Agriculture
Conservation
and Sustainability

Bruce Knight is a nationally recognized expert on conservation, agriculture and the environment. With a long track record of bringing strategic workable solutions to complex and controversial issues, he understands the workings of farm and conservation policy from the grassroots to the national level. Coupled with his national policymaking experience is a pragmatic approach to issues harvested from his personal farming enterprise.

Today, as a consultant focused on conservation and environmental issues related to agriculture, Knight provides a visionary and unique perspective on the future of conservation policies. He understands the potential value to his clients in agriculture, environment, wildlife and food systems of cutting-edge ideas and strategies such as carbon markets and other ecosystem services. Drawing on his experience as a former association executive, lobbyist, regulator and Capitol Hill staffer, Knight has a board understanding of how Washington works. But he also brings firsthand knowledge of farming to his national policymaking credentials.

Knight was the Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from 2006-2009. In this post, he provided leadership and oversight for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Agricultural Marketing Service and the Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Administration. These agencies protect animals and plants and promote fair, open and orderly markets for U.S. agricultural products. Safeguarding America’s flocks, fields and forests from pests and diseases is worth billions of dollars in losses avoided by farmers and ranchers.

From 2002 to 2006, Knight served as Chief of Natural Resources Conservation Service, the lead USDA agency for conservation on private working agricultural lands. During the nearly five years under his leadership, the agency assisted 1 million farmers and ranchers in applying conservation on more than 130 million acres of working farm and ranchlands. Knight provided the strategic vision for the development, implementation and management of the largest expansion of working lands conservation programs in the agency’s history.

Knight also has many years experience in developing U.S. agricultural policies and programs as a congressional staff member and on behalf of major agricultural producer groups. He served on the staff of Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, Kansas, focusing on development of the conservation title of the 1996 farm bill and was a legislative assistant to Rep. Fred Grandy, Iowa, and Sen. James Abdnor, South Dakota. In addition, Knight served as vice president for public policy for the National Corn Growers Association and also worked for the National Association of Wheat Growers.

A third-generation rancher and farmer and lifelong conservationist, Knight operates a diversified grain and cattle operation using no-till and rest rotation grazing systems. His farming and ranching background gives him the opportunity to practice stewardship and husbandry, providing firsthand knowledge of the interdependency of animal, plant and human health with the environment.

Julie Knight, provides team oversight and direction to work products to be delivered as needed and in a timely manner. Prior to co-founding SCS in 2009, Knight logged over 20 years of experience in public and nonprofit sector community development work, including 10 years with the Cooperative Extension Service. She has worked on the intersection of agricultural and food policy as it relates to issues of concern for food security, sustainability and health. Her leadership and expertise in coalition building and community partnerships has been instrumental in helping communities effectively address complex, cross-cutting issues of concern.

As Chief Operating Officer in a small company, Knight handles all financial, operational and administrative functions for the firm but also is involved in supporting client projects, including meeting facilitation, strategic planning, and coordination and implementation of strategic activities.

Knight received her B.S. and M.S. from Texas Tech University and received a Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Ag and Food Systems from the Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition in August 2015.

Ms. Franz has over 30 years of experience working in Washington, D.C. on conservation, environmental and agricultural policy issues.

As a Senior Professional Staff member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, Ms. Franz crafted the conservation and energy titles of the 2012.

Farm Bill proposal as passed in the Senate. Working with diverse constituents interested in the conservation title, she developed provisions that were widely supported by agriculture, conservation and environmental groups while making significant changes to programs and reducing federal spending to meet budget reduction requirements. While working for Ranking Member Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) on the committee, Franz handled conservation, renewable energy, pesticide, biotechnology and environmental issues.

Prior to her work on the Senate Agriculture Committee, Ms. Franz was Director of the Legislative Affairs Division of the Natural Resources Conservation Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She was responsible for overseeing the Division staff and managing contacts with Congressional Offices, developing briefings and tours for congressional staff and preparing Department leaders for meetings and hearings on Capitol Hill.

Through her work with the National Association of Conservation Districts, United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association (United Fresh) and the National Corn Growers Association, Franz represented association members on Capitol Hill and with federal government agencies, on advisory committees and a variety of coalitions and work groups. Franz has several years of experience managing association committees, planning lobbying visits and annual conferences.

Franz began her career in Washington, DC working for U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-KS).

Ms. Franz holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Kansas and a Master of Science degree in Environmental Science and Policy from Johns Hopkins University.

Oleksandra Tryboi provides ongoing support to the SCS team on research and policy analysis on topics including the Farm Bill, federal conservation programs, renewable energy, natural resources conservation, sustainability, and other related issues. Tryboi’s expertise includes the preparation of briefing materials and data sets and the development of presentations on a wide variety of issues, including sustainability in agriculture, biotechnology, bioenergy, and legislative/regulatory issues related to conservation and agriculture. She also assists in coordinating meeting schedules and agendas for clients with government agency representatives and other key contacts, compiles weekly grant updates, monitors the Federal Register, and assists with content management for the SCS website and other web presence.

Oleksandra Tryboi has more than 15 years of experience in analytical work in national and international research on bioenergy, including technical, economic, and socio-environmental assessment, statistical data, legislation, and market analysis.

Tryboi received her Bachelor’s diploma in Energy and her Specialist’s diploma in Thermal Power Engineering from the National Technical University of Ukraine “Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”. In 2024, she successfully completed the Bureau Veritas General Requirements, Main Principles and Recommendations Awareness Training Course based on the EU International Sustainability and Carbon Certification Standard. Tryboi also completed PhD coursework in Life Cycle Assessment, Green Chemistry Applications for Bioenergy and Bioproducts Plants, and Energy Storage through the University of Perugia in 2023 and completed a post-graduate course in the Conversion of Renewable Energy Sources through the Institute of Engineering Thermophysics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (IET NASU) in 2017.