Board of Directors
![]() |
![]() John McLean (Vice Chair) has a life-long passion for the Sonoran desert, and has spent many years exploring the bounty and diversity of this habitat on both sides of the border. Trained as a mathematician, John enjoyed a thirty-five year career developing high-resolution remote sensing systems. He has held a variety of executive and board positions for both corporate and non-profit organizations. John is currently raising various heirloom crops on the banks of Sabino Creek. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() Brandon Merchant was born and raised in Yuma Arizona and moved to Tucson in 2009. Brandon, a certified Pima County Master Gardener, has been active in the Tucson garden and plant community for many years. In 2012 he started Southwest Victory Gardens to share his knowledge and passion for gardening with others. He also served on the board of Tucson Organic Gardeners from 2012-2016, and was president for two of those years. In November of 2020, he joined the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona staff full time as their new Health and Garden Education Coordinator. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
STAFF
|
![]() Her doctoral program included three years of field trials exploring the physiology of drought tolerance in barley. This work involved elucidation of key adaptive traits for integration into future breeding programs for drought adapted and low-input crops. Additional research carried out included the identification of root-traits associated with drought and heavy metal tolerance at early stages of plant development for potential use as a simple and inexpensive plant screening tool. Andrea’s agronomic knowledge was further enhanced through her work with low-input and water conserving production methods in Cuba, China, and North Africa as well as urban farming in Washington D.C. As a member of the Powhatan Renape Nation she values cross-cultural approaches to problem solving that can contribute to enhanced seed-saving capacity and food security in Native communities by drawing on the existing agricultural knowledge base of these communities. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|
![]() Linda Stewart (Distribution, Development & Operations Associate) started at Native Seeds in 2016 as a volunteer. A year later (almost to the day) she joined the staff on a full-time basis. Her background is in management, finance, and fitness. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() Daisy Vargas (Farming and Seed Saving Apprentice) graduated from the University of Georgia with a B.A. in International Affairs and Resource Economics. Most recently, she studied traditional seed saving practices at Tesuque Pueblo Farm and regenerative agriculture at the Pollination Project Ecoganic Farm in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Daisy is grateful to be learning about the work being done in the Conservation Center gardens, Seed Lab, and Seed Bank. She is excited to continue evolving as a seed steward.
|