Jessy Beckett Parr is a longtime advocate for organic farmers, currently serving as Chief Program Officer at California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). She leads a team that delivers education, policy support, and direct assistance to help farmers thrive in organic agriculture. Jessy has helped secure over $25 million in grants to support small and underserved producers. She’s a regular speaker at farmer-focused events, and she’s known for making complex topics—like regenerative agriculture and labor risk—accessible and actionable. Fluent in Spanish, Jessy is committed to reaching diverse farming communities. Jessy’s background includes producing the soil-focused documentary Symphony of the Soil and a Master’s in Community Development from UC Davis. She currently serves on advisory committees for the UC Organic Agriculture Institute and Cal Poly’s Grimm Organic Center, ensuring farmer voices guide organic research and policy.

Adrian Fischer has dedicated over a decade to advancing organic agriculture and food systems. To Fischer, working directly on the land as a farmer was the clearest path to understanding our agriculture and the food system more deeply. Fischer’s farming path led him to manage CSA programs and direct-to-restaurant operations growing integrated organic mixed vegetables, fruits, and livestock. After farming and running farmer education programs in Connecticut, Costa Rica, and California, Fischer joined CCOF in 2016.

At CCOF Fischer first supported the chapter system and then the policy team before transitioning to running the CCOF Foundation’s programs, where he supports farmers to grow organic. Fischer has over 15 years of management experience and leads strategic internal offerings and partnerships supporting students and organic and transitioning producers with grants, education, and technical assistance. Fischer is Venezuelan American and is bilingual/biliterate in English and Spanish.

While not at work, Fischer enjoys producing music, surfing, mountain biking, skiing, gardening, and spending time with his wife and dog.

Ms. Aray holds a BA in Sociology, Modern Languages, and Fine Arts from Fort Lewis College in beautiful Durango, Colorado and an MPA with a focus on global policy, non-profit management, and international development from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, California. She has spent the past two decades leading social change organizations and advocating for systemic change that addresses root causes. With nearly twenty years’ fundraising experience through individual donor campaigns corporations, foundations, and state and federal entities, she is passionate about ensuring that the communities we serve have access to the resources they need to thrive. Willow joined the CCOF Foundation in May 2020 and oversees philanthropic development. She spends her free time hiking with her dog, traveling, cooking and eating delicious foods, painting, seeing live music, and doing photography.