The Food Council Nominating Committee selects and appoints nine representatives for one- and two-year long terms as Montgomery County Food Council Board Members.
Senior Vice President, Legal & Regulatory Affairs and Chief Legal Officer, NCTA – The Internet & Television Association
Rick Chessen is a 30-year resident of Montgomery County who currently lives in Chevy Chase West with his wife Sonia. Chessen works at NCTA - The Internet & Television Association, where he serves as Senior Vice President, Law & Regulatory Policy and Chief Legal Officer. Prior to his current position, Chessen spent over 14 years in public service at the Federal Communications Commission. Chessen also has worked in private practice at several law firms. Chessen holds a J.D. with Honors from Harvard Law School and a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Chessen devotes much of his non-work time to various food-related activities, including his DC restaurant blog Rick Eats DC.
Deputy Director, Maryland Hunger Solutions
Elisabet has ten years of experience as an advocate and project manager in the field of public health nutrition. As Deputy Director of Maryland Hunger Solutions, Elisabet works closely with other local and state advocates, policymakers, and community partners to end hunger and promote well-being across the state of Maryland. Prior to joining Maryland Hunger Solutions, Elisabet was senior research program manager at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, managing a WIC research project from 2020-2022. She also worked for six years as a lobbyist and program manager at the National WIC Association. Elisabet serves on the Manna Food Center Advocacy Task Force, the Farms and Food Access for a Resilient Maryland Foundation Board of Directors and is a founding member of the WIC Access Group. She holds an MPH in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Washington and a BS in Biobehavioral Health from Pennsylvania State University.
Secretary
Researcher at Mathematica
Elisa currently works as a Researcher at Mathematica where she supports research, evaluation, and technical assistance projects related to health equity and community and systems change strategies. Elisa has expertise in the social determinants of health, with an emphasis on food security and food sovereignty and how these issues affect health outcomes among Latin American and Caribbean communities. Before joining Mathematica, Elisa was an Associate at Community Science, a Montgomery County-based research and evaluation organization. Elisa holds a Ph.D. in Sociomedical Sciences from Columbia University and a Master’s in Latin American History from the State University of New York at Albany. She was born and raised in Puerto Rico.
Board Chair
General Manager, Takoma Park Silver Spring Co-Op
Mike grew up in Arlington, VA and is a graduate of the University of Missouri’s School of Agriculture. He began working in natural foods in Brooklyn, NY at Perelandra Natural Foods, an independently owned market opened in 1976. Brooklyn’s natural food scene provided a wealth of opportunities to meet local and independent vendors and learn about the industry. In August 2012 Mike moved back to the DC area and became the Assistant Store Manager and later Store Manager for the newly opened Dawson’s Market in Rockville. Dawson’s was honored for commitment to environmental leadership and cited for inclusive hiring practices. Mike became General Manager of Takoma Park Silver Spring Food Co-op in August 2018. Mike is a graduate of Leadership Montgomery and serves on the board for the Takoma Business Association.
Program Director, Institute for Public Health Innovation
Evelyn has nineteen years of experience as a public health practitioner and researcher and has engaged in a variety of public health efforts ranging from community planning and capacity building to health policy development and advocacy. As a Director at the Institute for Public Health Innovation (IPHI), Evelyn works with a variety of sectors and stakeholders including: executive-level leadership, elected officials, health departments, planning agencies, police departments, funders and community-based organizations to implement policy, systems, and environmental changes aimed at improving the quality of life of the community. Prior to post at IPHI, she has worked at CommonHealth ACTION, CASA Inc. and the Montgomery County Latino Health Initiative. Her professional interests include community development, community engagement, health equity, community organizing and advocacy, food justice and chronic disease prevention. Evelyn earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion from American University and a Master of Public Health from the University of South Carolina.
Treasurer
Founder & Executive Director, Charles Koiner Conservancy for Urban Farming
Kate is the Founder and Executive Director of the Charles Koiner Conservancy for Urban Farming (CKC), which operates at Koiner Farm in downtown Silver Spring. In 2019, CKC permanently protected Koiner Farm under a conservation easement in partnership with the Maryland Environmental Trust. As a former Biology teacher, Kate is passionate about creating engaging outdoor learning opportunities, like the hands-on STEM programs offered at Koiner Farm. Kate has a B.S. in Biology from Susquehanna University and an M.S. in Environmental Biology from American University. She previously worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and co-lead the Green Project Reserve, a set-aside fund of the Clean Water State Revolving Fund for innovative water quality protection projects. She is an adjunct Biology professor at Montgomery College and enjoys hiking, building tree houses and hanging out at the farm with her husband, Ricky, and their three young kids.
Proprietor, Schaffer Consulting
Joan Schaffer, a life-long resident of Montgomery County, began her career as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor at the D.C. Government. Subsequently, after earning her M.B.A. from Georgetown, she joined the consulting practice at Price Waterhouse, working with a wide spectrum of government and private sector organizations. Later, she served as a Director at Freddie Mac and as Managing Vice President at Capital One, where she headed a technology team of over 1,000 employees.
In 2006, she took early retirement and followed her passion to focus her work in the nonprofit sector of her home community. Initially Joan consulted for various organizations including the Community Foundation, JSSA and the Capital Area Food Bank. In 2013, she accepted the role of Grants Manager for the Montgomery County Council, growing the program and recommending millions of dollars in grants to community-based nonprofit organizations each year.
Since 2019, she has worked both as a consultant to the nonprofit community and served in leadership roles on several Boards including The Children’s Opportunity Fund, MCAEL (the Montgomery Coalition for Adult English Literacy), Leadership Montgomery, and as of 2023, the Montgomery County Food Council.
Head of Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility for Sodexo North America
Jessica Josephine Synkoski lives, works, and plays in Montgomery County. Her aim is to support an equitable food system that is healthy for our community, economy, and environment. Her passion for the food system is grounded in a desire for systemic equity. Throughout her career in corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability, she has worked to balance the needs of many diverse stakeholders.
She is the Vice President of Sustainability and CSR for Sodexo in North America. She has more than 15 years of experience with corporate sustainability strategy setting and implementation that provide positive impact for society and the environment. As a sustainability practitioner she has taken a hands-on approach to solutions across the food service, pharmaceutical, and aerospace & defense industries.
She is an advocate for ethnic and gender equity. She lives in Montgomery County, Maryland, U.S.A. with her husband Stan and their twin sons where they thoroughly enjoy all the parks and playgrounds. She has a B.S. from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and an M.B.A. from the Yale School of Management.
Vice Chair
Programs Director at The Center for Mind-Body Medicine
Dr. Carmen Poston-Farmer Travis is the Programs Director at The Center for Mind-Body Medicine. A self-care enthusiast transformed by her experience in CMBM training programs, she incorporated the CMBM model into the Montgomery College Student Health and Wellness Center for Success, established to support students’ physical and mental wellness. Dr. Carmen is certified in Mind-Body Medicine, and in her freetime facilitates Mind-Body Skills Groups and self-care workshops.
Dr. Carmen has over 29 years of experience in education and vocational administration, including K-12, vocational rehabilitation, and higher education. She dedicated nearly 20 years to Academic Affairs and Student Affairs at Montgomery College. She is highly experienced in program development, program implementation, and program management, along with strategic planning and budget and fiscal management. Dr. Carmen also founded Breathe.Live.Overcome.Win. LLC (B.L.O.W.) to share mind-body education, techniques, and tools with the global community. She also partners with faith-based organizations to reimagine health, wellness, and spiritual growth. Dr. Carmen is also an adjunct professor, and enjoys teaching and facilitating learning.
Dr. Carmen earned her Ed.D. from Drexel University in Educational Leadership and Management with a concentration in International and Global Education. She earned her dual Master’s in Public Policy and Administration from Jackson State University, and her BS in Business Administration from Alcorn State University. She has published and presented domestically and internationally, reaching global audiences, and recognized for award-winning dissertation research, Addressing Food Insecurity at a Community College with a Food Campaign: An Instrumental Case Study. Dr. Carmen serves on the Secretariat of the Society for Gender Professionals, Board of Directors for Montgomery County, MD Food Council, and Board of Director for the Pine Grove Association in Madison County, MS. Additionally, she served as one of the Society of Women Sociologist delegates for the 64th, 65th, and 66th sessions of the Commission on the Status of Women, United Nations.
Justice and Advocacy Council of Montgomery County, Community Advocacy Institute
Mary’s interests focus on the root causes of hunger and food security advocacy. For more than 30 years she has worked with community groups in Montgomery County, both in professional and volunteer capacities, with a focus on safety net services for those in poverty. She has a Masters Degree in Social Work with a concentration on Policy, Planning and Administration. As a former Board member at Community Clinic, she saw the intersection of hunger and health care. For 16 years she served as a coordinator for both Thanksgiving and Christmas for the Holiday Giving Project for St. Patrick’s Church in Rockville as part of that county-wide effort to help those in need with food during the holidays. For 14 years, first as a case manager and then as the Program Director at a homeless shelter for families with children, she addressed food insecurity with clients both while they resided at the shelter and after they found housing in the community.
She served for six years on the Community Action Board (CAB), which addresses all issues related to poverty, including hunger. After rolling off the Board due to term limits, she was able to continue her work on their Community Advocacy Institute (CAI), which she helped to create while on CAB. She currently remains on the Planning Committee and is a presenter for the CAI. The CAI trains low-income Montgomery County residents in advocacy skills so they are able to advocate for the changes they would most like to see in the community. Many of the CAI graduates have gone on to serve on Boards and Commissions, including the Food Council, and many have testified about their lived experience regarding food insecurity in front of elected officials at all levels of government. She has served four years on Manna Food Center’s Advocacy Task Force and works with the Justice and Advocacy Council, a group of independent Catholics in Montgomery County concerned about issues of social justice. She has served with this group for the last seven years and has been Co-Chair for the last two years. Food insecurity is one of their priority areas of concern. Mary has three grown daughters who all live in Montgomery County. She lives in the Rockville/Olney area with her husband, Frank.
Garden Program Manager, Community Health and Empowerment through Education and Research (CHEER)
Director of Neighborhood Garden Programs at Community Health and Empowerment through Education and Research (CHEER) Lisa is a life-long gardener who has dedicated much of the last decade to garden- based education and empowerment, assisting City Blossoms with garden classes at CentroNía bilingual preschool in Langley Park (2013-2015) and more extensively through hands-on lessons for hundreds of students at Rolling Terrace Elementary School in Long Branch (2013-2018) where she chaired the PTA’s Garden Committee and helped establish a Wellness Committee. Believing strongly that all students deserve access to fresh, healthy and delicious school food, she served on the Advisory Board for Real Food for Kids - Montgomery (2014-2016). In 2021, under a Food Council garden grant to CHEER in partnership with Audubon Naturalist Society, Lisa led the formation of the Long Branch Gardeners (“Jardineras/Jardinière”) group with members of the Conexo community leaders group. Lisa brings Spanish fluency and cultural sensitivity to her work, having traveled extensively worldwide and spent 17 years (1990 - 2007) working on rural applications of photovoltaic and other renewable energy systems in southern Mexico and Central America. Lisa holds a BA in Engineering and an MA in Environmental Studies from Brown University, and studied Chinese for two summers at Middlebury College. Lisa loves to camp, hike, bike and cook with her family, and after a hiatus hopes to resume backyard beekeeping.
Operations Lead for the Montgomery County Food Security Task Force
Marla was the former Director of Student Wellness Initiatives and Director of the Division of Food and Nutrition Services for Montgomery County Public Schools. She is currently the Operations Lead for the Montgomery County Food Security Task Force. Marla’s passion has been to creatively think out of the box to support children, families, and communities with a focus on food security. She has devoted her career to the elimination of hunger as well as promoting health and wellness among all populations. She is the former chair for Manna, Montgomery County’s food bank.
Director of Agricultural Programs, FRESHFARM
Rebecca serves as the Director of Agricultural Programs for FRESHFARM, a non-profit food systems organization based in Washington, DC. Rebecca is a food systems expert with over ten years of experience leveraging community-based and systems change within local and global agricultural supply chains. She is passionate about food sovereignty and about channeling the joy of mealtimes to influence community engagement, local economies, public health, and our natural environment. A Mexican-American native of Washington, DC, Rebecca is motivated to collaborate with our region’s diverse and intersectional communities in co-creating a more equitable food system. She holds a Master of Public Health degree in Health Behavior from the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the UNC-Chapel Hill.
Transportation Scheduler/Technical Assistant Client Transportation, Gaithersburg Help
William Clements is 34 years old. He was born on Earth Day which is April 22 of every year. He was born at Montgomery General (Now called MedStar Montgomery Medical Center) in Olney and raised in Germantown where he had lived all of his childhood. He graduated with his high school diploma in spring of 2007 from Seneca Valley High School. He had worked a job for all of his high school career except senior year. He now lives in Clarksburg which is just 10 - 15 minutes way from Germantown. He graduated in spring 2014 from Montgomery Community College (MC), Germantown Campus for his AA degree in Elementary Education where he also worked for Humanities Department as a student aid from 2007 - 2014. He was a temporary employee for the Writing Center for the rest of 2014 after graduating until the position was filled by someone permanently.
He attended National American University (NAU) online for his bachelor's degree in Information Technology from summer 2014 - fall 2014 and then transferred from that for-profit college to go back into a non-profit college which was much cheaper for him even though no credits transferred. He graduated in spring 2019 from University of Maryland University College (UMUC) online for his bachelor's degree where his major was in Software Development and Security and his minor was in Digital Media and Web Technology such as Web Design. They have now changed their name after the fact on July 1, 2019 to University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC).
He was a part time student the entire time he was in college and is glad to say he will not go back to college which gives him more time to focus on his businesses and volunteer work. He has always had a business of some sort since he was 9 years old and started doing volunteer work in high school and never stopped.
Farm Manager, The Farm at Our House
Anh Doan is a first generation farmer, and currently managing day-to-day operations at The Farm at Our House. Anh first came to the US to pursue higher education with a strong interest in human health. During his last year at the University of Maryland, Anh interned at the Terp where he realized food is the key to health. After graduating from the University of Maryland, Anh went to California and earned a certificate in Ecological Horticulture from the Center for Agroecology at UCSC. Anh believes that small local farms play an important role in building strong food systems both locally and nationally. Over the years of working together at The Farm at Our House, Anh and Marc Grossman, the farm owner, have dramatically increased the production capacity and served larger numbers of people in the Moco community through CSA programs, farmers markets, and Manna Food Center.
Montgomery County Solid Waste Advisory Committee
Kelly is an avid gardener, recycler, and composter who enjoys growing and using local foods while supporting healthy and sustainable food production and distribution practices. Kelly previously worked for the U.S. EPA’s Office of Pollution Prevention and Solid Waste in San Francisco, serving as a liaison to tribal and state governments implementing integrated waste management, recycling, composting, green purchasing, and waste reduction programs throughout the Pacific Southwest. She is currently active in her local elementary school PTA
Wellness Committee and serves on the County’s Solid Waste Advisory Committee. Kelly earned an M.S. in Environmental Science and a J.D. from Indiana University, Bloomington. Kelly also holds a B.S. in Ecology from University of California San Diego. She loves hiking, gardening, learning about local ecology, and adventuring near and far with her family.
Manager, Healthy Communities, Holy Cross Health
Monika Driver, MPH has been a member of the Holy Cross Health Network since March 2010. She began as a Health Educator within the Community Health department, providing health awareness and education to our most vulnerable communities in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, as well as coordinating 8-10 special events annually. She transition to the Community Benefit arm of Community Health in 2017, and is responsible for insuring Holy Cross Health's compliance with community benefit regulations through identifying community needs, monitoring programs and initiatives responsive to the health needs of the community, as well as oversight of reporting said activities on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis to stakeholders. Ms. Driver and her team are responsible for conducting a Community Health Needs Assessment every 3 years, and Implementation Strategy related to community needs annually, which serve as a tools to outline successes and gaps in the health of the community, and is used to operationalize the need for further (and specialized) programming for the community. She recently transitioned into a new role as the Manager, Healthy Communities, overseeing the areas of Healthy Families, Social Care Hub, and Community Transformation Initiatives at Holy Cross Health. Ms. Driver received her Bachelor’s degree from Howard University in Washington, DC and her Master’s degree from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans, LA.
Environmental Law Institute, Environmental Economics and Policy Scholar
Carol Adaire Jones is an environmental economist with over 35 years of experience leading, managing, and conducting high-quality research that has informed environmental and resource policy design and litigation in the U.S. and internationally. Her areas of expertise include: climate-smart agriculture and food systems; agri-conservation and resource policy design; environmental markets; ecosystem services valuation for land and marine environments; and enforcement and compliance. Currently she is a Visiting Scholar at the Environmental Law Institute (ELI), a non-partisan research and education center working to strengthen environmental protection by improving law and governance worldwide. She is Co-Lead of ELI’s Food Waste Initiative, which conducts research and provides education to help stakeholders meet the U.S. food loss and waste goals by designing and implementing public policies and public-private initiatives to prevent food waste, increase donations of surplus food, and expand food scrap recycling. She is also co-lead of ELI’s project on Tropical Environmental Liability, which conducts research and advises tropical countries regarding environmental liability policy for illegal resource exploitation (including illegal wildlife trade; illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing; and illegal logging). Previously she held government positions at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the US Department of Agriculture, and faculty positions at the University of Michigan and INCAE, an international business school INCAE in Costa Rica.
Carol has actively participated in the Food Council on agriculture and environment issues. With Kelly Doordan, Food Council member, she co-chaired the Food Waste team during 2021-2022, which conducted research and developed policy proposals presented at the Environmental Impact Working Group November 2022 Symposium on Food System Strategies to Address Climate Change. In 2023, as part of the new Sustainability Collaborative, she has been focusing on promoting public education campaigns regarding food waste and meeting with stakeholders and policy makers to discuss the policy recommendations presented in the symposium. She has been an active member of the Montgomery County Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC) since 2016, serving as the Chair since January 2022. In addition she is an individual member of the Climate Coalition of Montgomery County (formerly the Climate Action Plan Coalition), and volunteer grant writer for Food Justice DMV, an all-volunteer organization that serves 5000 documented and undocumented immigrant families in the DMV region. Carol received her Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard University, her M.Sc. from the London School of Economics, and her B.A. in Urban Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.
Adjunct Professor, School of International Service, American University
Johanna is a premier expert on gastrodiplomacy, social gastronomy and how food is central to survival and resilience in the world’s most active conflict zones. She is a highly regarded expert in the specific regions of Latin America and the Caribbean, with extensive field experience in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Central America, Colombia and Brazil. Her long list of professional credentials includes her ongoing roles as an adjunct professor at American University’s School of International Service and Distinguished Fellow at the Stimson Center, where she also heads the Food Security Program. In 2015, her wide-ranging career in international affairs led her to create Conflict Cuisine®: An Introduction to War and Peace Around the Dinner Table – a course curriculum designed to educate about food security, gastrodiplomacy and the issues she about which she is so passionate. Johanna is an experienced subject matter expert who is frequently featured by national media including the Wall Street Journal, NPR and CNN. She has also authored a number of opinion pieces in prominent publications, most recently The Hill (February 2021).
Founder, Executive Director, Community FarmShare
Jennifer Freeman is passionate about reducing food insecurity, improving the health of vulnerable populations and building a resilient local food system by supporting our local Farmers. Jenny is the founder and Executive Director of Community FarmShare, a Montgomery County nonprofit that provides residents in need throughout the county with weekly bags of healthy, fresh, nutrient dense produce, delivered directly from farm to family. By buying produce at a market price from our farm partners, Community FarmShare supports our local community supported agriculture farms (CSA), enabling them to grow and expand their farm business, therefore building a resilient local food system benefitting all eaters. Partner farms are organic orcertified naturally grown; and, keeping food assistance hyper local - directly from farm to family - our carbon footprint is low. After graduating from Georgetown University and starting her career in banking at JPMorgan, Jennifer has spent most of her professional career in the field of microfinance (providing small loans to low income individuals who lack access to credit). Working overseas, she set up new projects and strengthened existing microfinance programs primarily in the Balkans, as well as consulted on microfinance process improvements and internal audit for development-oriented banks in Asia and Africa. She now loves living in the wonderful Poolesville community with her daughter and various farm critters in MoCo’s Agricultural Reserve.
Program Manager, Navigation Unit Office of Community Affairs Montgomery County DHHS
Monica's lifelong passion has been to assist those in need. Volunteering with women's shelter and food pantries during her undergraduate years at Florida Atlantic University. She majored in psychology and earned a certificate in women's studies keeping her focus on the causes of inequity and poverty. After moving to Maryland with her family Monica began working for Montgomery County's Department of Health and Human Services focusing on community building, access and equity. She is currently the Program Manager for the Navigation Unit under the Office of Community Affairs and Community Action Agency, providing access, guidance and education to Montgomery County residents connecting with benefit programs. Ensuring that the public is able to Navigate HHS services without issue. Monica and her HHS team also lead recovery efforts in collaboration with HHS Mass Care, responding to explosions, fires and floods and offering navigation resources to the victims of these events. She works to ensure all displaced residents are able to rehoused after catastrophic events, working with community partners to provide, clothing, furniture and food.
General Manager, Takoma Park Silver Spring Co-Op
Mike grew up in Arlington, VA and is a graduate of the University of Missouri’s School of Agriculture. He began working in natural foods in Brooklyn, NY at Perelandra Natural Foods, an independently owned market opened in 1976. Brooklyn’s natural food scene provided a wealth of opportunities to meet local and independent vendors and learn about the industry. In August 2012 Mike moved back to the DC area and became the Assistant Store Manager and later Store Manager for the newly opened Dawson’s Market in Rockville. Dawson’s was honored for commitment to environmental leadership and cited for inclusive hiring practices. Mike became General Manager of Takoma Park Silver Spring Food Co-op in August 2018. Mike is a graduate of Leadership Montgomery and serves on the board for the Takoma Business Association.
Director of Operations & Programs, Kitchen of Purpose
Daniela is a dynamic leader whose work is focused on the empowerment of underserved communities through food.
In the earlier years of her career, Daniela studied Gastronomy and Culinary Arts at Le Cordon Bleu and graduated in 2005. After that, she found her true passion while working as a culinary instructor at a famous school in her hometown of Lima, Peru. Daniela moved to New York City in 2010 and continued to work in the educational field at the Institute of Culinary Education. In 2014, Daniela moved to Washington, DC and started working in the nonprofit sector as the Manager of Culinary Training at DC Central Kitchen.
Daniela is currently the Director of Programs & Operations at Kitchen of Purpose. She has been with this Arlington based organization since 2017, playing a key role during the organization's expansion and rebranding process. Daniela has complemented her culinary studies by obtaining an executive certificate from Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy in 2019. She also participated in Montgomery County's Nonprofit Leadership Bootcamp in 2018 and recently obtained a certification in Social Impact Strategy by the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Social Impact Strategy.
Nutritionist, USDA
Nancy is a Nutritionist with the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), where she supports training and technical assistance (TA) for Child Nutrition Program Operators. She uses her knowledge of school nutrition and healthy school environments to improve food security through access to healthy and appealing meals and snacks provided by the National School Lunch (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), and Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Nancy also serves as an Adjunct Lecturer at both American University and the George Washington University. Prior to moving to USDA, she was the Senior Director of Content and Partnerships for the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. In this role, she built and maintained relationships with key national and local government agencies and non-governmental organizations and supervised a team of subject matter experts (SME) who provided training and TA to schools and districts across the nation. She also served as a Nutrition SME for the organization. Before this, Nancy was the Manager of Healthy Schools Act Initiatives in the Office of the State Superintendent in Washington, DC. There she oversaw the agency’s implementation of the DC Healthy Schools Act of 2010, supervised a team of seven SMEs, and served as a Nutrition SME. From 2001-2011, Nancy served as the Dietetics Program Director at the University of Maryland. During that time she trained hundreds of students, many of whom went on to pursue careers in dietetics. She also has experience in both community and clinical dietetics, having worked for several hospitals, the George Washington University Weight Management Program, and the Prince George’s County Health Department. Nancy served as the President of the District of Columbia Metro Area Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (DCMAND) from 2013-2014 and as the Area Coordinator for the Dietetic Educators of Practitioners Dietetic Practice Group from 2009-2011. She has been the recipient of both the Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year Award in 2006 and the Dietitian of the Year Award in 2013 from DCMAND. Nancy has presented at numerous regional and national professional conferences including the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo and the School Superintendents’ Association’s National Conference on Education and has served on numerous boards and committees. Nancy is also active in her community and was the co-founder and co-Chair of the Health and Wellness Committee at Ashburton Elementary School in Bethesda, MD. Nancy lives in Rockville with her 14 year old son, Samuel, and their cat, Teddy. In her free time, Nancy likes to spend time family and friends, walk, hike, bike, cook, travel, and read.
Community Garden Program Assistant Manager, Montgomery Parks
Emma Layman is the Assistant Manager for Montgomery Parks’ Community Garden Program. She is motivated by work that contributes to community well-being by strengthening individual relations to food and the environment. After receiving a BA in Environmental Studies from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, Emma worked on organic produce farms for several years where she gained experience connecting people with their food and the land. To further explore connections like these, Emma obtained a Masters of the Environment in Sustainable Food Systems from the University of Colorado - Boulder. She has worked for local farmers’ markets, companies converting lawns to gardens, and nonprofit farms growing produce for underserved communities.
Director of Division of Food and Nutrition Services, MCPS
Ensuring all students have access to high-quality nutritious foods has driven me to this work, and to the Director of the Division of Food & Nutrition Services (DFSN) role with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). I have spent over 20 years working in food service management and have been operating and administering child nutrition programs in the District of Columbia for the past 11 years, first with DC Public Schools, and most recently with the Office of the State Superintendent of Education. My family and I reside in Montgomery County, including a 3rd grader attending MCPS and a 5-year-old very eager to attend as well.
Manager MD Region, Capital Area Food Bank
Maryland Regional Manager, Capital Area Food Bank Gaby has long shared Montgomery County’s Food Council commitment to improving and building paths towards an equitable local food system. Gaby serves as Manager of the Maryland Region for the Capital Area Food Bank where she and her team support a network of over two hundred non-profit food emergency assistance partners in Prince George’s and Montgomery County, and also oversees The Food Emergency Assistance Program (TEFAP). Prior to moving to the D.C. region, Gaby’s professional experience was primarily in the corporate world. For over ten years she worked in the fields of Research and Development (R&D), Quality Assurance, and Food Safety for the Latin American divisions of well-known quick-service restaurant chains, such as YUM! and Subway restaurants. As part of a cross functional team, she oversaw the planning, training, menu offerings, and process improvement of franchisee kitchens and restaurants in Latin American. More recently, she served as the School Wellness Coordinator for the Transformative Community Initiative (TCI), a partnership between the Institute for Public Health and Innovation (IPHI) and Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). The project’s goal was to increase school wellness policy implementation at select public schools through the formation of local school wellness councils (LSWCs). She also worked for the Whole Kids Foundation; a non-profit created by Whole Foods Market. The organization’s mission is to support schools, inspire families, and improve children’s nutrition and wellness. Her role was to expand the foundation’s Healthy Teachers Program in the DC metro area. Gaby was born and raised in Ecuador. She loves edible gardens and enjoys hiking with her family.
Senior Legislative Aide, Montgomery County Counci
Angie currently works at the Montgomery County Council. Previously, she worked in risk analysis in Buffalo, New York where she became a rabid Bills and union fan. She attended Middlebury College where she studied Environmental Science and Geography. She is interested in environmentally-sound agricultural practices, inclusive climate adaptations in urban settings, and bringing more underrepresented folks into spaces where they are not just allowed, but welcomed. When not working, she is camping, singing, paddleboarding, looking at birds, trying new recipes, reading too many books at once, and enjoying time with loved one
Community Engagement Manager, Manna Food Center
Agar is currently working as Community Engagement Manager at Manna Food Center. Her work is focused on deep listening and building trust in the community for easy access to food and other available resources. She joined Manna Food Center when the pandemic started as a volunteer and then as a staff member. Her work strengthens partnerships and supports specific groups to address the barriers of stigma, fear, language, and more. She supports Manna’s vision of Food for All by connecting Montgomery residents to food through outreach activities, voucher initiatives, and community conversations. Additionally, she leads Manna Food advocacy efforts to ensure community voices are amplified toward elected officials for better access to healthy and affordable food.
Previously, Agar worked as a Program Manager for Women Thrive Alliance and then for Plan International in D.C. She supports grassroots women’s rights organizations in Africa in their advocacy efforts for social justice. Before Agar moved to the United States, she worked for many years as a Program Manager at GIZ - German Technical Corporation in Cameroon. In partnerships with Community Based Organizations and Cameroon National Department of Health, she worked in diverse health programs such as HIV and Gender mainstreaming, HIV prevention, maternal mortality, family planning, early pregnancies, rape, and midwifery training programs. Agar’s education background is in Psychology and Project Management Professional (PMP). She has lived in Montgomery County for 7 years now with her husband and their 3 children. As an immigrant, she knows first-hand how hard it is to access resources without any support. Agar is committed to increasing food access for Montgomery County residents and helping eliminate the roots causes of food insecurity.
Food Security Consultant
Amanda's interests focus on food security advocacy, strengthening the federal nutrition safety net, and food security community organizing. From October 2017 to July 2020, Amanda was the Food Security Programs Manager for the Montgomery County Food Council, where she worked in partnership with local food assistance providers and County government agencies to carry out the recommendations set out in the County's Five Year Food Security Strategic Plan, as well as formulate and implement the County's initial COVID-19 food security response strategy. Amanda previously worked as a Legislative Associate at national anti-hunger nonprofit MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, where she advocated on Capitol Hill to increase food security initiatives for seniors, veterans and serving military families, and prior to that she worked as a Legal and Strategic Advisor for the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel, and as a corporate attorney at law firm Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton LLP. Amanda holds a Masters of Law degree from Columbia University, and a B.A. in Law from Cambridge University.
Director of Operations, The Upcounty Hub - Germantown
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Marko co-founded The Upcounty Hub, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting food insecurity and providing health and social services to upper Montgomery County. The focus on providing fresh and shelf-stable culturally-competent food and other essentials, including diapers, baby care items, self-care products, and hygiene kits, has expanded to case management and social support that connects individuals and families to key services, such as health care and rental and housing assistance. As the Director of Operations at The Upcounty Hub, Marko proudly leads projects and initiatives within the organization to improve and expand its work to meet the growing need by meeting the community within their communities to accommodate their needs and eliminate barriers so people can get the help they need while maintaining their dignity. His perspective as a Bolivian American, EMT and former volunteer firefighter, and current youngest member of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee has driven his commitment to end hunger through policy and sustainable solutions to ensure vulnerable communities have access to essential resources. When he is not working or attending events, Marko enjoys spending time with his wife Jackie, his dog Kamala, and his family. Fun Fact : Marko is a big LA Dodgers fan and played 16 years of baseball throughout his childhood.
Operations Manager, Future Harvest
Laurie Savage has had a lifelong love of agriculture and providing wholesome, nutrient-dense, local farm products so consumers can support the local foodshed and foster a connection to the community and their environment. Laurie operates Brown Cow Creamery at Savage Acres Farm in Dickerson, along with her husband, Kevin, and two children, Catherine and James. The farm produces raw milk cheese, grassfed beef, pastured pork, free-range eggs and freshly milled whole grains and direct markets their products to consumers via an on-farm store, farmers’ markets and several retail locations. She has been active in the MoCo Made and Montgomery County Farm to Food Bank programs. Laurie is also the operations manager for Future Harvest, a regional sustainable agriculture organization, and works with several dairy organizations. She grew up on a dairy farm in Frederick County and was active in 4-H and FFA. She attended National 4-H Congress, was a state FFA officer and served as the Maryland Dairy Princess. She attended the University of Maryland and majored in Agriculture and Resource Economics. In the past, Laurie worked with the American Egg Board as an agricultural marketing specialist with USDA and was a writer and editor at the Frederick News Post and a freelance writer for Lancaster Farming newspaper.
Director of Local Cybersecurity, State of Maryland
Netta is a cybersecurity, emergency management, and legal practitioner and educator. In her prior role, Netta spent six years with Montgomery County’s Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS), specializing in emergency planning for the County and the National Capital Region. In support of public health efforts and mass care services during the pandemic, Netta co-initiated and co-led the County’s COVID-19 Food Security Task Force and Food Access Call Center, and helped create the new Office of Food Systems Resilience (OFSR). Netta’s emphasis is on developing resiliency in food systems in the County and Regionally and advocating for impactful policy changes.
Statewide Healthy Food Systems Coordinator, University of Maryland Extension, Maryland SNAP-Ed
Lynn began her work with Maryland SNAP-Ed in 2009, facilitating nutrition education for youth and adults across Montgomery County. In her current role, since 2012, Lynn works to strengthen and expand partnerships with state collaborating agencies that work to increase food equity for Marylanders. These collaborations seek to maximize healthy food access and to foster sustainable food equity policy, healthy and sustainable food systems, and increased access to healthy food across all food access sites and sources. Other focus areas include nutrition education program and curriculum development, along with training facilitation for MD SNAP-Ed educators and for collaborating partners statewide. Lynn is a proud life-long resident of Montgomery County, a graduate of Montgomery County Public Schools, and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management and Consumer Affairs from the University of Maryland, and a master’s degree in Youth Development from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Lynn’s passion for local food extends beyond the work week. On the weekends, you are likely to find her at one - or more - of the bountiful farmers’ markets in Montgomery County.
The Alumni Circle provides Food Council alums with a unique opportunity to continue to make a difference in the Montgomery County food system by staying connected to the Food Council’s efforts and serving as trusted advisors to the organization. Alumni Circle members will also have the opportunity to continue to benefit from the Food Council’s broad and deep network of subject matter experts, food system partners, and stakeholders.
Kimberly McBride
Wendy Nevett Bazil
Angie Whitmal
Paul Tukey
Sara Servin
Shaun Sawko
Vanessa Pierre
Cristin Cooper
Eleni Antzoulatos
Jenny Brown
Jackie DeCarlo
Jim Dempsey
Susan Eisendrath
Sharon Feuer Gruber
Mark Hodge
Thu Huynh
Dave Lambert
Kathy Madaleno
Jerry Martin
Tessa Mork
Aizat Oladapo
Shelley Rae Rudick
Tanya Spandhla
Dick Stoner
Susan Topping
Jenna Umbriac
Bart Yablonsky
Apr 23
Join this speed-dating style mixer on Zoom and meet other entrepreneurs in Montgomery County (though all are welcome)!
Apr 25
Join us on Thursday, April 25th, 11am-12pm, for a meeting of the Equitable Land Access Working Group. We will be discussing the potential of farm incubator and community programming in the County, where beginning farmers are given the land, tools, and support they need to flourish. Additionally, we will learn about farmland preservation efforts in the County, and learn about USDA's recent initiatives and opportunities to promote local and regional food systems. We plan to have a lively discussion to learn more, and to connect to and fuel the momentum of these exciting efforts.
Apr 30
Join our local food procurement working group on April 30th at 11am-12:30pm. During this meeting we will hear from local retailers, Troy Sexton, Category Manager at Common Market and Mike Leveille, Fresh Category Manager at Common Market as they share industry insider knowledge on what retailers are looking for in a product when stocking shelves. You do not want to miss this! We will also go over sell sheet examples and share a template for local businesses to make their own. We hope to see you there!