“Each sector within the potato industry plays an important role in promoting agricultural sustainability by maintaining a system of checks and balances,” Canales said. “That structure helps ensure we all advance together.”

Canales’ role bridges multiple parts of the value chain, from working directly with growers and suppliers to coordinating raw product logistics and supply chain operations for production facilities.

“I’m grateful for the diversity of my role within ag operations,” she said. “I get to be out in the potato fields and cellars while also managing supply chain decisions. That connection creates more balanced, informed sustainability decisions.”

This real-world approach in agriculture translates directly to PSA’s mission for Wagner, Climate Choice business development manager at Yara North America, who works closely with growers to use crop nutrition as a tool to improve yield, quality and sustainability outcomes.

“It’s rare to have people from so many different backgrounds sitting around a table with one common goal,” Wagner said. “There are so many smart people in the room bringing their expertise and perspective — you can’t help but feel motivated.”

Collaboration and data are also central to the PSA program. Board members help guide strategy by applying data, listening to growers and strengthening trust in PSA’s mission. Shinners-Carnelley pointed to the alliance’s work to develop and implement third-party verification as an achievement that demonstrates what is possible when the industry works together.

Women serving on the 2026 PSA board also include Cassandra Cotton (Cavendish Farms), Anna Blitz (Wendy’s), Kartika Charan (Sysco), Amanda Marti (McDonald’s), Tara McCaughey (Syngenta) and Ariel Wiegard (Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever).

PSA remains committed to inclusive, collaborative leadership reflecting the full potato value chain. The alliance benefits from the time, expertise, and service of the women leaders helping guide its mission forward. By bringing diverse perspectives together, PSA — and the industry — can continue advancing sustainability.

To learn more, visit potatosustainability.org.

Courtney Rude Lamie is the Potato Sustainability Alliance’s communications lead.