Russell Taylor
Position: President
Company : Live Earth Products
Russell Taylor is President of Live Earth Products, Inc., which is a premium producer of humic shale derived products. He has spent 20 years in the mining, extraction, and marketing of humic acid based products. Areas of experience with humic isolates include; agriculture, turf management, organic fertilizers, animal feed and soil reclamation. His knowledge of humic acid processing and isolation has put his company on the forefront of the humic acid manufacturing industry. Russell is a Certified Crop Advisor and raises organic beef for a hobby.
Contact Information:
russell@humictrade.org
russt@livearth.com
435.286.3203
Mohammad Rahbari
Position: Vice President
Company : BioLiNE
Mo is a co-founder of BioLiNE Corporation a manufacturer of fulvic acids. He is a process engineer with more than fifteen 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.
Contact Information:
mrahbari@biolinecorp.ca
519.495.9808
David Chinn
Position: Secretary-Treasurer
Company: Huma, Inc
David is the Vice President of Corporate Compliance for Huma®, Inc. Through company-owned humate mineral rights, Huma sources raw materials to create an extensive range of liquid, dry, and water soluble humic-based products that stimulate beneficial microbial activity for premium crops, healthy soil, and clean water. David 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, Mr. Chinn 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 currently serves as HPTA’s Secretary/Treasurer.
Contact Information:
Dr. Fernando Rosario-Ortiz
Position : HPTA ex officio Science Advisor
Company : University of Colorado
Dr. Fernando L. Rosario-Ortiz is a Professor and Director of the Environmental Engineering Program at the University of Colorado Boulder. Dr. Rosario received his BS and MS in Chemistry from the University of Puerto Rico and the California Institute of Technology, respectively. He received his doctoral degree from UCLA in environmental science and engineering in 2006. His current research focuses on environmental photochemistry, impact of watershed perturbations on water quality and characterization of organic matter in different environments.
Contact Information:
Ben Pease
Position : HPTA At Large Member
Company : The Andersons Plant Nutrient Group
Dr. Ben Pease has designed and implemented studies to measure the impact of humates for years. In his time as a golf course superintendent, he utilized humates to maximize his courses’ turf health. As a research agronomist at Iowa State University, he studied the role humates can play in lessening nitrogen requirements while maintaining turf quality, color, and overall health. As PhD Agronomist for The Andersons Plant Nutrient Group, his focus on golf, sports turf, lawn & landscape, and horticulture applications allow him to further humate research while helping to design technology-enhanced, humate-based products helping to deliver carbon more efficiently while building healthier soil and stronger plants. He is currently a member of many local and national turfgrass end-user organizations.
Contact Information:
ben_pease@andersonsinc.com
515.343.6705
Jeff Sangalli
Position: HPTA Member At Large
Company : Monty’s Plant Food
Jeff Sangalli has spent nearly 30-years in the areas of product development, supply chain and logistics, manufacturing, and organizational leadership. Jeff was a product engineer for General Electric, managing parts suppliers for various appliance lines. He then joined Ford Motor Corporation as a production manager at Ford’s largest heavy truck production facility. His passion for semiconductor manufacturing of MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) devices was realized when he joined Lexmark International. He spent 13-years in various leadership roles including Global Quality Manager, North American Inkjet Printer Assembly and Customization Manager, Global Printer Supply Manager, Product Development Manager for new Inkjet printhead technology, and Business Unit Strategy Manager. Jeff’s work at Lexmark resulted in over $1B in supplies revenue and multiple awards from key suppliers like Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Dell.
In 2009, Jeff joined the ownership team of OrganoCat LLC. as Vice President, General Manager, where he learned Humic Substance Science and Technology from Dr. Alexander Shulgin. It was in the process of developing the sales and marketing materials that he developed a passion and deep appreciation for humic substances. In 2018, Jeff was named CEO of Monty’s Plant Food Company where he has led the company though rapid growth including a re-branding of the company; corporate strategy and direction; P&L and cash management; executive oversight of the Research and Development, Product Development, International Development, and marketing teams; board member; and change agent.
Jeff has an M.B.A. from Xavier University (Williams College of Business & Administration), and a Master of (Electrical) Engineering from the University of Louisville (Speed Scientific School). Jeff holds five U.S. patents.
Contact Information:
Jeff Sangalli
JSangalli@
www.montysplantfood.com
HPTA
Membership
HPTA Members
