ALUMNI IN THE NEWS

Lisa Rhoden

ALFH Secretary
ALP Class XIV
North Shore Economic Vitality Partnership
Food Safety Director

Lisa was born and raised in the Mid-Atlantic region. Her early interest in marine life led her to a college internships at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, FL, and the National Aquarium in Baltimore. These internships helped her achieve a full time position at the National Aquarium in Baltimore which she held for 6 years. After working on and obtaining her Masterʻs degree, she traded the aquarium in for the real deal when she moved to Hawai‘i in 2005. Growing up in Glen Burnie, Maryland, Lisa had loved visiting a friendʻs family farm and worked there for several summers as a teenager. Lisa began her career in Hawai‘i as a conservation planner working with farmers across Oahu. She then managed agronomy and conservation practices for a seed corn operation before managing 24 farmers at the Hawai‘i Agricultural Foundation Ag Park in Kunia. Gaining experience in Hawai‘i in distribution, farm management, and agronomy, Lisa has grown passionate about locally grown food and on farm food safety. She is driven to help farmers achieve a minimum standard of on-farm food safety which she believes will help Hawai‘i farmers achieve greater market share and reduce imports.

As Food Safety Director, Lisa leads the North Shore Economic Vitality Partnership (NSEVP) team to assist farmers with implementation of food safety practices and achieving USDA Harmonized Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) food safety certification. She manages the Hawai‘i GroupGAP program and is growing the network with farmer partners across the state.

Lisa is a graduate of the Hawai‘i Agricultural Leadership Program, Class XIV, and serves on the ALFH board. She holds a MSc in Environmental Science and Policy from Johns Hopkins University. Lisa resides on Kauaʻi with her husband and son, where they enjoy hunting, fishing, and family time.