Contact the Advancement Team

A proud Cal Poly alumnus, Russ Kabaker joined the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences as the assistant dean of advancement and external relations in June 2014. His focus is to provide a seamless and coordinated program of outreach that fosters strong relationships with internal and external partners, enhancing support for the college and its many disciplines.

Prior to joining Cal Poly, Kabaker had an extensive agribusiness management career at Bayer CropScience Vegetable Seeds, where he was responsible for sales and marketing for the Americas, Australia and New Zealand for various segments within the produce industry. Prior to that, Kabaker worked for the ag operations division of Bakersfield, California-based Grimmway Farms.

Liaison for Agribusiness, Animal Science, BioResource and Agricultural Engineering, Plant Sciences, Strawberry Center, The Grimm Family Center for Organic Production and Research

Tim Northrop joined the college in September 2017. Prior to joining Cal Poly, Northrop worked at Yale University, as the director for development and alumni services at the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. Prior to Yale, he was the Connecticut state director for the Trust for Public Land, where he helped conserve open space, preserve farmland and create new parks. He also served as an inland fisheries volunteer with the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone, West Africa. Northrup earned a bachelor’s degree in human biology from Stanford University and a master’s degree in environmental management from Yale. 

Liaison for Food Science and Nutrition, Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences, Swanton Pacific Ranch

Erica Nordby joined the college in March 2020 after a 15-year career in fundraising. Prior to Cal Poly, Nordby worked in nonprofit fundraising and development, including at several leading environmental organizations such as Earthjustice, The Trust for Public Land and Foundation for National Progress. She earned a bachelor's degree in political, legal and economic analysis at Mills College.
 
Liaison for Agricultural Education and Communication, Experience Industry Management, and Wine and Viticulture

Abigail McCullough joined the college in December 2022. McCullough comes to Cal Poly with 15 years of experience in fundraising and program development. She earned her bachelor's degree in anthropology from California State University, Sacramento and began her career in fundraising with Boy Scouts of America. Most recently, she worked at UC Davis as an assistant director of development.
 
 

Anya Rehon joined Cal Poly in January 2023. Rehon oversees gift processing, reporting, event planning and other duties that support the advancement team. Prior to Cal Poly, she worked in fundraising and communications for the newspaper Willamette Week in Portland, Oregon. Rehon earned a bachelor's degree in environmental policy from UC Davis.