Dr. Josette Lewis is the chief scientific officer of the Almond Board of California. She oversees grower-funded research on all aspects of growing almonds, on innovative new uses of almond co-products and on the health benefits of almond consumption.

Josette has worked in agriculture for more than 25 years, spanning government, industry, university and non-governmental organizations. Most recently, she led the Environmental Defense Fund’s collaborations with grower organizations, food companies and policy makers to promote sustainable agriculture practices. Josette also led the launch of the World Food Center at UC Davis and worked in international business development with Arcadia Biosciences.

Prior to that, Josette spent 16 years at the U.S. Agency for International Development. As Director of the Office of Agriculture at USAID, she worked with senior levels of the U.S. government to develop a $1 billion per year global food security initiative. She has served on the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture’s advisory committee on Agricultural Biotechnology in the 21^st Century, the Foundation for Agricultural Research’s Food Systems Innovation Advisory Committee, the James Beard Foundation Impact Program Advisory Committee and is a member of the board of directors for the International Life Sciences Institute Research Foundation.

Having worked with agriculture around the globe, Josette enjoys the chance to contribute to the Central Valley where she lives, and to discover the rich history and diversity of farming families who, like her own family, came to the Valley from around the world.