IWGA BOARD OF DIRECTORS & Staff

Anne is the Winemaker at Soldier Creek Winery in Fort Dodge. Her favorite grape is La Crescent and her favorite style (to drink!) is Nouveau. She plans to bring experience from her previous positions in Washington State, California, Indiana, and New Zealand to grow the Iowa wine industry.

Tim began his career at Cedar ridge in 2020 as a distiller. Later that year he moved to Texas and was a distiller and beer brewer at Maverick Whiskey in San Antonio. He did this until moving back to Iowa in 2021 and getting hired back at Cedar Ridge as distiller/winery assistant. He is currently the head winemaker.

Melanie owns Oscar Carl Vineyard and has lived in the Sioux City area her entire life. She holds a BA in Business Administration and has worked in healthcare administration for over 30 years. She is also a freelance writer and writes for several local magazines and blogs. She currently records a weekly "Vine Report" video as part of an effort to educate. Their first vines were planted in 2016, and they currently have over 1,000 vines.

Judy is the owner of Lubben Vineyards & Wines in Marion, Iowa. She and her family began making wine in 2017 and gained a commercial license in 2018, after attending Kirkwood Community College Winemaking and Vineyard management classes with her son. Judy has been in accounting her entire career in varying industries. She holds a BBA in Accounting and an MBA both from Mt Mercy University in Cedar Rapids.

She has a passion for Iowa wine and educating others to the benefits of buying Iowa. She wanted to get on the board to better understand the Iowa industry and see how she can make a difference.

Chris Larsen is the owner of Compass Hill Vineyard near Winterset, Iowa where he has been growing Petite Pearl and Frontenac Blanc since 2015. At the vineyard, they take great pride in the fruit that we grow, and are always working to improve and produce the best crop they can. In 2019 he won the IWGA Iowa Vineyard of the Year Award. He has been on the board of directors for IWGA since 2018. In addition to this, he is the chair of the committee responsible for the Iowa Quality Wine Consortium (IQ) program and also sits on the advisory board for the Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute. Wine is a passion for Chris, and he considers serving the Iowa wine industry as a huge honor.

After 37 years in healthcare IT, Kristy retired as the Chief Community Information Officer from the University of Iowa Health Ventures in 2018 to pursue her passion to be a female farmer and vintner. The Walker Homestead Farm and Winery is situated on 85-acres, three miles west of Iowa City, Iowa. The farm produces a variety of foods and wines, raise animals and honey, and grow herbs and flowers using techniques that protect the environment and help foster the development of healthy living. Included on the grounds is a two-acre vineyard and organic vegetable garden that supports a CSA for 50 families, holds classes on how to harvest proteins and preserve vegetables, and hosts farm to table dinners.

Off farm, Kristy chairs Johnson County’s Food Policy Council, which works to enable farming to be more accessible and supports a push for local foods. Additionally, she teaches Business Analytics and Information Systems classes to undergrad and master students at the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business in the Department of Business Analytics and is the CIO for Mahaska Health in Oskaloosa, Iowa.

Paula grew up on a farm in eastern Iowa before graduating from Iowa State University with advanced degrees in entomology and statistics. Her expertise in pest management lead her to Cornell University in New York. There she conducted research on field crop insect pests and taught courses in applied ecology and IPM. After moving her family back to the Midwest, she spent the next 19 years working first with Monsanto and then with Pioneer. Key roles included strategic planning and providing technical, regulatory, and global-training support for biotech insect protection traits. Since 2016, Paula has split her time between serving as an independent ag consultant for Context Network and managing over 8 acres of wine grapes in central Iowa. Paula and husband Tom enjoy gardening, rooting for Cyclone football and basketball, and playing with their two grandkids.

Megan was born and raised in Iowa and found her passion for the wine industry after taking a job at a vineyard & winery in East Texas. After moving back home to Iowa in 2018, she excelled in her position as Winemaker & Vineyard Manager at Summerset Winery, and as of 2022, took on the new challenge as Head Cidermaker and Orchardist at Winterset Cidery. She has been awarded Vineyard of the Year and have received many medals for producing quality products made up of the unique and hardy varietals found here in Iowa.

Erin joined the Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute in late 2015 as the Education and Outreach Coordinator. She completed a PhD in 2022 in Food Science studying consumer attitudes towards Iowa wines and tannin extraction in red hybrids in relation to protein concentration. Currently Erin is leading the groups’ Research and Education areas. She enjoys interacting with grape and wine industry members and connecting the industry to new research and resources for them to expand their winemaking toolboxes.

Professor and Chair, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, at Iowa State University, and Assistant Dean for Graduate Programs for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She holds a PhD in Nutrition, minor in Food Science, and Masters in Nutrition, minor in Physiology from the University of Minnesota, and is a Registered Dietitian. She was a Post-Doctoral Fellow at Harvard Medical School, Joslin Diabetes Center for 2 years. Dr. MacDonald was on the faculty at the University of Missouri for 17 years, rising through the ranks from Assistant to Full Professor, prior to relocating to ISU in 2004. Her research interests include the role of dietary factors in cancer progression, specifically breast, colon and prostate cancer. While at the University of Missouri, she taught courses in nutritional biochemistry, sports nutrition and food science. At ISU she teaches a graduate course in nutritional oncology and an undergraduate course in food systems. With funding from the USDA she leads the Cyclone Scholars program that provides tuition scholarships to underrepresented minority students. Dr. MacDonald gives public presentations on the science and safety of biotechnology in food and is a scientific expert for GMO Answers and Best Food Facts. Dr. MacDonald has traveled extensively, including as a faculty leader for the Dean’s Leadership Program in Rome that engages ISU students with researchers at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. She co-authored a textbook, Understanding Food Systems: Agriculture, Food Science and Nutrition in the United States (Elsevier, 2017).

Randall is the Commercial Fruit Crops Field Specialist for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach where he provides technical assistance to fruit growers throughout the state. His experience in viticulture started in 2001 when we was working on his masters degree in the vineyards of Michigan. He has stayed active in the viticulture industry since that time. Prior to working in Extension, Randall was Chair of the Horticulture Department at Des Moines Area Community College and taught production horitculture courses. He also served as the Coordinator for the Mid-Amercian Wine Competion.

Christie began working part-time for IWGA in 2018, then became the Marketing & Membership Coordinator, and currently serves as the Executive Director. She has a degree in Business Management & Marketing. Outside of work she serves as a board member for the Polk County Farm Bureau. Christie and her husband Ryan farm row crops, and also custom harvest wheat in the summer months. They reside in rural Bondurant with their daughter, Caitlyn.

A fifth generation Iowan and native of Fort Dodge. He has been a lobbyist in Des Moines since 1993. He represents clients before the Iowa Legislature, Governor's Office, Executive Branch agencies, and the City Councils across Iowa. Matt limits his practice to legislative and regulatory law.

Matt graduated cum laude from Drake University in 1988 and from Drake University Law School in 1993. He lobbied for the Iowa Association of Realtors (1993-1995), the Iowa Association of Business and Industry (1995 - 2000), and was a partner in the lobbying firm Fitzgerald & Eide before establishing Eide & Heisinger in 2003. Matt and Kate Walton formed Eide • Walton in 2019. Prior to lobbying in Des Moines, Matt served as a legislative assistant to former Congressman Jim Lightfoot in Washington, D.C. for two years and as finance director for Jim’s 1988 congressional campaign.

Matt has represented the Iowa Winegrowers Association since 2006.

Matt lives in Des Moines with his wife Sara and five children. In his spare time, Matt enjoys spending time with his kids and watching their many activities. Matt recently retired after a 27-year career as a high school, college, and arena football official. Matt currently serves on the St. Augustin Parish Council.