Our Leadership
Team

Kathleen Valiasek serves as President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Financial Officer of Local Bounti since March 2025.  As CEO, Ms. Valiasek is responsible for the overall strategic direction and performance of the company, while driving sustainable growth and shareholder value.  Prior to her appointment as CEO, Ms. Valiasek served as President and Chief Financial Officer of Local Bounti, positions she held since June 2024 and April 2021, respectively.

Ms. Valiasek oversaw all operational, innovation, commercial, and marketing activities while leading the company's financial organization. Under her leadership, the company has achieved significant operational efficiencies across its growing facilities network and secured strategic financing relationships that have facilitated the company's expansion efforts.

Ms. Valiasek brings over 30 years of executive leadership experience in driving profitable growth across public and private companies in the biotech, retail, telecommunications, real estate, and healthcare sectors. Previously, Ms. Valiasek served as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Business Officer at Amyris, Inc. (formerly a public company traded on Nasdaq), prior to her engagement as Chief Financial Officer of the Local Bounti’s predecessor from April 2021 to November 2021.

Ms. Valiasek founded Lenox Group, Inc. in 1996, where she provided strategic and financial consulting services to Fortune 500 companies and emerging growth firms. Her work included managing complex M&A transactions, IPOs, spin-offs, and capital raises for clients such as Albertsons, CVS, Gap, Kaiser Permanente, and Softbank.

Craig Hurlbert serves as Executive Chairman of Local Bounti since March 2025 and has been a member of its Board of Directors since November 2021. As Executive Chairman, Mr. Hurlbert supports the executive leadership team by providing expertise, experience, and leadership to guide the company toward achieving its objectives. Prior to his transition to Executive Chairman, Mr. Hurlbert was Chief Executive Officer since December 2023, the company's Co-Chief Executive Officer from November 2021 to June 2023 and Senior Vice President of Strategy from June 2023 to December 2023.

Mr. Hurlbert co-founded Local Bounti in August 2018, bringing his extensive experience in scaling growth companies to the controlled environment agriculture sector. Prior to Local Bounti, he co-founded and served as Managing Partner at BrightMark Partners, LLC from January 2014 to March 2021, where he led the firm's investments in venture and growth-phase companies, providing both capital and strategic resources to accelerate their development.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Hurlbert held several executive leadership roles at TAS Energy, a leading provider of high-efficiency and modular cooling and energy systems. As President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board, he led the company's expansion in the data center, commercial, industrial, and power generation markets. His previous experience includes leadership positions at General Electric Company (NYSE: GE) and North American Energy Services.

In addition to serving on the boards of Local Bounti and TAS Energy, Mr. Hurlbert previously served as Chairman of the Board at Clearas Water Recovery, a company utilizing patented, sustainable, and proprietary technology to solve high-nutrient wastewater challenges in the municipal and industrial water markets.

Mike Schaal serves as Chief Operating Officer at Local Bounti, overseeing systemwide operations across all facilities. As COO, Mr. Schaal is accountable for farm profitability, product quality, operational efficiency, employee engagement, and facility management across the company's network of controlled environment agriculture facilities. Under his leadership at Local Bounti, Mr. Schaal has successfully delivered two greenfield farms and one expansion, significantly increasing revenue. He built and leads an in-house construction team that has achieved substantial cost savings in facility development and expansion initiatives.

Prior to joining Local Bounti, Mr. Schaal served as Chief Construction Officer at Providence Health & Services, where he managed $600 million in annual construction projects across 50 hospitals in five states. At Amazon, he held the position of Senior Manager of Pre-Construction for North America, overseeing sort center development with project budgets exceeding $2 billion annually. Mr. Schaal holds a degree in Business Management from California State University, Fresno.

Tony Hughes serves as Senior Vice President of Finance Chief Accounting Officer at Local Bounti since June 2022, where he oversees the company's accounting operations, financial reporting, internal controls, and leads initiatives to streamline financial operations. Tony brings 30 years of experience with a proven track record in building, leading and advising companies through growth, expansion, restructuring, debt/equity financings and M&A transactions.

Prior to joining Local Bounti, Mr. Hughes served as Chief Accounting Officer at Amyris, Inc. (formerly a public company traded on Nasdaq) from May 2018 to June 2022. Previously, he held the position of Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer at ServiceSource International, Inc., Vice President, Corporate Controller at CRC Health Group, and Senior Manager at Ernst & Young.

Mr. Hughes holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Accounting from the University of North Texas and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Margaret McCandless serves as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Local Bounti, positions she has held since February 2022 and March 2022, respectively. Ms. McCandless oversees all legal and compliance matters for the company, including corporate governance, securities law compliance, and strategic transactions.

Prior to joining Local Bounti, Ms. McCandless served as Chief Compliance Officer, Assistant General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary at Royal Gold, Inc. (NYSE: RGLD) from January 2020 to January 2022. Previously, she held progressive leadership roles at Intrepid Potash, Inc. (NYSE: IPI), serving as Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary from January 2015 to December 2019, and Assistant General Counsel and Assistant Secretary from January 2012 to January 2015. From 2004 through 2011, she served as Associate General Counsel–Securities, Disclosure, and Corporate Governance for CenturyLink, Inc. and Qwest Communications International Inc. (both former public companies). She began her legal career as an associate at the law firms of Hogan Lovells LLP and Cooley LLP.

Ms. McCandless holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Wisconsin Law School and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She serves on the Board of Directors of Denver Children's Home.

Corrie Hutchens serves as Vice President of Marketing at Local Bounti since March 2017. Ms. Hutchens leads all branding, marketing communications, and product development efforts for the company, while driving sustainability-focused innovation and aligning marketing strategies with ESG goals to enhance brand growth and competitive positioning.

Prior to joining Local Bounti, Ms. Hutchens held senior marketing roles at Little Tikes, Ergobaby, and Nestlé USA, where she successfully launched hundreds of products, developed impactful marketing campaigns, and delivered significant revenue growth across multiple consumer product categories.

Ms. Hutchens holds a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree in Communications from the University of Wisconsin.

Alexis Barrett serves as Vice President of National Accounts Sales at Local Bounti since 2023, leading strategic sales initiatives and key retail partnerships nationwide. Ms. Barrett oversees national accounts, sales operations, and customer service, while playing a critical role in shaping the company's growth strategy through new product development, innovative promotional campaigns, and pricing optimization.

Prior to joining Local Bounti, Ms. Barrett held leadership roles at Jack Link's Protein Snacks and General Electric, where she managed multi-million-dollar portfolios, led high-performing sales teams, and secured transformative contracts with national retailers.

Ms. Barrett holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing with a Minor in Communications from the University of Idaho and completed an advanced management program at the General Electric Global Learning Institute. Ms. Barrett serves as a member of the International Fresh Produce Association's (IFPA) Marketing & Communications Committee.

Baltazar Garcia serves as Vice President of Sales at Local Bounti, where he focuses on new business development, exploring partnerships nationwide, and driving sales growth. Mr. Garcia oversees sales strategy, budget management, and team coaching while fostering strong client relationships to support the company's strategic direction and financial performance.

Prior to joining Local Bounti, Mr. Garcia served as Vice President of Sales at Hollandia Produce, where he led the team to achieve 100% sales growth despite evolving market challenges. He also played a key role in launching major programs and partnerships with major retailers.

Mr. Garcia serves as a board member of the Fresh Produce and Floral Council (FPFC), where he has chaired the FPFC Expo and serves as a mentor for its apprentice program. He has also supported career development initiatives through the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA).

Surjit Gill serves as Vice President of Food Safety, Quality Assurance and Supply Chain Operations at Local Bounti, where he leads the company's food safety, quality assurance, operations, and supply chain initiatives. Mr. Gill drives strategic alignment through the sales and operations planning process, providing clarity on product supply, change management, and financial targets while overseeing the commissioning of the company’s purpose-built facilities to meet customer demand and support strategic growth.

Prior to joining Local Bounti, Mr. Gill held leadership positions at The Clorox Company, where he managed technical and supply chain solutions, led key strategic projects, and drove operational efficiencies across business units. At Amyris, he led global supply chain operations for consumer and ingredient business units, scaling new biosynthetic chemicals from lab to market for global distribution across consumer, industrial, and healthcare markets.

Mr. Gill holds degrees in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Organizational Communication from UC Davis and San Jose State, along with executive education in Supply Chain Management, Operations, and Entrepreneurship from Stanford. He is a member of the US Center for Advanced Manufacturing.

Kara Bailey serves as Vice President of Human Resources at Local Bounti since 2021, where she leads the company's HR strategy and ensures alignment with business objectives. Ms. Bailey oversees talent acquisition, employee development, compensation and benefits, performance management, and HR compliance while fostering an inclusive work culture that supports Local Bounti's growth initiatives and sustainability mission.

Prior to joining Local Bounti, Ms. Bailey served as Director of Human Resources at Peabody Energy, a Fortune 500 company.  Previously, she held the position of Senior Manager, Employee Engagement at Lassonde Pappas, where she supported six manufacturing sites across the US. Ms. Bailey holds a Master of Science in Human Resources Development from Villanova University and a Bachelor of Science in Human Resources Management from the University of North Carolina - Asheville. She is a SHRM Certified Professional and serves as State Director of Wyoming SHRM.