Our Team

Dave Herring has served as Executive Director of Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment since 2012. In his role, Dave leads a team working to build an ecologically and economically resilient food system in the Northeast through regenerative agriculture. Dave has overseen the transformation of Wolfe’s Neck Center from a farm to a farm-based nonprofit that includes an organic dairy and apprenticeship program, a 600 acre campus stewarded with regenerative agricultural practices, best-in-class public education programs and facilities, and technical assistance and market development programs that advance agriculture and support farmer viability.

Dave has held leadership and management roles in nonprofit organizations for more than 25 years. Prior to joining Wolfe’s Neck Center, Dave served as the inaugural Executive Director of Maine Huts & Trails, where he oversaw the completion of three backcountry lodges, more than 50 miles of multi-use trails, and raised over $10m to support land conservation and the development of ecotourism. He has a B.S. from Michigan State University’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and a graduate certificate from Boston University’s Institute for Nonprofit Leadership and Management. Dave lives with his wife and two daughters just outside of Portland, Maine.

As Managing Director of Programs, Ellen leads a team that delivers all of Wolfe’s Neck Center’s programs, including visitor education and experience, farmer training and market development, and research and innovation programming. Ellen practiced federal energy regulatory law in Washington, DC for 8 years before her passion for agriculture and food systems change – and its implications for farmers, the environment, and public health – led her to pursue a new career in Maine.

Ellen joined Wolfe’s Neck Center in December 2023, and before that spent seven years at Maine Farmland Trust as Policy and Research Director and then Deputy Director. Ellen obtained her LL.M. in Food and Agriculture Law from Vermont Law School, her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center, and her BA in Public Policy from Brown University. In her free time, Ellen loves exploring Maine’s beaches, forests, and farms with her husband Oliver and their two daughters.

As Managing Director of Advancement, Jeannie leads a team responsible for fundraising, storytelling, and community engagement events that support the health and long-term growth of Wolfe’s Neck Center. Jeannie’s early years growing up on an island digging in the clam flats, climbing rocks, and exploring coastal woods instilled a deep appreciation for the power of places like Wolfe’s Neck.

Before Wolfe’s Neck Center, most of Jeannie’s professional life centered around politics and public policy focused on issues of conservation, environmental health, and early childcare and education. She holds a BA in political science from the University of Maine and a MA in political science from Villanova University. She and her family are fortunate to be neighbors of Wolfe’s Neck Center and live in the area.