Board of Directors
The IOAS Board of Directors is the highest decision-making body of the organization, providing oversight and accountability for our operations. The Board’s main tasks are:
- To provide strategic direction
- Overall policy direction of the organization
- Supervision of quality
- Approval of the annual budget and oversight of finances
- Appointment of Committees and their members
- Appointment of the Executive Director
- Risk Management
Francis Blake, UK
President - Sector representation: Conformity Assessment
Francis is semi-retired but still does occasional consultancy work with organizations like COSMOS, Tun (Iceland), and Standard Life Ethical Funds Advisory Group. He has over 30 years of experience in representing the organic agricultural movement in the UK and internationally. Francis is an expert in organic farming and management and has held various important positions in this field. He joined the IOAS board in 2015 and the board of the new Alliance for Organic Integrity in 2019.
Peggy Miars, USA
Treasurer - Sector representation: Beneficiaries
Peggy has over 25 years of management experience in advancing the organic agriculture movement in the United States. She previously served as the CEO of the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) and has worked with certifiers and retailers in various capacities. Peggy has also been involved with IFOAM – Organics International and joined the IOAS board in 2015.
Kathryn Lockyer, New Zealand
Sector Representation: Conformity Assessment
Kathryn Lockyer has over 30 years of experience in the conformity assessment world, with over 17 of those years being employed with JAS-ANZ. Her most recent role at JAS-ANZ was as General Manager Services, managing all accreditation assessment activities that JAS-ANZ undertook worldwide. She has been an approved APAC evaluator and held several key positions within APAC, including on the MRA Council, the Executive Committee and the MRA Management Committee. Kathryn currently provides support and advice on accreditation and certification while being Director of Risk and Accreditation for Certification Partners Global (CPG).
Dr. Flor Mónica Gutiérrez Alcántara, Mexico
Sector representation: Developing world
Dr. Gutiérrez holds a Master's degree in Engineering, a PhD in Operations Management, and has extensive professional experience in quality management, innovation, audits, and conformity assessments. Currently, she is the Coordinator for Quality Management at UNAM, managing the certification and accreditation program for research laboratories. Dr. Gutiérrez is also involved in developing various ISO Standards and is the Head of Delegation for several ISO Technical Committees. Additionally, she manages the Mirror Committees for Education and Biodiversity appointed by the Mexican Government.
Vitoon Panyakul, Thailand
Sector representation: Developing world
Vitoon Panyakul has been involved in the Thai organic movement since 1991. He is considered an organic pioneer and has helped establish several organizations working to promote organic agriculture. Some of these organizations include the Green Net Cooperative (an organic and fair trade distributor and exporter), the Earth Net Foundation (a non-profit foundation supporting small-scale farmers in Asia as they transition to organic farming), the Organic Agriculture Certification Thailand (an organic certification body active in southeast Asia), and the Thai Organic Trader Association.
Sarah Compson, UK
Sector representation: Conformity Assessment
Sarah is a board member of IFOAM Organics International and holds positions as the International Development Manager at the Soil Association and Organic Cotton Liaison at Textile Exchange. She is involved in developing new standards and finding solutions for challenges in the organic sector. Additionally, she chairs various groups, serves on committees, and joined the IOAS Board in October 2021.
András Fekete, Hungary
Sector representation: Conformity Assessment
Andras graduated in 2001 as a Certified Environmental and Landscape Management Agricultural Engineer (MSc) and as an Engineering Teacher in Hungary. He later obtained a post-graduate Bachelor’s degree in EU Structural Funds Management from CAH Vilentum University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. Andras started his career as an inspector and auditor for various agriculture-related standards, then worked for six years as a Program Manager at a certification body. Subsequently, he joined the certification scheme owner GLOBALG.A.P./ Agraya (formerly EUREPGAP), where he served for 16 years as Vice President and Chief Integrity Officer. He is currently a Senior Consultant for certification scheme development at Peterson Solutions.
Irene Makar, Canada
Sector representation: Conformity Assessment
With over 25 years of corporate, operational, and entrepreneurial business experience at the international and national level, Irene brings multi-sector for-profit and not-for-profit Leadership experience to the board, along with eleven years ISO standardization and conformity assessment experience. An experienced commercializer of technology and ideas, she has led businesses at each life-cycle stage: start-up, growth, consolidation, and divestment.
Carrie-Anne Palmeri, USA
Sector representation: Regulatory Authorities
Carrie-Anne Palmeri has dedicated her career to advancing the organic sector, working across the organic value chain—from smallholder production to global trade—in both government & industry roles. She currently serves as Board President at the Canada Organic Trade Association, Voting Member of the Canadian General Standards Board, and voting member of the U.S. National Organic Coalition. Previously, she contributed to Mexico’s National Council for Organic Production and helped co-found the Mexico Accredited Certifiers Association among other roles. Her work reflects a strong commitment to building resilient, equitable agricultural systems through practical governance and consensus-driven policy & standards development that aim to strengthen the integrity and future of organic agriculture