Kendra is the Senior Director of Agriculture and Food Systems at the State Innovation Exchange (SiX), where she leads efforts to advance progressive rural, agriculture and food systems policy across the country. With 25 years of professional experience in agricultural policy and rural organizing, she brings deep expertise and a grassroots perspective to her work.
Raised on a Michigan dairy farm, Kendra previously served as CEO of the Socially Responsible Agriculture Project and co-founded Friends of Family Farmers in Oregon. She has worked with citizen groups, environmental advocates, and sustainable agriculture organizations to shape state-level policy across the country. Her past roles also include working with the Michigan Legislature, the Sierra Club, the Illinois Stewardship Alliance and the Oregon League of Conservation Voters.
Kendra is a graduate of James Madison College at Michigan State University (Go Green!) where her academics focused on International Relations, European history, environmental policy and language studies. She and her husband currently farm in Scio, Oregon, where they regeneratively raise beef, pork and goats on perennial pasture. Outside of work, Kendra enjoys gardening, horseback riding, and spending time with her dogs.