Ryan Martin – Bio
Ryan Martin is a nonprofit executive, educator, and consultant working at the intersection of food, 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 research, education, and policy innovation across the Upper Midwest.
Before joining the Institute, Ryan served as Executive Director of Viles Arboretum, a 220-acre public center for agroforestry and climate resilience in Maine’s capital city. There, he led the organization through a period of strategic growth—expanding partnerships, increasing revenue, and deepening the Arboretum’s role as a leader in public land stewardship and environmental education.
Earlier in his career, Ryan directed the Summer Institute at Tilton School, launching a globally focused STEAM initiative, and spent several years as a horticulture and agriculture teacher at the Midcoast School of Technology – an award-winning program that combined regenerative agriculture curriculum with hands-on farm management and business skills for high school students.
As a consultant, Ryan has supported a range of mission-driven organizations, including
Cultivating Community (ME), Bold ReUse (OR), and the Lexicon of Sustainability (CA),
offering expertise in grant writing, staff development, and operational strategy.
In 2022, he was elected to the Hallowell City Council on a platform of environmental
stewardship and equitable governance, where he helped pass one of Maine’s first municipal bans on synthetic pesticides. He has also served in volunteer leadership roles with Maineshare, the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, and in other settings.
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. He lives in Maine with his wife Jessi, a public health nurse, and their two young children.