Staff Update: Ecocert USA Announces New Roles

Ecocert USA is proud to announce two promotions in our organization. Brad Schnitz moves to Technical Project Lead and Ashley Madea moves to Evaluation Manager.

Brad Schnitz is now the Technical Project Lead for Ecocert USA. Brad has worked with Ecocert for five years serving our clients in various roles including most recently as the Evaluation Manager. Throughout his time at Ecocert, he has been quick to adapt to changing database systems while keeping up with changing certification requirements.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in Agronomy from Purdue University and resides in Indiana. Brad’s agronomic background and passion for sustainability brought him to Ecocert.

His new role as the Technical Project Lead allows him to use his experience with developing more efficient and user-friendly systems for clients and colleagues. He will also be performing some inspections throughout the year and looks forward to working with you in any capacity necessary.

We are grateful to Brad for stepping into this important role at Ecocert, bringing with him years of customer service and technical experience.

Since joining Ecocert USA in March 2020, Ashley has served as a Certification Decision Officer and an Auditor and she now moves to Evaluation Manager. Prior to joining Ecocert, Ashley worked with two Northeast-based organic certifiers where she had the opportunity to visit and audit crop (grain, vegetable and fruit), livestock (ruminant and poultry) and processor operations.

Ashley holds a M.S. in agroecology and natural resources and a B.S. in environmental science, both from the University of New Hampshire and has over a decade of on-farm livestock and forage crop production experience from all over the country. Ashley also serves on the Outreach Steering Committee for USDA Sustainable Agricultural Research and Education (SARE) and the Advisory Council for NE SARE.

“For me, organic agriculture is about promoting equitable and sustainable food systems that value the land, water, people, plants and animals that play a part in nourishing our bodies. I value the global vision that Ecocert USA has in this mission.”

Ashley is an invaluable member of the Ecocert USA team, and we congratulate her on her new position as Evaluation Manager.

With Brad and Ashley now in these key positions, Ecocert’s certification process promises to be smooth and expertly executed.