NIKKI COSSIO
FOUNDER & CEO
Founder and CEO of Measure to Improve, LLC (MTI), whose mission is to help agricultural companies measure, improve, and credibly promote their sustainability efforts. Part of a long-standing California farming family, I understand what sustainability means across four generations. I have always taken the initiative to build synergy between the three crucial aspects of a thriving agriculture business – people, planet, and profit. This initiative and farming heritage are what have driven me to found MTI. MTI has a proven track record of supporting clients in setting ambitious but attainable sustainability goals. Areas of expertise include water, energy, waste, greenhouse gas emissions, sustainable packaging, and sustainability certifications. Clients include produce growers, packers, shippers, and industry associations across the United States. Please link to my LinkedIn
LEEANNE FRENCH
STRATEGIC ADVISOR
LeeAnne French is Strategic Advisor to MTI. LeeAnne helps MTI clients strategically minimize their risks and optimize their opportunities in sustainability. She has a Masters in Environmental Science and Management from the Bren School at University of California, Santa Barbara where she helped develop the sustainability program for one of the largest onion producers including zero waste, energy, water and greenhouse gas inventory reporting. LeeAnne has an extensive background in managing large scale strategic programs and partnerships in both the private and public sectors. With more than 20 years of communications and marketing experience, LeeAnne abhors greenwashing. She works with MTI’s clients to ensure that all sustainability claims are grounded in reality and data.
KYLE COSGROVE
DIRECTOR OF AGRONOMIC SERVICES
Kyle Cosgrove joined MTI in 2023 as the Director of Agronomic Services and specializes in providing sustainability resources and support to specialty crop producers. As a licensed independent Pest Control Advisor (PCA), Organic Farm Owner and Operator, and Regional Vineyard Manager, Kyle has extensive experience working with growers in a diverse range of specialty crops, specializing in organic and sustainable farming practices. Kyle also worked with the USDA Farm Service Agency, administering on-farm programs in the San Luis Obispo County region, and is a Cal Poly graduate from the Horticulture and Crop Science Department. He is passionate about sustainable farming practices and finding practical solutions to real-world challenges agricultural producers face.
JENNIFER NORFOLK
VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS
Jennifer Norfolk is the Vice President of Operations and joined MTI in 2022. Jennifer leads the MTI staff in delivering high quality sustainability programming and building the organization's systems as it grows. She is passionate about finding win-win solutions for clients and the planet and has worked in dozens of countries on a range of sustainability and climate challenges. She loves working alongside the MTI team members, experts, and our clients to identify and ensure that evidence-based recommendations are actionable and user-friendly. She is highly skilled in identifying broader policy and industry trends and positioning the company to adapt and grow their offerings. She has a Master of Arts in Public Policy from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Michigan. Please see LinkedIn profile here.
KIERAN FICKEN
DIRECTOR OF SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAMS
An MTI team member since 2017, Kieran supports clients in building programs that meet third-party standards and buyer requirements. With a knack for training and communication, Kieran helps the MTI team turn complex sustainability topics into step-by-step guides and other training resources. Her dedication to scalable solutions allows clients to expand pilots into company-wide initiatives. While always up for a new challenge, her recent projects include supply chain-oriented sustainability programs, on-farm certification projects, and greenhouse gas emissions inventories. She holds an MBA in Global Impact Management and an MA in International Environmental Policy from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies; her undergraduate degree is from the University of Vermont. Kieran’s academic work includes research on sustainability in the global soy and coffee supply chains, as well as agricultural development in Russia’s Far East.
CORINNE VAN DYKE
SENIOR SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM MANAGER
Corinne Van Dyke has worked with MTI since 2018. She is focused on reducing the environmental, social, and economic impacts of resource consumption and disposal in the agricultural industry. She works with a variety of agricultural operations, including on-farm operations, packing and processing facilities, and corporate offices to drive positive, sustainable change. Corinne is a Certified TRUE Advisor and supports clients in accomplishing TRUE Zero Waste Certifications by achieving a 90% diversion rate of materials from landfill. She collaborates with cross-functional teams to identify areas to reduce, reuse, and recycle as much as possible. Her focus also extends into the quickly evolving sustainable packaging arena. She guides clients in establishing and working towards sustainable packaging goals that align with consumer demands and improve sustainability efforts. She is a firm believer that data serves as the underlying foundation for any sustainability program. Corinne enjoys creating simple, manageable ways to help clients track, measure, improve, and report their sustainability progress and accomplishments.
JULIE FLANDERS
BOOKKEEPER
Julie Flanders has been a bookkeeper at Measure to Improve since 2019, where she plays a crucial role in managing the company's financial records. With her previous experience as a CFO and CPA, Julie brings valuable expertise to the team. She holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from Santa Clara University and continues to contribute to the success and growth of the company.
GABE WORTHINGTON
APPRENTICE, AGRICULTURE SERVICES
As a new member of the team, Gabe is incredibly excited to support all the different projects MTI is involved in. He is wrapping up his M.S. degree at CSU Chico, where he is conducting research on the viability of small seeded Faba bean lines in California cover crop mixes. Gabe’s undergraduate degree is from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo where he studied Soil Science with minors in Water Science and Sustainability. He has been involved in agricultural research for much of his career, where he gained skills in data processing and analysis. Gabe also has a background in the management of agricultural operations and is passionate about maximizing the sustainability of global food systems.
MELISSA WRIGHT
APPRENTICE, AGRICULTURE SERVICES
Melissa Wright is a recent graduate from the University of California, Berkeley. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Society and Environment with a concentration in US Environmental Policy and Management through the Rausser College of Natural Resources. Throughout her time at UC Berkeley, she enhanced her knowledge on climate and energy policy, environmental economics, and environmental justice with the goal of advocating for a sustainable society. She is deeply passionate about finding solutions to environmental problems using social science tools and theories to help constitute positive change. Understanding how society and the environment interact and how they can work together to achieve a sustainable future is her primary goal.