Sheryl Cowan in

Sheryl Cowan

Sharpshooter · DISC type DC
Interim CEO at Open to work
📍 Falls Church, Virginia, United States

Sheryl Cowan is a global development executive with over 30 years of experience in agriculture and food security, including more than a decade as a Senior Vice President at CNFA. Colleagues describe her as a passionate, knowledgeable, and supportive leader. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Bucknell University and is currently pursuing a second Masters degree in Agribusiness.

Outside of work, Sheryl is an avid cyclist and participates in charity rides to support mental health awareness and suicide prevention with NAMI New Hampshire. She is also personally invested in wellness topics, subscribing to newsletters like "Food is Health" to stay informed on cutting-edge information.

Unique fact: Sheryl began her distinguished international career as an Agriculture Peace Corps volunteer and is fluent in French.

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Experience
15 Years
Current Role
Interim CEO
Job Level
Leadership
Location
Falls Church, Virginia, United States
Personality Overview

How Sheryl shows up

ROI Driven
Precise But Practical
Fast But Analytical

They like to stay in control of the negotiation or defining of the terms. They respond well to strong and respectful communication. They prefer to move quickly, and expect the same from others.

Priorities

Topics Sheryl cares about

Sustainable Food Systems
Actively engages with how the private sector and farmers can collaborate to scale solutions for more sustainable food systems, as shown by her recent attendance at an Agri-Pulse event.
Global Food Security
Her entire career has been dedicated to strengthening food security and livelihoods for vulnerable populations across more than 15 countries in Africa and Asia.
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Career

Work history

4-2025
Interim CEO
Open to work
12-2020 - 3-2025
Senior Vice President, Programs
Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA)
6-2015 - 12-2020
Vice President, Programs
Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA)
2-2015 - 6-2015
Food Security and Livelihood Technical Lead
Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA)
9-2013 - 2-2015
Deputy Director/Acting Director, Sustainable Food and Agriculture Systems
International Relief and Development (IRD)
In the press

Media appearances

No media yetWe could not find public media appearances for this person.
Education
1986 - 1990
Bachelor of Arts
Bucknell University
8-2023 - 12-2024
Graduate Certificate
Delaware Valley University
Social presence
in
Behavioral profile

DISC profile (public)

D

Dominance (D)

Dominance (D) reflects how goal and task oriented a person is, and their ability to accomplish results irrespective of how demanding the circumstances might be. Those scoring high tend to be motivated by winning, competition, and success.

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