Jill Isenbarger

Before joining EDF in 2023, she spent nearly a decade as Executive Director and CEO of Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture, transforming it from a regional organization into a nationally recognized voice on sustainable agriculture. Under her leadership, Stone Barns launched its Farm Lab, co-created the Food for Tomorrow conference with The New York Times, and published the acclaimed essay collection Letters to a Young Farmer (Princeton Architectural Press).

Prior to Stone Barns, Isenbarger held senior leadership roles at The Nature Conservancy — including Chief of Staff — where she helped develop the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility with the World Bank and produced creative projects that brought conservation to broader audiences: an international traveling photography exhibition and book, In Response to Place, and Stories from the Heart of the Land, a series for NPR. Her career has also included roles at the United Nations Foundation, Harvard University and the office of U.S. Sen. Carl Levin.

Isenbarger serves on the boards of The Land Institute and The Woodstock Foundation. She is a connector of ideas, sectors and people, and a firm believer that solving the climate and food crises requires scientists, farmers, artists, policymakers and business leaders all in the same room.

Education

Isenbarger is a graduate of Ball State University.