Meet the Team

Shari Rogge-Fidler is a fifth-generation farm owner from Nebraska, who began her career in London in financial services and then with the Boston Consulting Group. She and her family launched and grew a branded gourmet organic food company, where she was vice president of sales and marketing. She was president of Cambium Strategies, LLC, a company focused on helping food and agriculture organizations navigate secondary growth. She was also Interim CEO at Applied GeoSolutions, LLC, focusing on commercializing its geospatial decision tools for agriculture and soil health purposes. Most recently, Shari was CEO of Family Farms, LLC, serving approximately 1,000 farms across the U.S. and Canada. Shari received her MBA from Harvard Business School and her Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of Kansas, with an emphasis on international finance.

Tim Brennan joined the Farm Foundation staff in May 2013 . Prior to that, Tim spent the majority of his career at the University of Chicago, working in a variety of roles at the  Booth School of Business, Law School and College. He also served as the director of alumni relations and marketing for Northwestern University’s School of Law.  Tim has also worked with a wide range of non-profits as a consultant and board member.  He grew up on a small farm in Northeastern Ohio, and currently lives on a hobby farm in the Chicagoland area.  He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at Westminster College, New Wilmington, PA.

With a passion for innovation and ideas, Martha King is excited to bring her years of leadership experience and knowledge to the Farm Foundation. While working in academia for more than a decade, Martha led several initiatives for provosts and deans that streamlined processes and brought enhanced reporting and technology to administrative areas. Now in agriculture, Martha is excited to continue to lead projects and programs that bring together and accelerate both people and ideas. Martha’s connection to agriculture runs deep, as she currently serves as co-owner of her family’s Illinois farm. Martha holds an MBA with a focus on Information Systems Management from Loyola University Chicago and a Master of Arts degree in Philosophy from Saint Louis University, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in German and Political Science from Purdue University.

Amy Keane became a full-time staff member at Farm Foundation in March 2019. Since May 2009, she was an independent contractor with the Foundation, providing accounting, tax and consulting services. Prior to starting her own firm, Amy worked in public accounting as a manager with Coopers & Lybrand, serving non-profit clients as well as publicly-traded for-profit companies. Amy graduated from St Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN, with a degree in accounting, and is a certified public accountant.

Todd Price came to Farm Foundation after two decades of leadership in the agricultural education field. This included time at Living History Farms, The Museums at Prophetstown, and Wagner Farm as founding director. Prior to joining Farm Foundation, Todd was superintendent with the Glenview Park District. Todd was raised on his family’s Iowa grain and livestock farm. Today, he is part-owner of the farm, which was established in 1853. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Simpson College, and he is a graduate of the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation program. Todd volunteers with the Glenview 4-H club and local FFA chapter and is on the board of directors for Cook County Farm Bureau. 

Before joining the Farm Foundation team in the fall of 2015, Morgan Craven served as the conference and events manager at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, IL. She also worked as a premium hospitality game day staff member for the Chicago Bears. Morgan earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, in recreation, sports leadership and tourism management.

Kelly Johnson brings more than 15 years of senior administrative experience with expertise in scheduling, correspondence, organizing large scale meetings, data management systems and project coordination. Before joining Farm Foundation, she worked as an Executive Administrative Specialist for Mars Wrigley. Having held positions in the manufacturing, management and consulting, and electrical energy fields, she is able to tailor her skills to meet a variety of needs. As a fully licensed notary public, she also provides legal assistance in her position. Kelly is active in her community, volunteering at Feed, Clothe and Help the Needy, which provides hot meals to local homeless and underprivileged residents.

Naomi Millán joined the Farm Foundation team in December 2021. She was previously the senior writer at the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat and spent 13 years as an editor of Building Operating Management, a monthly trade magazine focused on large-scale commercial facilities. She is interested in urban agriculture, keeps chickens in her tiny Chicago yard, and started out life on her grandfather’s coffee and sugarcane farm in Puerto Rico.

Jenna Wicks comes to Farm Foundation with over a decade of experience working with young leaders. She taught high school agriculture science and was an FFA chapter advisor for two years. Over the last ten years Jenna has worked at Kansas State University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and University of Kentucky developing student leaders and hosting on-campus events. Jenna has earned her Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Systems and her Master of Science in Higher Education from Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Ellen Prather joined the Farm Foundation team in November 2022. Her background covers multiple disciplines including, graphic design, marketing, communications, and photography. Her previous position was as the marketing and development associate at JOURNEYS | The Road Home, a non-profit agency that provides both shelter and social services to the homeless. She holds a degree in general studies with certificates in graphic and web design.

Amanda L. Martin joined the team at the end of 2022 and brings a diverse perspective with a mix of agriculture, leadership development, fundraising, and education. Originally from Southern Illinois, Amanda and her family have lived in Alabama, North Carolina, and most recently Louisiana. They are excited to have the opportunity to be closer to home and return to their Midwest roots. Over the past decade, Amanda has worked in various leadership roles in higher education and agriculture. She also has experience in teaching middle school to graduate level courses. During her time within the higher education field, Amanda worked within the colleges of agriculture at Auburn University and Louisiana State University, most recently serving as an Assistant Dean at LSU. Prior to making the move to Farm Foundation, Amanda worked with the executive team at the American Egg Board. She began her Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration during her time at Auburn University and finished her degree at Louisiana State University. During her undergraduate and graduate career at SIUC, Amanda interned with various agriculture companies ranging from animal production to crop protection. She also holds Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in Agribusiness Economics.