Ryan Martin is a nonprofit leader working at the intersection of food systems, agriculture, and the environment.
He currently serves as Executive Director of the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, where he oversees a $2.5 million portfolio of USDA-funded programs focused on agricultural research, education, and policy innovation across the Upper Midwest. During his tenure, he has led the organization through a challenging federal funding environment while strengthening internal systems and guiding major operational decisions.
Previously, Ryan served as Executive Director of the Viles Arboretum in Augusta, Maine. During a period of significant growth and change, he led strategic planning, expanded staffing and organizational capacity, renovated the visitor center, and oversaw construction of a new education center.
Earlier in his career, Ryan taught horticulture and agriculture at the Midcoast School of Technology in Rockland, Maine, where he helped lead an award-winning program that combined classroom learning with hands-on farm management.
Ryan holds a B.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Maine at Machias and an M.S. in Sustainable Food Systems from Green Mountain College.
A lifelong Mainer, Ryan grew up in rural Downeast Maine and today lives in Hallowell with his wife and their two young children, where they are building a small homestead.
