CEA Alliance Announces Board of Directors for 2026
The Controlled Environment Agriculture Alliance (CEA Alliance) has announced a new Chairman, Treasurer and Directors elected to serve on its Board of Directors for 2026. Members were announced at the Alliance Annual Meeting, immediately before the 2026 edition of Indoor Ag-Con in Las Vegas.
The new Chairman of the Board is Skip Hulett, Chief Legal Officer, NatureSweet. Since joining NatureSweet in 2018, Skip has played a pivotal role in the company’s rapid growth and has led several major initiatives — including guiding NatureSweet to become the largest CEA company in the world to achieve B Corp certification. A former state district court judge and founder of a successful law firm, Hulett brings deep legal expertise and a passion for sustainable practices. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas as well as the Association of Corporate Counsel.
He replaces Steve Campione, CFO and Executive Vice President of Strategy, Bright Farms, who is concluding his Board service. Steve has served the CEA Alliance through a period of growth, adding grower members in both the leafy greens and vine crop sectors, as well as a number of business partner supplier members.
Matthew Meisel, Chief Development Officer, Little Leaf Farms, will replace Tim Cunniff, Co-Founder & Executive Vice President of Sales for Little Leaf, as Treasurer. Tim has served as Treasurer of the Alliance since its founding in 2019, helping to bring an idea of industry collaboration into reality.
Members of the 2026 Board of Directors include:
Newly Elected Directors:
Abby Prior, Chief Commercial Officer, Cox Farms
Aaron Fields, CEO, Campo Caribe
Viraj Puri, Co-Founder and CEO, Gotham Greens
Dave Stienes, Chairman and CEO, Adept Ag
Directors Continuing Service:
David Einstandig, General Counsel, Mastronardi Produce/Sunset Grown
Kyle Freedman, Global Market Segment Manager, Jiffy Group
Monica Noble, Director – Quality & Safety, 80 Acres
Hema Prado, Sustainability and Policy Director, Plenty
Tim Reusch, National Sales Manager, DRAMM Water
Kathleen Valiasek, Chair and CEO, Local Bounti
“I want to thank Steve Campione for his exceptional commitment to the CEA Alliance as our Chairman, and to our industry overall. I also want to thank Tim Cunniff for his service as Treasurer from the very beginning of the Alliance,” said its Executive Director, Tom Stenzel. “I look forward to working with Skip Hulett as our new Chairman, and all of these industry leaders who are stepping up to serve our membership on the Alliance’s Board of Directors. As companies see the value of our collective efforts, our membership continues to grow among both high-tech greenhouse and indoor vertical farms, their suppliers and business partners, working closely together with their retail and foodservice customers.”
The Controlled Environment Agriculture Alliance (CEA Alliance) is a membership trade association representing and serving vertical farms and greenhouse producers growing fruits and vegetables in a highly controlled indoor production environment. Controlled environment growers employ a variety of agricultural production methods and technology to create optimal growing conditions with rigorous environmental controls. Growers utilize innovative technologies such as hydroponics, aeroponics, aquaponics, and soil-based systems to grow a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. For more information, please contact Tom Stenzel, Executive Director, at Tom@CEAAlliance.com.