Tera Johnson
Chief Executive Officer
Tera Johnson is a serial entrepreneur whose mission is to create the next generation of resilient food and farming businesses. The founder of teraswhey®, Tera participated in the full arc of creating and selling a successful investor-financed food company. As the founder of the Food Finance Institute (FFI) and Edible-Alpha® at the University of Wisconsin System prior to joining Iroquois Valley, Tera was a frequent speaker, teacher and financial consultant to sustainable food and farming businesses, social venture funds and investors.
FFI’s mission is to get every food company and value-added farm enterprise the money they need to grow. FFI does this though a variety of programs that are national in scope and address the critical business model and financial issues faced when raising money. They include boot camps for entrepreneurs and economic developers, the FaBCap Accelerator for Wisconsin food brands, consultant training, and technical assistance for debt and equity raises. FFI’s digital presence, Edible-Alpha®, includes a podcast with wide national reach, a digital learning platform, and the Edible-Alpha, Live! event.
Formerly the Board President of Slow Money Wisconsin, Tera currently sits on the selection committee for the Nutrition Capital Network and on other corporate boards. In 2017, Tera received the UW Extension chancellor’s 2017 Wisconsin Idea Award. In 2014, Madison Magazine recognized her on their M-List of leading innovators in the city. Her business was named the 2010 Innovator of the Year by WEDC. Also in 2010, she received the Dairy Business Innovation Center’s Innovation Zone Award and the Wisconsin Department of Commerce and the WEN network named her company a Wisconsin Company to Watch. Her factory received the 2009 gold medal in the Green Building category from the Associated Builders and Contractors of WI.
Mark Schindel
Chief Financial & Investment Officer
As Chief Financial and Investment Officer, Mark has responsibility for financial systems and reporting, budgeting and forecasting, reviewing new funding opportunities, monitoring and tracking the investment portfolio, and evaluating new deals. Mark sees Iroquois Valley as a great vehicle for improving the health of the planet and raising awareness of the multitude of benefits achieved through farming organically. And with farmers in his family, the company’s mission is a personal one.
Mr. Schindel received his BS in Finance from the University of Illinois, and his MBA from Northwestern’s J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management. Before joining Iroquois Valley, Mark spent most of his career in the private equity business; and as a financial consultant and private investor. Mr. Schindel lives in Chicago, and enjoys tennis, downhill skiing, and hiking around the world.
Arnold Lau
Chief Operating Officer
Arnold (“Arnie”) has several areas of responsibility including multi-year budget modeling, long-term planning for the company and evaluating new business/geographic opportunities as well as management of specific programs including the Young Farmer Land Access Program and a farmland ownership transition program. He also monitors and evaluates developments in such areas as climate change and the environment, capital markets, regulation, and technology for factors that may have long-term implications for the Company and its farmers. Arnie reports directly to the CEO; and coordinates his duties with the CFO and Managing Director of Business Operations. Arnie also supports development of offering materials, investment sales and investor relations.
Arnie has a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and Economics from Lawrence University, and a Masters of Management from Northwestern University. He was previously a member of the Chicago Board Options Exchange from 1983 until 1999, and a member of the Chicago Board of Trade from 1985 until 2007. He is a life member of the Sierra Club and the Nature Conservancy.
Fany Bortolin
SVP, Innovation
As SVP, Secured Lending, Fany is responsible for managing organic farming lines of credit and creating tailored business and regenerative plans aimed to improve financial and environmental sustainability.
Fany has a Bachelors degree and Masters in Accounting and Financial Management and an additional BA in Social Psychology. Her strengths lie in driving financial & operational improvements in both growth & challenging economic environments, as well as creating environments that fosters engagement, commitment, and collaboration.
Her uncompromising commitment to environmental issues, organic farming, and health brought her to join Iroquois Valley in 2019.
Donna Holmes
VP, Investor Relations
In Donna’s role at Iroquois Valley Farmland REIT, she shares the Company’s vision and investment strategy with investors and prospects. She is responsible for expanding our investor base by building a community of like-minded investors. Donna is passionate about creating an opportunity for all people to reap the health benefits of nutritional food, grown in a sustainable and socially just society. Using her knowledge of finance and investing, Donna structures investment vehicles to address investors’ different needs and goals. She believes in Iroquois Valley’s triple bottom line principles, actively securing social, environmental, and financial returns for our investors.
Prior to joining Iroquois Valley, Donna served in business development and investor relations roles at three alternative asset management firms. Before working in finance, she practiced law, specializing in tax and ERISA matters.
Donna earned a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Syracuse University, a Juris Doctorate from Syracuse University, College of Law, and a Master of Law in Taxation from New York University. She is a CAIA Charter-holder and an FSA Level 1 Certificate Holder.
Claire Mesesan
VP, Farmer Relations
Claire serves as VP, Farmer Relations where her work centers on process, program development, and resource-building. She is broadly focused on Iroquois Valley’s farmer-facing work to ensure that partnerships are successful. Claire also works on impact strategy, evaluation, and reporting in support of the company’s efforts to create public benefit.
Claire joined Iroquois Valley in 2015 as Communications Director where she created mission-driven, data-informed content across platforms. Claire gravitated toward stakeholder engagement as she connected with farmers to tell their stories, which led to her transition to farmer relations in 2021.
Claire completed her bachelor’s degrees in Philosophy and French from Loyola University Chicago. Within philosophy, Claire was interested in the ways that land stewardship and land-based ethics intersect with social and political movements. After graduation, she spent a year in Madison, WI working as an AmeriCorps Farm-to-School educator. Claire lives in southern California where she enjoys gardening and all things outdoors, especially camping.
Lacey Benz
Investment Coordinator
Growing up on a farm in southern Minnesota, Lacey couldn’t wait to trade in the cornfields and cattle pastures for the hustle and bustle of a big city. After graduating with a degree in Economics and Finance, she achieved her goal and spent one year as an analyst at JPMorgan in New York City. Missing the wide open spaces of the Midwest and discovering her passion for organic and regenerative agriculture, Lacey moved back to the Corn Belt and joined the Iroquois Valley team in 2020 as Investment Coordinator.
In this role, Lacey manages the investment process for the equity and debt issued by the company. She loves to brainstorm new ways to make the systems more efficient, streamlined, and organized… all while helping the firm grow its capital base. When she isn’t working at Iroquois Valley or helping out on her family farm, Lacey enjoys gardening, practicing yoga, and traveling.
Laura Temple Wesley
Staff Accountant
Laura has been a Staff Accountant with Iroquois Valley since 2021.
Raya Carr
Relationship Manager
Raya joins Iroquois Valley’s team with more than two decades of exposure to organic & diversified farming through the midwestern seasons of North-Central Illinois. Raya grew up a shepherdess and farmhand on Mint Creek, her family’s farm, and transitioned into a management capacity in 2010, continuing in this for 8 years. Raya successfully completed the 2015 Good Food Business Accelerator Program by Family Farmed, and holds a liberal arts degree with great distinction from Shimer College. Raya sees natural continuity from working in organic farming to working with Iroquois Valley. On her family’s farm, Raya witnesses how organic, regenerative farming can work to heal the whole farm ecosystem–not just the land, but the animals and people involved, too. On a larger scale, Raya is excited to support farmers across the U.S. as a relationship manager and farmer liaison for Iroquois Valley, helping organic farmers get the financing & land access tools they need to thrive.
On weekends, Raya still organizes a seasonal farm dinner & tour series as well as other projects for her family’s farm. When she can find time, she writes poetry & lyrics, sings, and plays folk music on the guitar.
Meg Santisi
Office Manager
Meg has a background in non-profit development, working on behalf of art and ecology non-profits. Currently she fundraises on behalf of two artist residency programs: ACRE Residency, located in the Driftless Region of WI, and Ox-Bow School of Art, an 100+ year old residency located on a 112 acre conservation easement in Western Michigan. Prior to this, Meg worked in programming for the Graham Foundation, the Chicago Architecture Biennial, and as Sales Manager for Mint Creek Farm, where she managed on-site farm dinners and Mint Creek’s CSA program. She holds an MA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where her studies focused on the intersection of art, ecology, and architecture. She is very pleased to be working with the incredible folks at Iroquois Valley.
Alyssa Scher
Underwriter
Alyssa has a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Ball State University with a background in agriculture taxation and bookkeeping as well as farm succession planning. She joined the IQVF team in 2020 as an underwriter. Alyssa loves working with farmers to help them have the opportunity to live out their dreams and mission. She lives in northern Indiana with her husband and two children on their 4th generation family farm.
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