Shenandoah Growers taps new chief science officer

Tessa Pocock has been named Shenandoah Growers Inc.’s new chief science officer effective immediately, coming to the Rockingham County-based indoor agriculture company from San Francisco-based Plenty Unlimited Inc., where she was director of lighting optimization.

Pocock, who holds a Ph.D. in environmental stress biology and master’s degrees in plant biochemistry and biology from Western University in Ontario, Canada, replaces Robert Hoffman, who is now Shenandoah Growers’ CSO emeritus, the company announced Tuesday. She will report to Chief Technology Officer Ulf Jönsson and serve on Shenandoah Growers’ executive leadership team.

“Tessa is widely regarded as one of the world’s foremost lighting and plant biology experts. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome her to our proven management team of biologists, technologists and operators,” Shenandoah Growers President Philip Karp said in a statement. “As Shenandoah Growers enters our next phase of transformational growth, Tessa will bring an invaluable perspective, expertise and vision on plant-driven intelligent grow systems to ensure we are well-positioned to capitalize on unmet market demand for sustainable, accessible and organic herbs and produce.”

The company also recently hired Cameron Geiger as chief operating officer and provides organic herbs and leafy greens to more than 18,000 retailers nationwide. Pocock and Jönsson will be focusing on refining lighting technology to boost efficiency and lower costs, as well as expanding the company’s IP portfolio, according to the company’s statement.