Loren L. Speziale, Deputy Managing Partner with Gross McGinley, LLP, was recently appointed to the Board of Directors for the Rodale Institute. An experienced business and real estate attorney, Loren joins a passionate group of leaders to further the organization’s mission to expand organic agriculture by providing research and education to farmers and the community.Loren counsels small to mid-sized businesses on business, real estate, and employment matters including workplace issues, policies and procedures, contracts, business structure, sales and acquisitions, and commercial real estate. She also works with financial institutions on commercial loan transactions and assists private equity firms with the acquisition and handling of distressed loans, from performing the upfront due diligence through acquisition and strategic resolutions. Loren is an active leader in the business community, serving as President for Women’s Resources of Monroe County Board of Directors. She is a board member for the Chamber’s Small Business Council as well as the Easton Area Chamber of Commerce. She also currently serves as Chairperson of the City of Bethlehem Human Relations Commission. Loren earned her J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law in 2002 and her B.S. from Pennsylvania State University in 1997.The Rodale Institute provides education and training opportunities for farmers looking to learn and convert to organic methods. The organization runs several research projects aimed at showing the impact, effectiveness, and efficiency of organic farming in addition to its health benefits and low environmental impact. The Rodale Institute operates a 333-acre, certified organic farm located outside of Kutztown, Pennsylvania. The farm provides state-of-the-art facilities for organic research projects and educational programs, including research labs, classrooms, apple orchard, compost yard, and more.