If you are a paid member of USHBA - you will receive a SECURE link from Election Buddy. This is a 3rd party service for fair elections. Reach out to our election committee: president@ushba.org - Tom@ushba.org - Alex@ushba.org - secretary@ushba.org for any questions or concerns. Thank you for participating.
-
'Meet the Candidates' Sunday - Jan. 25th at 3pm (PST) 5PM (CST) 6pm (EST) via Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/99432259082
-
Voting Closes: Sunday, February 1
-
Administrative Tabulation Period: February 2–3
(48-hour review and verification period) -
Election Results Announced: Wednesday, February 4 (National Hemp Day)
2 candidates running for Vice-President (Select 1)
2 candidates running for Secretary (Select 1)
There are 8 candidates running for three (3) open Board Member at Large seats. (Select 3)
Henry Gage, Jr.
Candidate for Vice President
Henry Gage Jr. brings over 50 years of experience bridging technical systems with community-driven development. Based in Kingston, New York, he serves as CEO and co-founder of Voices for Progress and Maayadata LLC. His career spans leadership roles at HP, Cisco Systems, and Morgan Stanley, developing expertise in financial systems architecture, data migration, and regulatory compliance.
As former President of the US Hemp Building Association and Certification Director, Henry is a member of the ICC-11 and co-led the successful effort to gain hemp-lime's inclusion in the ICC Residential Building Code—a milestone achievement in sustainable construction. He completed New York State's first hemp-lime residential retrofit and was the first in New York to be trained in spray-applied hemp-lime. Under the Build Green Now banner, he helped present New York's Industrial Hemp Roadmap and currently serves on the Cornell Bioeconomy Advisory Board, advancing a $2 billion per year insulation retrofit market opportunity in New York State while supporting legislation to define a state-specific hemp cultivar for New York's climate zones and soil types.
His work with elected officials has secured legislative and budget support at the county level, including Ulster County's first county-sponsored hemp-lime event:"Fields of Opportunity - December 9, 2025." Through collaboration with Cornell University, he has established strong partnerships demonstrating his ability to build strategic relationships essential for industry advancement.
Why I'm Running for Vice President I am seeking the Vice President position to continue advancing the hemp building industry through systematic growth and strategic partnerships. My experience gaining ICC approval, securing legislative support, and building university collaborations positions me to help USHBA expand its influence while maintaining its commitment to education, certification, and industry standards. I will focus on strengthening regional partnerships, developing funding strategies for industry advancement, and creating scalable systems that support member organizations and the broader hemp building community across North America.
Amanda Martin
Current Vice President, USHBA
Candidate for Re-Election as Vice President
Amanda Martin-Behrendtsen is a general contractor, regenerative building consultant, and founder of Renewal Revolution, a social enterprise focused on natural and bio-based construction systems. She serves as Vice President and Region 9 Leader of the U.S. Hemp Building Association and is actively involved in advancing hemp-lime and other natural materials through education, workforce development, and code adoption efforts. With a background in healthcare and hands-on experience across agricultural, processing, and construction sectors, she works at the intersection of industry, policy, and practical implementation. Amanda is committed to building a credible, professional, and scalable hemp building industry grounded in technical integrity and collaboration.
I am running for Vice President of the U.S. Hemp Building Association to continue advancing USHBA as a credible, practical leader in hemp-based construction nationwide. During my previous term, I have worked to connect growers, processors, builders, educators, and policymakers, helping translate real-world challenges into actionable progress on education, workforce development, and code acceptance.
If re-elected, I will focus on strengthening regional coordination, supporting standards and supply-chain readiness, and scaling hemp building from demonstration projects to viable, replicable implementation. My goal is to ensure USHBA remains grounded in integrity, collaboration, and real-world application as the industry grows.
Ingrid Fay
Current Board Member at Large
Candidate for Secretary
Ingrid Fay is a current board member of the U.S. Hemp Building Association with nearly two years of service. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Interior Design and brings a background that bridges design, natural building, and community engagement. She is passionate about the potential of hemp in homes, schools, workplaces, and institutions. She believes in using thoughtful process, collaboration, and clear communication to support the long-term growth of the USHBA and the hemp building industry.
I am running for Secretary because I believe the USHBA is at a point where clear communication, continuity, and strong internal processes are essential to supporting our members and sustaining long-term growth. After nearly two years of board service, I have seen where we are effective and where improved structure and follow-through could better serve the organization. I see the Secretary role as more than record-keeping. It’s a position that helps preserve institutional knowledge, ensure transparency, and support collaboration across leadership, committees, and members. If elected, I hope to strengthen how information is documented and shared, help members feel informed and included, and support a steady, respectful culture that allows the USHBA and the hemp building community to grow together.
Laura Franklin
Candidate for Secretary
Laura Franklin has 20+ years experience conceiving, developing, and managing creative products across a spectrum of industries. She has led product development teams both domestically and internationally, including in South Africa, India, China, and the Philippines. Over her career, Laura Franklin has shown a proven track record of developing strategic relationships with influencers and innovators. They gravitate towards her creative skills, efficient management, and, most importantly, her big-picture vision for the industry as a tool equally good for improving lives and increasing profits.
Joshua Blackwell
Board of Directors – At-Large Candidate
Joshua, a lifelong farmer, has dedicated his life to agriculture. After earning a Bachelor of Science degree, he spent over 15 years serving the public while simultaneously managing a thriving farming operation. Throughout his career, he has successfully managed over 30 employees and overseen budgets exceeding $2 million. Driven by a deep sense of community and a belief in the potential of every individual, Joshua has always been committed to giving back. He envisions a world where everyone has the opportunity to achieve greatness, whether it’s becoming the next President, finding a cure for cancer, or accomplishing countless other remarkable feats. His ultimate goal is to provide safety and security to his fellow human beings, enabling them to thrive and build a better future. In this new chapter of his life, Joshua aims to make a lasting impact by providing housing that stands the test of time. He envisions a world where families can raise children in healthy, secure homes, free from the vulnerabilities of current housing. By designing homes that can withstand natural disasters, Joshua hopes to offer a sanctuary that ensures the well-being of future generations.
I am running for this position for a couple of reasons. The first is that I would like to help the association spread education about the advantages of building with hemp, while also express that the association is working to standardized the building process so builders have a baseline to go off of. This leads to increased consumer confidence while also allowing us as an association to collaborate and refine our processes based on our experience.
I also have been and will continue to work with local government to explore this alternative building solution, and discuss the numerous advantages it can have from the community perspective. Since this needs to be a brief statement, I won’t elaborate in further detail, but I have lots to share in this respect.
Suneeta Lara Eisenberg
Board of Directors – At-Large Candidate
Suneeta Eisenberg M.Ed is Founder & Executive Director of Whatcom Waves, a women’s empowerment organization that seeks climate, racial & social justice through sports. Whatcom Waves' vision created the first HEMP community land trust in Washington state (April 2025) using a "just transition" framework. Suneeta is an honorable mention winner at the U.S Department of Energy's 2018 "Innovation" award. Past educational work history intersects with K-12 classroom instruction, non-profit direct service work, coaching former foster youth at higher institutions with the Washington Passport Network and athletic coaching for basketball, track, tennis and soccer. Suneeta sat on the Climate Impact Advisory Council to Whatcom County and commenced as vice-chair of the City of Bellingham's Community Development Advisory Board February 2024.
Her graduate degree focused on early childhood education and outdoor learning experiences through garden immersion. She cultivates and land stewards a .92 acre regenerative/permaculture farm near Lummi traditional-unceded lands. She is one of two female planning commissioners and has a strong foundation is food sovereignty, food justice, food waste streams for on-site composting and works in her community to educate others in the neighborhood and local schools. She enjoys cooking, baking, dancing, traveling and being around animals. She will be married to her amazing partner for a decade this August and her favorite places to visit are the Canary Islands, Iceland, Tasmania, South Africa, and New Zealand.
I am running to support the goals, visions and to support the mission of the USHBA. I am a community educator, learning policy and have dipped toes into the grant writing world. I'm an athlete (semi-pro was the highest level) so I collaborate as a team/systems thinker AND I can compete to my fullest abilities to bring out the best in others. I am running for this position because I believe in helping region 10 grow and can connect the USHBA to the network I've been building as a planning commissioner and former US dept of Energy "innovation" award winner for the 2017 blue solar house (which is on the website at www.nwllcc.com)
Joel Holton
Board of Directors – At-Large Candidate
.png)
Joel B. Holton is our Founder and CEO. He has over 15 years of experience in the construction and property restoration industry. Joel’s journey began six months before Hurricane Katrina decimated the greater New Orleans area. This thrust him into the world of residential and commercial construction, remediation, and restoration. "As a Louisiana-licensed home improvement and mold remediation contractor with certifications from the EPA and OSHA, I've seen firsthand how extreme weather-related events impact some of our greatest assets – our homes and buildings. I wanted to develop housing and construction materials that would lower energy costs for residents, provide better health outcomes for occupants, and be more resilient to extreme weather events and frequent storms. This led me to create Gro Enterprises Inc. In 2022 I introduced innovative industrial hemp-based building materials to our local housing and construction market”
I am running for this position because I know and have invested in the future of bio based materials and how these innovative materials can impact the Gulf South and the world.
Shawn Ledig
Board of Directors – At-Large Candidate
I’m a builder, engineer, and licensed industrial hemp grower and seed distributor based in South Louisiana, with more than two decades of experience delivering complex construction projects and developing sustainable building systems across the Gulf South. I’m the founder and CEO of Delta AgroFiber Solutions and Good Delta Biochar, where my work focuses on vertically integrated “seed-to-structure” hemp applications, including fiber production, hempcrete construction, biochar, and carbon-negative building systems.
My background spans structural engineer & construction, delegated design coordination, and large-scale project execution, giving me firsthand experience navigating the technical, regulatory, and contractual challenges that currently limit hemp building adoption in the United States. I work directly with engineers, architects, growers, manufacturers, and public agencies to translate hemp-based materials from concept into code-compliant, buildable solutions.
As a certified industrial hemp grower, I’m actively involved in expanding domestic fiber supply chains and developing grower buyback and cooperative models that support reliable material availability for builders. My focus is on practical standards, constructability, and scalability is to ensure hemp building systems can compete in real-world markets rather than remain niche or experimental.
I’m seeking a board position with the US Hemp Building Association to help strengthen alignment between growers, designers, and builders; advance technical standards and code acceptance; and support projects that demonstrate hemp’s viability at commercial scale. I bring an execution-focused mindset, a collaborative approach, and a strong commitment to moving the hemp building industry from advocacy into durable, widespread implementation.
Why he's running:
To help advance the practical adoption, standardization, and scalability of hemp-based building systems in the United States. As a grower, engineer, and contractor/builder actively working across the full supply chain, from cultivation and processing to engineered materials and construction, I bring a ground-level, implementation-focused perspective to the board. If elected, my goal is to help strengthen the bridge between growers, manufacturers, designers, and regulators by supporting clear standards, code acceptance, and reliable market pathways. I hope to contribute to expanding education, improving technical credibility, and accelerating real-world projects that demonstrate hemp’s economic, environmental, and structural viability. Ultimately, I want to help position USHBA as the leading voice driving hemp building from niche innovation into mainstream construction.
Samantha Marino
Board of Directors – At-Large Candidate
I am Samantha Marino I am co-founder of Homeland Hempcrete. I have worked on various cast-in-place projects, I am Ereasy certified and now focus on our companies SHIP (structural hemp insulated panels). I still have another job as a financial advising office manager as well as a mother who loves to incorporate healthy habits into all areas of my family's life.
Why she's running:
To help continue to spread hemp education and engagement. The more people know about hemp the more awareness and legitimacy we can bring to the hemp building industry
Adelaida N. Vazquez
Board of Directors – At-Large Candidate
.jpg)
Adelaida N. Vazquez (Hemp PrincessA) a hemp building materials subject matter specialist with over six years of applied experience in hemp-lime binder systems, retrofit wall assemblies, and sustainable building education. I serve as the U.S. Hemp Building Association Regional Leader for Puerto Rico and the Northeast, working at the intersection of material science, workforce training, and code-adjacent implementation. My focus is on scaling hemp-lime retrofits and full builds through data collection, municipal collaboration, and standards-aligned best practices.
Why she's running:
If elected I see myself being able to go further in the higher levels within my region to open possibilities, working opportunities and write these procedures of HEMP building and benefits.
Heather Sage
Board of Directors – At-Large Candidate
Heather Sage is a Native American woman dedicated to providing leadership that supports the long-term well-being of all people, the planet and future generations. She serves as Vice Chairwoman of her tribe's Economic Development Corporation, where she helps guide the development of tribally owned sustainable enterprises. Her work reflects a commitment to regenerative systems, community resilience, and responsible innovation, including emerging initiatives in hemp processing and hemp-based construction. Guided by Indigenous values of stewardship and collective responsibility, Heather brings a thoughtful, future-focused perspective to leadership, rooted in service, collaboration, and care for people and planet.
Why she's running:
I am running for Board Member at Large with the USHBA because I believe hemp-based construction can play a critical role in addressing some of our most urgent challenges in the world: housing resilience, climate adaptation, and wildfire mitigation. As a tribal economic development leader, I am committed to helping guide the responsible growth of hemp-based building systems as our Tribe begins its journey into hempcrete and related initiatives. If elected, my goal is to support the advancement of hempcrete as a viable building material across California, particularly in fire-impacted communities, and to help position hemp-based construction as a first line of defense against future wildfires. I am dedicated to fostering collaboration among tribes, builders, researchers, policymakers, and communities to ensure these systems are accessible and developed with care, integrity, and long-term impact.
Luis Vega 3rd
Board of Directors – At-Large Candidate
.png)
With 10+ successful years of Food Service management experience investing in the cannabis industry was the natural thing to do. Growing teams, bringing products to market, managing funding and evangelizing the benefits of America's next big GDP contributor has been more than engaging. I have operated in Urban, Suburban and Rural campuses and states alike for more than a decade stemming from medical cannabis to the new recreational markets that approach. I am also the co host to Cannabis Corner.
Why he is running:
This sector has been a life work and passion of mine.