Vive Crop Protection welcomed Jim Jones to its board of directors on May 2. Before joining Vive, Jones was assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In his role at the EPA, Jones’s office was responsible for the regulation of chemicals.
“We’re excited to have Jim on our board,” says Vive CEO Keith Thomas. “Jim has been a champion for strong, science-based regulatory systems, both in the United States and in countries around the world. At Vive, responsible environmental stewardship is one of our key values. We’ve recently launched a new research program to improve biopesticide formulations. This will accelerate the global use of biopesticides and complement our portfolio of conventional crop protection products. Jim’s focus on sustainability is a critical part of this effort. We expect that he will help us design and register new products that meet the needs of modern farmers for years to come.”
Jones spent 30 years at the EPA in senior positions. Before serving as assistant administrator, he was director of the Office of Pesticide Programs, the key regulatory agency for pesticides in the U.S. Jones has extensive operational experience, having managed 1,000 highly skilled employees and a budget of $250 million. Working with counterpart agencies from Canada, Mexico and other OECD nations, Jones led the EPA’s efforts to create a global review system for new products.
“We need new innovations that help farmers keep producing affordable, healthy, nutritious food,” says Jones. “I’m joining Vive because of their focus on improving trusted crop protection products. This makes the products better for growers and better for the environment. Vive has an exciting product pipeline, and I’m looking forward to helping them deliver new products to global farmers.”