Akash Bakshi
Kelli McCune
Kelli McCune, Director, Freshwater & Food Transformation, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) advances regenerative agriculture as a key part of transforming food systems within WWF’s vision for a future where nature and people thrive. Prior to joining WWF, Kelli worked at Sustainable Conservation, a California non-profit. During her 13-year tenure, Kelli built diverse stakeholder collaborations to develop solutions on working lands that improve water, biodiversity, climate outcomes, and producers’ livelihoods. Her work demonstrated innovative voluntary performance-based incentives in agricultural lending and regulatory programs. Kelli received her B.A. in Environmental Science and Spanish from Northern Michigan University and her master’s degree in Environmental Science & Management from UC Santa Barbara.
Samantha Buchalter
Samantha joined The Russell Group in 2017 and quickly rose through the ranks to become a member of the firm’s senior lobbying team. In her role as Vice President, she advises clients on an array of policy issues and oversees the firm’s Legislative and Regulatory Affairs division.
During her time with The Russell Group, Samantha has been instrumental in building out the firm’s climate and sustainability practice, delivering counsel and developing advocacy strategies that position clients to take on a leadership role in reducing GHG emissions and promoting resiliency throughout the agricultural supply chain. She has also managed the Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance – a first-of-its-kind effort uniting key agriculture, forestry, and environmental stakeholders in support of voluntary and incentive-based climate solutions – since its inception in early 2020.
Samantha is passionate about vocational agriculture education and cultivating the next generation of student leaders. She is a proud byproduct of her hometown agriscience program in central Connecticut and went on to earn a B.A. from the George Washington University
She now resides in Capitol Hill with her husband, Adam, and their two Siamese cats (who make an appearance on Zoom calls from time to time). In her free time, Samantha enjoys sampling the city’s newest restaurants, exploring new hiking trails, and mentoring teens through the DC Family and Youth Initiative.
Megan Rock
Megan Rock is vice president of sustainability and innovation at CHS, the nation’s leading farmer-owned cooperative and an agronomy, global energy, grains and food company.
In 2022, Rock joined CHS as the company’s first VP of sustainability and innovation. Prior to CHS, she served as VP of corporate responsibility and sustainability and global lead of sustainability solutions at Bunge, Inc., and held sustainability and environmental management positions in government and banking.
In her new role, Rock will lead CHS efforts to develop and execute sustainability and innovation strategies across its $48 billion enterprise.
Rock holds a bachelor of science degree in soil, environmental and atmospheric science from the University of Missouri and a graduate certificate in advanced studies in environmental policy and management from the University of Denver.
Rock has served on the board of directors for Field to Market and Ag Future of America. In 2015, she received the Changemaker of Tomorrow award from Keep Akron (Ohio) Beautiful, and she is a member of the St. Louis Business Journal’s 40 under 40 class of 2020. She lives in St. Louis with her three children and two French bulldogs.