Shenandoah Growers, Inc., has announced that Dr. Tessa Pocock has joined the company as Chief Science Officer, following the transition of Robert Hoffman to CSO Emeritus, effective immediately. Pocock will report to Shenandoah Growers Chief Technology Officer Ulf Jönsson and serve on the company's Executive Leadership Team.
Pocock brings decades of experience in plant lighting and physiological research as well as indoor agricultural management to Shenandoah Growers. She has held a variety of roles in academia and in the controlled environment agriculture sector, most recently as director of lighting optimization at Plenty Unlimited Inc. Pocock holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Stress Biology and Master's degrees in Plant Biochemistry and Biology from Western University (formerly, The University of Western Ontario).
"Tessa is widely regarded as one of the world's foremost lighting and plant biology experts. We couldn't be more excited to welcome her to our proven management team of biologists, technologists and operators," said Shenandoah Growers President, Philip Karp. "As Shenandoah Growers enters our next phase of transformational growth, Tessa will bring an invaluable perspective, expertise and vision on plant driven intelligent grow systems to ensure we are well-positioned to capitalize on unmet market demand for sustainable, accessible and organic herbs and produce."
Pocock and Shenandoah Growers Chief Technology Officer Ulf Jönsson, an agronomy and horticulture technology expert, have set an ambitious research, development and implementation agenda for Shenandoah Growers. Priorities include continuing to refine plant-intelligent lighting algorithms and technology to further reduce unit costs and boost energy efficiency; commercializing new crops to reach underserved markets; and continuing to optimize and expand the company's IP portfolio, including its proprietary closed loop nutrient regeneration technology, which enables the production of efficient, low-cost and organic nitrogen for plants. This proprietary technology is key to unlocking the company's ability to deliver organic, indoor-grown produce at scale.
"I am excited to join Shenandoah Growers' Executive Leadership Team at such a pivotal moment for the company," said Pocock. "I was attracted to the company's 'biology first, technology to scale' mentality, and look forward to working closely with the team to continue to optimize our industry-leading indoor organic farms, world class R&D and data-driven lighting programs; all aligned with the approach of bringing nature indoors."
The company recently announced another strategic hire, Cameron Geiger as Chief Operating Officer. Geiger brings decades of senior experience in technology and end-to-end supply chain roles to the Shenandoah Growers Executive Leadership Team.
For more information:
Don Helms
Shenandoah Growers
(540) 896-6939 ext. 2130
dhelms@thatstasty.com
www.shenandoahgrowers.com