David Chinn
David Chinn is the Vice President of Corporate Compliance for Huma®, Inc. David now has over 16 years of experience in the area of fertilizers, soil conditioners and biostimulants and has spoken at several conferences in the U.S. and Canada. Prior to working in the fertilizer industry, David spent over 20 years practicing general business law in Louisville, Kentucky.
As an HPTA Director, David has spearheaded work on by-law changes, helped shepherd and defend our humic substances definition at AAPFCO, and represented HPTA in the USDA Biostimulant Workgroup alongside biostimulant trade organizations, USDA, FDA, EPA, and state fertilizer and pesticide regulator organizations. David has served as HPTA’s Secretary/Treasurer since 2022.
Hiarhi Monda, PhD
Hiarhi Monda, PhD, is Humic Research Director at Huma Inc. and a scientist with more than 15 years of experience in humic substances, soil chemistry, plant biostimulants, and sustainable agricultural technologies.
He holds a PhD in Improvement and Management of Agro-Forestry Resources and an MSc in Agro-Biotechnology from the University of Naples Federico II, Italy. Throughout his career, he has built extensive expertise in the chemistry, molecular characterization, biological activity, and industrial application of humic substances.
His work focuses on understanding the fundamental mechanisms that drive humic substance activity and translating that knowledge into practical, scalable solutions for agriculture. By connecting advanced scientific research with product development and industrial processes, Dr. Monda works at the interface between laboratory discovery, manufacturing, and field application—transforming complex chemical and biological insights into technologies that can be effectively implemented by industry and ultimately deliver measurable value to growers.
His research integrates advanced analytical chemistry, electrochemistry, plant physiology, and biological testing to investigate how the molecular, structural, and redox properties of humic substances influence root development, nutrient-use efficiency, plant metabolism, and stress responses.
Over the course of his career, Dr. Monda has authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed scientific publications and collaborated with leading research institutions in the United States and Europe. His work reflects a strong commitment to bridging the gap between fundamental science and real-world agricultural innovation, with a particular emphasis on developing scientifically validated technologies that are both industrially scalable and agronomically relevant.
His current research interests include humic substance chemistry, structure–activity relationships, redox-mediated biological mechanisms, biostimulant mode of action, process optimization, and the development of next-generation technologies for more efficient and sustainable agriculture.
Peter Orizondo
Peter Orizondo is the Area Business Manager for Borregaard’s Plant Nutrition business in the Americas. With more than 30 years of experience in the chemical industry, he has held a variety of technical and commercial leadership roles throughout his career.
Peter began his professional journey with Great Lakes Chemical/Chemtura and later joined Songwon International, where he gained extensive experience in specialty chemicals and market development. He joined Borregaard in 2017 to support the introduction and commercialization of a new product line. In 2022, he transitioned to the company’s Agri team and subsequently assumed his current role as Area Business Manager in 2024.
Peter holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Rollins College and a Master of Science in Chemistry from Wichita State University. He is based in the Greater Houston, Texas area.
Jarrod Psutka
Jarrod Psutka has been a research scientist with BioLiNE Corporation for five years. He completed his MSc. Chemistry from the University of Waterloo in 2018 with a specific focus on analytical techniques in physical biochemistry. As a BioLiNE employee, Jarrod has been an active member and research contributor to the HPTA science committee and is eager to further support the organization. His personal areas of interest include probing and characterizing fulvic acids and their role in biostimulants.
Mohammad Rahbari
Mo is a co-founder of BioLiNE Corporation a manufacturer of fulvic acids. He is a process engineer with more than 15 years of experience in research and technology development. As the lead researcher behind the development of BioLiNE’s technology, He was the chair of the executive committee in the Biostimulant Council of TFI from 2021 to 2023 and continues to serve on the executive committee. Mo graduated from Western University with a Bachelors (2001) and Masters (2005) in Chemical Engineering. Since joining the HPTA in 2017, Mo has been contributing to the science committee, and attends most board meetings. In addition to his involvement with the HPTA, Mo is highly active in the industry, leading work groups and making contributions to task forces and committees working with AAPFCO, the USDA, and EPA. He is the current chair of the executive committee in the Biostimulant Council of TFI. He is an active member of the BPIA, and dedicated to improve the education, adoption, and regulatory environment for humic substances.
Fernando Rosario-Ortiz | Science Advisor
Fernando Rosario-Ortiz is a Professor at the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, with an additional appointment in the Environmental Engineering Program, both at the University of Colorado Boulder. He has a BS in Chemistry from the University of Puerto Rico, a MS also in Chemistry from CALTECH, and a doctoral degree from UCLA.
His research focuses on the chemical characterization and reactivity of organic matter in the environment. He also serves as Executive and Associate Editor for the ACS journal Environmental Science and Technology, which is one of the premier journals for the environmental engineering and science community.
Lyndon Smith
Mr. Lyndon W. Smith is currently the CEO of Huma, Inc. (Huma) formally known as Bio Huma Netics, Inc. (BHN) and was the President and CEO of BHN since the spring of 1995. Smith is a majority-owner of this employee-owned, privately held Arizona Corporation. Lyndon speaks fluent Spanish, lived in Spain for two years, and has travelled extensively in many parts of the world. The company has developed major distribution in over 40 countries around the globe where Huma products are marketed and sold. During his over 30-year tenure, Lyndon has redefined the company vision and strategies for this profitable mid-sized, global business.
Smith serves with many professional organizations and on several industry boards, including the Humic Product Trade Association, The Fertilizer Institute, and Agriculture Retailers Association. He is an active voice for the worldwide biostimulant movement and served as the Chair of the TFI Biostimulant Council. Smith received a B.S. degree in Financial Planning in 1984 and after a 3-year active-duty stint in the Army, a Juris Doctorate degree in 1990 both from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.
Huma was started in Arizona in 1973 by Lyndon’s father, the late Dr. Jordan Smith, PhD in plant physiology from Purdue University. Beginning in 1977 and throughout his undergraduate and graduate studies, Lyndon also worked as a distributor for BHN products. After law school graduation, Lyndon took a full-time position with BHN for one year from 1990-91. Smith then practiced law in Arizona for the next three years prior to returning to BHN as a second-generational leader in the spring of 1994.
Smith is married to Carla Chapman, and they are the parents of 8 children and 21 grandchildren. They have lived in Mesa, Arizona since 1990.
Russell Taylor
Russell Taylor is Vice President of Live Earth Products, Inc. in Emery, Utah, where he has worked since 1995. During more than 30 years in the humic products industry, his experience has included mining and extraction, manufacturing, product development, analytical testing, regulatory affairs, agronomy, and commercialization of humic substances for agriculture, turf, animal feed, dietary supplements, and other applications.
Russell was a founding board member of the Humic Products Trade Association and has served as HPTA President since 2013. He has worked extensively on regulatory and standards issues affecting the humic products industry and currently serves on the AAPFCO T&D Committee. He has represented HPTA in regulatory and policy discussions with congressional staff, AAPFCO, AAFCO, USDA, EPA, ISO, The Fertilizer Institute, state regulatory agencies, and other industry organizations. His work has included efforts involving humic and fulvic substance definitions, plant biostimulant policy, beneficial substances regulations, and analytical standards.
Russell chaired HPTA’s work on the ISO 19822 amendment and also chaired the corresponding work within the ANSI-Accredited U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG). He is a Certified Crop Adviser, a recipient of the National CCA Conservationist of the Year award, and an author and speaker on humic substances, soil health, agronomy, and industry regulatory issues.
He continues to enjoy the challenge of improving the marketplace for humic products through better science, practical standards, and regulations that recognize and support legitimate products within the industry.