President Biden Announces Key Appointments to Boards and Commissions

WASHINGTON – Today, President Biden announces his intent to appoint the following individuals to serve in key roles:

• Laurence B. Alexander, Chair, Board for International Food and Agricultural Development
• Pamela K. Anderson, Member, Board for International Food and Agricultural Development
• Marie Boyd, Member, Board for International Food and Agricultural Development
• Rattan Lal, Member, Board for International Food and Agricultural Development
• Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie, Member, Board for International Food and Agricultural Development
• Henri G. Moore, Member, Board for International Food and Agricultural Development
• Kathy Spahn, Member, Board for International Food and Agricultural Development
• Starlet “Star” Jones Lugo, Chair & Commissioner, U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad
• G. Jonathan Greenwald, Commissioner, U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad
• Nicole Mavis Isaac, Commissioner, U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad
• Nancy K. Kaufman, Commissioner, U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad
• Michael T. Marquardt, Commissioner, U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad
• Maureen Catherine Pikarski, Commissioner, U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad
• William H. Shaheen, Commissioner, U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad

The Board for International Food and Agricultural Development (BIFAD) advises USAID on agriculture and higher education issues pertinent to food insecurity in developing countries. The President appoints members, who primarily represent the academic community. BIFAD was established by Title XII of the Foreign Assistance Act. The Board and Title XII recognize the critical role of U.S. land-grant institutions in agricultural development, domestically and abroad, and support their representation in USAID development programs.

Laurence B. Alexander, Chair, Board for International Food and Agricultural Development

Laurence B. Alexander has served for eight years as Chancellor of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, a public historically black land-grant research university that offers degrees in more than 40 programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. levels, including extension services provided through a variety of programs in its School of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Human Sciences. Prior to joining UAPB, Alexander had a distinguished 22-year career as a professor and administrator at the University of Florida, the state’s land-grant flagship research institution that is a member of the Association of American Universities. He joined the UF faculty in 1991 as an assistant professor and rose through the academic ranks to become a tenured full professor in the UF College of Journalism and Communications. He was selected as the 12^th UF Distinguished Alumni Professor, was named a UF Research Foundation Professor, and was inducted into the UF Academy of Distinguished Teaching Scholars.

His current community engagement includes service on the Board of Trustees of the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, the Board of Directors of Jefferson Regional Medical Center, and the Board of the Economic Development Alliance for Jefferson County, Arkansas. He also serves as Vice Chair of the NCAA Division I Presidential Forum and Chair of the Southwestern Athletic Conference Council of Presidents and Chancellors. A native of New Orleans, Alexander earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of New Orleans, a master’s degree in Journalism and Communications from the University of Florida, a Juris Doctor from Tulane University, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education from Florida State University.

Pamela K. Anderson, Member, Board for International Food and Agricultural Development

Dr. Pamela Anderson served as Director General of the International Potato Center (CIP) in Lima, Peru, one of the research centers within the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), from 2005–2013 and as CIP’s Director of Research from 2002–2005. Dr. Anderson also served as a senior entomologist and Coordinator of the Tropical Whitefly IPM Program at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) in Cali, Colombia from 1996-2002. Prior to joining the CGIAR system, Dr. Anderson spent two decades working with national agricultural programs in Latin America, including twelve years with the Universidad Nacional Agraria in Nicaragua. Returning to the U.S. in 2013, Dr. Anderson served as Director for the Agricultural Development Program of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation from 2014 –2016, where she led the team that works to reduce hunger and poverty for farming families in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Dr. Anderson holds a B.A. in Biology from Northwestern University, an M.Sc. in Entomology from the University of Illinois, and an M.Sc. in Human Ecology and an Sc.D. in Population Sciences/Vector Entomology from the Harvard School of Public Health. She has served as an advisor to the Federation of American Scientists, a research consultant at Harvard University, a member of the Government of Ireland Hunger Task Force, and Board member for the CGIAR Consortium and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa. Dr. Anderson has served as a member of the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development since 2015.

Marie Boyd, Member, Board for International Food and Agricultural Development

Marie Boyd is an associate professor at the University of South Carolina School of Law. Her research focuses on the regulation of food, drugs, medical devices, and cosmetics by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Her current work examines the relationship between FDA regulation and state tort law, focusing on how these areas of law impact women and people of color. Her prior work explores topics including the relationship between law and culture in the context of the regulation of insects as human food and the regulation of food allergens. Her scholarship has been published or is forthcoming in the Boston University Law Review, the Cardozo Law Review, the Yale Journal of Law & Feminism, and the Yale Law & Policy Review, among other journals. She teaches Food and Drug Law, Food Law and Policy, Administrative Law, and Torts. Professor Boyd is a past chair of the Agricultural and Food Law Section of the American Association of Law Schools and the Editorial Advisory Board for the Food and Drug Law Journal. She was a member of the inaugural City of Columbia Food Policy Committee. She has also served on the boards of South Carolina Humanities, the Palmetto Health Foundation, and the South Carolina HIV/ AIDS Council.

Before joining the University of South Carolina School of Law, Professor Boyd practiced law with Covington & Burling LLP in Washington, DC. At Covington, she advised companies on the federal and state regulation of drugs, biologics, devices, and foods. She also advised and represented low-income DC residents through the Neighborhood Legal Services Program. Professor Boyd earned an A.B. in Chemistry from Harvard University and a J.D. from Yale Law School. Originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, she lives in Columbia, South Carolina.

Rattan Lal, Member, Board for International Food and Agricultural Development

Rattan Lal, Ph.D., is a Distinguished University Professor of Soil Science and Director of the CFAES Rattan Lal Center for Carbon Management and Sequestration at The Ohio State University. Dr. Lal is Adjunct Professor of the University of Iceland and of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, as well as a Visiting Professor at Pontifical Catholic University. He is widely recognized as a pioneer in soil-centric agricultural management to improve food security globally and develop climate-resilient agriculture through soil carbon management and sequestration, sustainable management of soils, and soil health.

Dr. Lal served as President of the World Association of the Soil and Water Conservation (1987-1990), the International Soil Tillage Research Organization (1988-1991), the Soil Science Society of America (2005-2007), and the International Union of Soil Sciences (2017-2018). He is Chair in Soil Science and Goodwill Ambassador for Sustainable Development Issues of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture. Dr. Lal has received several awards for his work, including the 2020 World Food Prize. 

Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie, Member, Board for International Food and Agricultural Development

Dr. Saweda Liverpool-Tasie is a tenured associate professor in the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics at Michigan State University. She has lived in East Lansing, Michigan for over 10 years. Her research focuses on emergent issues related to smallholder productivity and welfare within dynamic and transforming food systems in sub Saharan Africa and alongside poorly functioning markets in the region. She has extensive experience with program evaluation in Africa using various quantitative methods. She has designed, implemented, and analyzed data from field surveys across the continent and has looked at gendered access to land and other inputs. Dr. Liverpool-Tasie’s research work covers several countries on the continent including Nigeria, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Gambia, Niger, Malawi, and Zambia. She continues to lead efforts on designing and implementing capacity building projects in Africa. Currently, Dr. Liverpool-Tasie is the principal investigator of various research projects that strive to support policy processes with evidence, based on scientific research. She is active in several multidisciplinary teams focused on issues of food security, food safety, and value chain transformation in developing countries.

Henri G. Moore, Member, Board for International Food and Agricultural Development

Henri G. Moore is Vice President/Head of Responsible Business at GSK Consumer Health, which will incorporate in July 2022. Moore is also establishing the NewCo Foundation, where she will also serve as the president. Moore is responsible for the design, implementation, administration, and communication of the new Consumer Health Company’s mission of delivering better everyday health with humanity to key stakeholders and communities in which they operate around the globe. Her role will capitalize on the 30 years of experience in marketing, public relations, philanthropy, community outreach, sustainability and sponsorships. Prior to this appointment, Moore served as Vice President/Head of Global Responsibility and President of the foundation at Corteva Agriscience. She was responsible for the development and execution of a Global Responsibility strategy, inclusive of Community Investment, Sustainability, and Agriculture Development in more than 140 countries.

Moore is active in community service that helps youth and young adults realize their potential. She serves on the Board of the FFA Foundation, Rodel Foundation, Delaware Business Roundtable Education Committee, and Food Bank of Delaware, as well as the Greater Philadelphia Film Office and the Satell Institute. Moore is also an active member of the Forum of Executive Women and the Executive Leadership Council. Moore received her Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Wittenberg University with a major in Marketing and a minor in Economics. She completed executive leadership programs at the Yale School of Management, Babson College Executive Development Center, and UCLA Anderson School of Management. A resident of Philadelphia, Moore and her husband Tony are parents of two daughters and a son. 

Kathy Spahn, Member, Board for International Food and Agricultural Development

Kathy Spahn is President and CEO of Helen Keller Intl, a global health organization that partners with communities to overcome longstanding cycles of poverty. By delivering the essential building blocks of good health, sound nutrition, and clear vision, Helen Keller helps millions of people in more than 20 countries create lasting change in their own lives and reach their true potential. Prior to joining Helen Keller in 2005, Spahn was President and Executive Director of Orbis, an international non-profit dedicated to the prevention and treatment of blindness, and was Executive Director of God’s Love We Deliver, dedicated to combating malnutrition and hunger among people living with HIV/AIDS.

Spahn currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Access to Nutrition Initiative and previously served on the boards of InterAction, the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, and the Bernadotte Foundation for Children’s Eyecare. She also serves on the International Food Policy Research Institute’s Leadership Council Compact of 2025 and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She was a founding board member of the Association of Nutrition Services Agencies and a founding partner of the former Global Network for Neglected Tropical Disease Control.

The U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad was established in 1985 to ensure that sites important to populations impacted by Nazism, communism, and the Cold War would be preserved for future generations. The Commission’s mission is to identify, protect, and preserve cemeteries, monuments, and historic buildings in Eastern and Central Europe that are associated with U.S. heritage. The work recognizes that the population of the United States is mostly comprised of immigrants and their descendants, and that the United States has an interest in the preservation of sites in other countries related to the heritage of these Americans.

Starlet “Star” Jones Lugo, Chair & Commissioner, U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad

Star Jones is an attorney, former New York city homicide prosecutor, business executive, best-selling author, and an Emmy award nominated TV host. After work as a prosecutor and senior assistant district attorney early in her career, Jones will become the host and new judge of Divorce Court this fall. Jones served as President and Board of Directors member of Professional Diversity Network, Inc., and of the International Association of Women. She is also a co-founder and principal of the Instant Impact Group, LLC, a consultancy firm that assists individuals and companies build their diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. Through her consultancy firm, Jones also acts as Executive Editor for Marquis Who’s Who. She was one of the original co-hosts of ABC’s “The View” for nine years and is a “Broadcasting and Cable” Hall of Fame inductee. She is President of Girlfriend Entertainment Productions, Inc., her own programming and production company.

In 2010, Jones underwent successful open-heart surgery and, for over a decade, she has been the National Volunteer of the American Heart Association. She is a member of the international editorial board of the Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society and is a U.S. representative to the Women In Africa initiative. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and hosts international virtual town hall and forum series. She makes her home in Chicago and East Hampton with her spouse, attorney and Administrative Law Judge Ricardo Lugo, their son Jake, and their Maltese Mimi.

G. Jonathan Greenwald, Commissioner, U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad

G. Jonathan (Jon) Greenwald, a Wilkes-Barre, PA native, has spent a half century in public service, including 30 as a senior U.S. diplomat and 17 as Vice President for the International Crisis Group, a prominent non-governmental conflict resolution organization. He has taught diplomacy at Lawrence University, served as the State Department’s nominee on the panel that adjudicated Holocaust-era claims for Austria, authored Berlin Witness: An American Diplomat’s Chronicle of East Germany’s Revolution, and directs and funds an initiative to bring young Israelis and Palestinians to study together at leading university preparatory schools.

A member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Washington Institute of Foreign Affairs, J Street, and Foreign Policy 4 America, Greenwald serves on the boards of several conflict resolution-related international groups. He speaks German, Hungarian, and French and lives with his wife Gabriele and their cats in McLean, VA.

Nicole Mavis Isaac, Commissioner, U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad

Nicole Isaac leads the International Strategic Response team which focuses on risk mitigation efforts in At-Risk countries and for all global elections at Meta. Prior, Isaac was Senior Director of North America Policy at LinkedIn, where she managed a team that engaged with local, state, provincial, and federal policymakers across North America. She founded a social impact accelerator called Code the Streets to increase resources to inner city communities through technology.

Isaac previously served in the White House as Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs and as Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs for then-Vice President Biden. She spent over five years on Capitol Hill where she worked as Floor Counsel in the U.S. Senate and Legislative Counsel in the U.S. House of Representatives. Isaac is a lawyer and previously clerked at the Constitutional Court of South Africa for the Deputy Chief Justice. She also worked at a law firm in Paris and with a non-governmental organization in Geneva. She has a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and a Master of Arts degree in International Affairs from Columbia University. She also completed a Master of Studies (LLM equivalent) in International Human Rights Law at Oxford University in the United Kingdom. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Brown University. She was born and raised in the Bronx, New York and is of Jamaican and Costa-Rican descent.

Nancy K. Kaufman, Commissioner, U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad

Nancy K. Kaufman has a distinguished career as a public servant, advocate, and non-profit leader. Kaufman runs a strategic consulting and coaching practice and previously served as CEO of National Council of Jewish Women for 8 years. Prior, Kaufman was executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Boston for twenty years. Kaufman has also held a variety of positions related to health and human services delivery in state and local government and in the nonprofit sector. She worked for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as Deputy Director of the Governor’s Social Policy Office and Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services as an appointee in the Dukakis Administration.

Kaufman is a graduate of Brandeis University, Boston College School of Social Work, and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. She is a recipient of an honorary doctorate in public service from Northeastern University. Kaufman lives in NYC and serves as board chair of the NY Jewish Agenda.

Michael T. Marquardt, Commissioner, U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad

Born in Berlin during the Cold War, Michael Marquardt emigrated to the United States in 1991, a year and a half after witnessing the fall of the Berlin Wall, to attend college and graduate school, becoming a U.S. citizen in 2002. He has led several companies in the technology and healthcare sectors as CEO and has served on corporate boards in Indonesia, France, and the United States. As CEO of Global Kompass Strategies, Inc., Marquardt advises clients on global strategy, corporate governance, business development, and emerging technology opportunities.

Following a lifelong commitment to fighting cancer after losing several loved ones to the disease, Marquardt currently serves as Chair of the national Board of Directors of the American Cancer Society.

Maureen Catherine Pikarski, Commissioner, U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad

Maureen Pikarski is a partner in the law firm of Gordon & Pikarski. Her practice includes real estate tax objections for commercial, industrial, and residential property owners. Pikarski has extensive experience in matters involving real estate property tax valuations. Prior to joining Gordon & Pikarski, she worked in the White House Executive Office, the Office of the Vice President, and House of Representatives. 

Pikarski received her B.A. from Bryn Mawr College, M.A. from Villanova University, and her J.D. from Catholic University of America.

William H. Shaheen, Commissioner, U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad

Bill Shaheen grew up in Dover, New Hampshire, where working hard and helping your neighbor were standard. He graduated from the University of New Hampshire and went on to enlist in the Army, gaining the rank of Captain. He then went on to law school where he graduated 2^nd in his law school class. In 1977, President Jimmy Carter tapped him to be the youngest U.S. Attorney in the country for the State of New Hampshire. In 1981, he became a District Court Judge appointed by then-Governor Hugh Gallen. He also founded the law firm of Shaheen, Cappiello, Stein, and Gordon, now Shaheen & Gordon. In addition, Shaheen is CEO and Financial Officer of several small businesses in the Seacoast area. He is well known in the political arena as an activist and for championing candidates and causes that benefit the “little person.”

Shaheen also happens to be the proud husband of Senator Jeanne Shaheen, proud father of three successful and beloved daughters, Stefany, Stacey and Molly, grandfather to his cherished grandchildren, and father-in-law to his doting sons-in-law.