Organization: RAFI, Red Clover Collaborative

Edna became Executive Director of the Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI) in 2017 after holding several roles within the organization. During her tenure, RAFI has grown into a widely respected food and farm movement leader—recognized for its unwavering commitment to underserved farmers and its emphasis on integrity, transparency, and collaboration. Edna also prioritized equity across RAFI’s operations and programs, positioning the organization to support smaller groups and magnify collective impact.

Focused on distributed leadership and equity, Edna guided RAFI through strategic planning and expanded programs such as the Farmers of Color Network. What began as a small pilot project is now a nationally recognized effort that fosters solidarity, advocacy, and resource sharing among BIPOC farmers in the Southeast and the U.S. Caribbean—reinforcing RAFI’s role in equitable, sustainable agriculture and bolstering its advocacy for fair farm policy.

Edna’s dedication to equitable funding forged partnerships with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and the Regenerative Agriculture Foundation, resulting in the Climate and Equity Policy Project—an initiative focused on grantmaking and capacity building.

Beyond RAFI, Edna serves in governance roles with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, the National Family Farm Coalition, Sustainable Agriculture Food Systems Funders, and A Greener World. She also helped found the Liberating Investment in the Food & Farm Ecosystem’s (LIFE) Grassroots Governance Body.

After 14 years with the organization, Edna will step down from her role as RAFI's Executive Director at RAFI in the fall of 2025, with a thoughtful transition process already underway to ensure a smooth transition and strong future leadership for RAFI. She remains dedicated to guiding the organization through the search and onboarding of new leadership. Afterward, she will concentrate on Red Clover Collaborative, a capacity-building and movement infrastructure initiative she co-founded that is underway.