Gray Harris is a former senior adviser for food system finance at Rural Business-Cooperative Service and the Under Secretary’s office at USDA Rural Development, where she developed the agency’s food system strategy and oversaw a $2 billion portfolio of food supply chain programs.
Prior to this role, Gray developed and led the agriculture and food system finance and business strategy for a rural Community Development Financial Institution in Maine, growing a portfolio from $200,000 to over $45 million in loans and investments in 140 farm and food businesses in Maine and the New England region. This included establishing the Catalyst Fund, an early-stage place-based equity fund for emerging food businesses that sourced from Maine sustainable agricultural and seafood producers, and creating impact programs providing Federal Covid-19 relief funding to Maine farmers and food supply chain businesses in partnership with public and private partners.
Gray also contributes strategic leadership on private and non-profit boards to build a strong and resilient local food economy that benefits farmers, supply chain businesses and consumers.
Competencies: Strategic systems-thinker; natural capital investment strategies; program design and implementation; facilitation and mediation; federal program, policy and industry intersectionality; rural community economic development; thrives in fast-paced, high-stakes environments; collaborator and team player; clearsighted, candid, straightforward.
