After 13 years of exemplary service, David Green is retiring from his role at the U.S. Sustainability Alliance (USSA). Many of us know David as a key driving force behind USSA since its inception, helping grow its membership from just eight to 28 organizations and shaping its direction with his vision, knowledge and creativity. David’s retirement follows an impressive 40-year career in food and agriculture, which has included roles in farming, journalism and communications on both sides of the Atlantic.
David started out as a farmer in his native Northern Ireland, managing his own beef and pig operation. From there, he transitioned into agricultural journalism with Farmers Weekly, Europe’s largest farming magazine, before moving into communications, making full use of his Bachelor’s degree in political history and postgraduate work on NGOs at King’s College, London.
David was instrumental in launching SIGWATCH to track and monitor the reputational and operational risks posed by activists and NGOs. He was also a founding director of the London office of global communications firm Fleishman-Hillard.
As a consultant, David advised blue-chip companies and organizations in Europe and the United States, focusing on two of the most pressing challenges in food and agriculture: sustainability and the adoption of new technologies and innovations across the agri-food chain.
David spent a significant amount of time in the United States for work, and in 1993, he relocated to Kansas City with his wife, Sarah, before eventually settling on a small farm in Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. In 2019, he returned to the UK to open the GreenOrange office in London and continue the policy and issues management work he has become so well-known for.
We are incredibly grateful to David for his unwavering commitment and contribution to USSA and the wider agri-food community. We wish him all the best in this next chapter in his life. May he enjoy a well-earned break!