Thelma Velez (she/her/ella)

Thelma Velez (she/her/ella) is the Research and Education Program Director at OFRF, where she leads a team working at the intersection of agricultural science, policy, and food systems. With a PhD and more than 20 years in the field, she has conducted research on sustainable and regenerative agriculture, taught university courses in environmental science and agroecology departments, and led educational programming for farmers and professionals nationwide.

In her role as director, Thelma engages in collaborative efforts with farmers, university faculty, Extension specialists, and government and non-government organizations. Her focus is on fortifying existing research and education programs and pioneering new initiatives that strengthen our nation’s food system. With support from the OFRF team, she has helped advocate for organic at the federal level and provided expert testimony to the U.S. Congress House Agriculture Committee on the importance of organic agriculture.

She is a two-time alum of Florida International University (BA and MS) and earned her PhD from Ohio State University, where she focused on the expansion of agroecology in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria.