International Advisory Board

International Advisory Board Member

Guillermo Alvarado Downing, portrait

Guillermo Alvarado-Downing

  • Board Chair
Guillermo Alvarado-Downing served as the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras, and currently owns a fruit and vegetable farm.
Cecilia Chi-Ham, portrait

Cecilia Chi-Ham

  • Director, Innovation and R&D Strategy

Cecilia Chi-Ham manages the global strategy process for the R&D portfolio at HM.CLAUSE, a vegetable seed company and business unit of Limagrain Group.

Detlef Virchow, portrait

Detlef Virchow

  • Head of international programme

Detlef Virchow is head of programming at Plan International Germany in Hamburg.

Eric Kueneman, portrait

Eric Kueneman

  • Consultant

Eric Kueneman is a global agriculture consultant with experience in more than 60 countries worldwide as the director of Kueneman Consultancy.

Ermias Kebreab, UC Davis World Food Center portrait

Ermias Kebreab

Ermias Kebreab is an associate dean of global engagement for the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and director of the UC Davis World Food Center.

John Bowman, portrait

John Bowman

  • USAID Agreement Officer's Representative (AOR)

John Bowman is a senior agriculture advisor for the USAID Bureau for Food Security and as such serves as the AOR for the Horticulture Innovation Lab.

Josette Lewis, portrait

Josette Lewis

  • Director of Agricultural Affairs
Josette Lewis directs agricultural affairs for the Almond Board of California.
George Wilson portrait

L. George Wilson

George Wilson has been a professor of horticultural science at North Carolina State University since 1975. His research, teaching and extension focuses on postharvest physiology and technology.

Shanthi Wilson, portrait

R. Shanthi Wilson Wijeratnam

  • Consultant
Shanthi Wilson is a consultant and worked as a project manager for 35 years with the Industrial Technology Institute in Sri Lanka.
Rose Koenig, portrait

Rose Koenig

Rose Koenig is the interim director for the Global office for the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS Global).

Center directors

portrait: Julio López, director of Horticulture Innovation Lab Regional Center at Zamorano

Julio López Montes

Julio López is a plant protection specialist and leads classes in integrated pest management and entomology as a professor at the Panamerican Agricultural School, Zamorano, in Honduras.

Poonpipope "Poon" Kasemsap, portrait

Poonpipope Kasemsap

  • Director, Horticulture Innovation Lab Regional Center at Kasetsart University
  • Kasetsart University

Poonpipope Kasemsap is the acting Vice President for Kamphaeng Saen Campus at Kasetsart University in Thailand.

Past board members

Previously, the International Advisory Board has included these alumni members:

  • Jan Hopmans (board membership: 2016 – 2018)
  • Idah Sithole Niang (2014 – 2017)
  • Bob Nanes (2014 – 2017)
  • Walter Bowen (2014 – 2017)
  • James Hill (2009 – 2016)
  • Sally Smith (2013 – 2016)
  • J.D.H. "Dyno" Keatinge (2009 – 2015)
  • Umezurike Linus Opara (2011 – 2014)
  • Howard Yana Shapiro (2009 – 2014)
  • Norm Looney (2009 – 2013)
  • Deborah Pierson Delmer (2009 – 2013)
  • L. George Wilson (2009 – 2013)
  • Adel Kader (2009 – 2013)
  • Lusike Wasilwa (2009 – 2013)