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Bennett LaFond is an agroecologist with eight years of experience working to strengthen U.S. and international agriculture and food systems. His work has centered around developing market-led approaches to improving livelihoods and creating resilience for farmers and their committees. He has worked with agribusinesses; a broad range of U.S. state and federal agencies; international donors and non-profits; and tribal, state, and national governments to design and implement programs to help farmers and their communities increase resilience, earnings, and production.

Michael Witt brings more than 33 years of experience as a statistician specializing in survey design and survey data analytics. He has more than 27 years of managing staff at the administrative and project level. Mr. Witt has worked with government clients in fields ranging from energy to healthcare.

Dr. Hecht is an environmental economist with more than 19 years of experience in economic analysis, policy analysis, and research. His primary areas of expertise are in environmental economics, cost-benefit analysis, regulatory economics, and decision analysis. Dr. Hecht is an expert in estimating the monetary value of “non-market” benefits, such as improvements in environmental quality, public health, safety, and security. Dr. Hecht has over 10 years of experience in the economic analysis of climate change and in evaluating the costs and benefits of climate change mitigation measures.

Dr. Zarrar Khan brings over a decade of experience in climate and energy modeling and advancing sustainable energy solutions, climate mitigation, and resilience initiatives worldwide. He has worked in the U.S., Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia to help transform groundbreaking research into tangible global impact. Khan has played pivotal roles in developing national climate strategies, enhancing local capacities, and fostering lasting stakeholder relationships. His collaborative efforts to address complex challenges include working with the World Bank, Green Climate Fund, World Resources Institute, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Department of Energy (DOE), Department of State (DOS), and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Khan’s scholarly work has been cited over 600 times, demonstrating his impact on global climate resilience and policy development.

Ofonama Archibong is an energy transformation expert with 12 years of experience in infrastructure, energy, and climate in Africa. Ofonama brings a wealth of experience in project management, policy development, and business modeling to the forefront. His skill set encompasses technical advisory, stakeholder management, research, and leadership, making him a versatile asset in driving forward sustainable energy initiatives. He has worked with prestigious organizations including Amazon Energy Limited, TEAM Engineering Limited, the Nigeria Electrification Project implemented by the Rural Electrification Agency and most recently the German Development Cooperation Agency (GIZ).

Dr. Jenna Jadin is an ecologist with 15 years of experience in climate change adaptation, mitigation, and land rehabilitation in the agriculture and forestry sectors. She has worked with both national and local governments, academic institutions, non-governmental organizations, and United Nations (UN) system organizations in the U.S., Indonesia, Afghanistan, Thailand, Cambodia, Montenegro, Djibouti, Azerbaijan, and most recently Ukraine. With these institutions, she has provided technical advice, capacity building, curriculum development, and hands-on implementation support. She has also led and supported project management and design for the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), the Green Climate Fund (GCF) , the Mitigation Action Facility (MAF) and bilateral donors and has led fundraising and strategic science-focused communications for NGOs and the UN.