Advisors
Advisors include sustainability and cotton-growing experts.
Marty Matlock is executive director of the University of Arkansas Resiliency Center/Professor of Ecological Engineering. A professor in the university’s Bio-logical and Agricultural Engineering Department, he coordinates academic, research, outreach, and facilities efforts in sustainable and resilient systems across campus. His interdisciplinary work has been recognized by agriculture, engineering, architecture, landscape architecture, and sustainable design organizations.
Marty serves on EPA’s Science Advisory Committee for Agriculture and as sustainability science advisor for 12 food and agricultural product companies. Matlock, who received his Ph.D. in Biosystems Engineering from Oklahoma State University, is a registered professional engineer, a board-certified environmental engineer, and a certified ecosystem designer.
Marc Lewkowitz is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Tempe, Ariz.-based promotional and marketing organization for the American Pima cotton growers, and has been since 2016. He began his career at a family-owned gin in Paraguay and has worked as a trader and manager for firms including ContiCotton, Merrill Lynch, Itochu Cotton and Anderson Clayton/Queensland Cotton. The business has taken him from posts in Paraguay to Australia, Mexico and the United States.
Marc has served as an advisor to the National Cotton Council’s export promotions arm, Cotton Council International. A Toronto, Canada native, he is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario and the Memphis Cotton Exchange International Cotton School.
Liz Hershfield is the Executive Director of Cotton Council International (CCI), the export and promotion arm of the National Cotton Council of America (NCC). A fashion industry veteran and sustainability expert, she brings over two decades of leadership to the role.
Hershfield has specialized expertise in sustainability, global sourcing, product development and end-to-end supply chain strategy, alongside extensive experience with U.S. cotton. Throughout her distinguished career, Hershfield has spearheaded supply chain and sustainability initiatives for globally established brands such as J.Crew, Madewell, Bonobos and Old Navy. She also founded Green-ish, a consultancy that helps businesses navigate the complexities of environmental, social and governance (ESG) and supply chain management.
Her contributions to sustainable fashion have earned her widespread recognition, including the prestigious Textile Exchange Ryan Young Climate+ Award for her pioneering regenerative cotton program supporting U.S. cotton farmers. Hershfield was also honored with The Lead’s “The Direct 60” award and named to the Rivet 50 Index for her leadership in the denim industry.
At CCI, Hershfield oversees efforts to promote U.S. cotton fiber, yarn and manufactured products under the COTTON USA brand. With operations in more than 50 countries and nearly 70 years of global trade expertise, CCI promotes U.S. cotton as the preferred fiber for mills, manufacturers, brands, retailers and consumers around the world.
Jesse is Cotton Incorporated’s vice president and chief sustainability officer. Previously, he was the assistant director at the Center for Sustain-ability at Duke University, where he collaborated on research projects spanning many of the university’s divisions. Jesse holds a Ph.D. in Forest Biomaterials from North Carolina State University and has established himself as a leader in cellulosic fiber sustainability. He has led research and consulting in aspects of product sustainability, biomaterials, biochemicals, and bioenergy. His research has produced numerous publications, sustainability and chemical and engineering tools; and certifications for clients including the USDA and the Department of Energy.
Joël Mertens is the Director of Higg Product Tools at Cascale. He is responsible for managing the Higg Product Tools, including the Higg Product Module, Higg Material Sustainability Index (MSI), and MSI Contributor. He is based in British Columbia, Canada.
Before joining Cascale team, Joël was the Manager of Product Engineering and Compliance at Mountain Equipment Co-op where he worked on embedding product sustainability and product safety compliance into the development process. Among these responsibilities, he developed Preferred Fiber Strategy and Supplier Environmental Assurance programs for the MEC label. Joël holds a Master’s degree in Materials Engineering and a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of British Columbia.
Deepika Mishra is the Standards and Data Lead for the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, acting as a consultant for the program. As an accomplished scientist and data analytics specialist, Deepika leads on analysis of the Trust Protocol’s environmental metrics. She collaborates extensively with agricultural research institutions, conservation groups, and food and trade organizations, playing a vital role in the establishment of sustainability and social standards within the industry.
Deepika earned her Ph.D. in plant and soil science from Texas Tech University, specializing in cotton breeding and genetics. With over a decade of experience, she has spearheaded diverse agricultural projects in both India and the United States, covering crops like cotton, cowpeas, castor, sesame, guar, guayule, tomato, and field pennycress (cover crop). Her contributions also include the development and release of multiple cowpea varieties in India during her M.S. studies in vegetable breeding and genetics.
