Gina Sheets

Gina is a Senior Fellow at the Sagamore Institute, Indianapolis Indiana, working in African Initiatives and developing the Global Consortium Portfolio. She and her husband lived in Liberia, West Africa for five years building Liberia's first collegiate ran Agriculture Research Center on the campus of Liberia International Christian College. She served the college as Vice President, the Administrator, and instructor of agriculture, business, math, and development courses. In addition to her work with the mission and the college, Gina served as a coordinator with ACDI/VOCA on a farmer-to-farmer program, and worked in the interior ("bush") of Liberia extending agriculture education and small business development techniques to the poorest of the poor. Upon returning to the USA Gina was tapped as a Presidential Appointment to be the Chief Innovation Officer to set up the Innovation Center for USDA Rural Development in Washington D.C. Prior to Liberia, Gina was the first appointed Director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) for now Vice-President Mike Pence, then Governor Pence for the State of Indiana. Gina has worked in economic development for over 20 years in state government and local government (Clinton County Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development) on large international deals, small business development, and has owned many small businesses with her husband, including the Indiana farm they still manage. Gina is a member of the Frankfort Rotary Club where she was the first female president and is a Paul Harris Fellow. She serves on the advisory board and webinar instructor for the Indianapolis Global Chamber headquartered in Scottsdale Arizona. She is a member of the Indiana Farm Journal Foundation and the Liberian Studies Association. She is founding member of the NGO, Hope in the Harvest Missions International, operating in Liberia. Gina enjoys reading, writing development polices, and endurance running, (running over 80 miles in one race and finishing as the first place female).