The Food Council Nominating Committee selects and appoints nine representatives for one- and two-year long terms as Montgomery County Food Council Board Members.
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. 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.
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
Executive Director of Mid-County United Ministries
Dayna Brown is the Executive Director of Mid-County United Ministries and has lived in Montgomery County for over 20 years. She has over 30 years of experience leading humanitarian, peacebuilding and community development programs locally and around the world. Dayna previously worked with and advised donors and international aid agencies supporting locally led development efforts. She directed The Listening Project and is co-author of Time To Listen: Hearing From People on The Receiving End of International Aid and other publications. Dayna has extensive experience engaging community members in the design, implementation and evaluation of programming to ensure that it addresses their vulnerabilities and builds on their capacities.
Dayna holds a Master of Arts degree in Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School of Tufts University and has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Texas Christian University. Dayna is passionately committed to social justice and has been actively engaged with other community-based organizations in Montgomery County. She is also the proud mother of 2 daughters and a regular shopper at local farmers markets.
Programs Director
Dr. Carmen Poston-Farmer Travis is the Programs Director and 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. Dr. Carmen is certified in Mind-Body Medicine, and in her free time 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.
Vice Chair
Researcher
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. She previously worked for Mathematica as a researcher where she supported research, evaluation, and technical assistance projects related to health equity and community and systems change strategies. 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.
Director, Standards Division, USDA National Organic Program
Erin Healy has worked at the intersection of health, agriculture, and the environment for 25 years across the public and private sectors. She currently oversees organic regulations at USDA, and she previously led USDA’s Office of Community Food Systems, which included a $10M Farm to School grant program, technical assistance resources, and the nationwide Farm to School Census. Before joining the government, Erin launched and led a nonprofit organization in Florida to educate and employ youth in environmental and food justice projects. From Florida, she moved to California to lead healthy food access programs for The Health Trust. Erin had previously worked on public health and development programs in West Africa. She holds a Master of Public Health from Tulane University and a bachelor’s in arts from the University of Pennsylvania. She speaks French and is learning Spanish.
Chair
Head of Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility for Sodexo North America
Jessica Josephine Synkoski is a sustainability practitioner with nearly 20 years of strategy setting and operations contributions. As the VP of Sustainability for Sodexo she leads the North American strategies for improving social and environmental impacts with a focus on sustainable eating and food waste reduction. She also leads the US Stop Hunger Foundation.
Jessica advocates for ethnic and gender equity. She has served on the MCFC Board since 2023. She is a member of Food Tank’s Chief Sustainability Officer Peer Group. She holds a B.S. from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, an M.B.A. from the Yale School of Management, and a Sustainability Excellence Associate certification from the International Society of Sustainability Professionals.
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
Director of State Initiatives at the Food Research and Action Center
LaMonika Jones is the Director of State Initiatives at the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), where she oversees Maryland Hunger Solutions (along with initiatives in DC and NJ). In this role, she drives multi-state efforts to reduce hunger and poverty by advancing innovative policies, strengthening community partnerships, and amplifying the voices of those most affected by food insecurity. Her work spans advocacy, program development, and coalition building, ensuring that families across these three jurisdictions have equitable access to nutritious food and pathways to economic stability. Her leadership in child nutrition is informed by years of expertise, having previously served as the Child Nutrition Program Analyst at D.C. Hunger Solutions, and Procurement/Purchasing Compliance Officer at the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL), where she provided technical assistance and compliance oversight for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).
She works to strengthen our food system by building relationships with grocery retailers and local vendors and suppliers to expand program reach and improve the quality of food available to communities. She is a champion of equity in food procurement policies, advocating for inclusive procurement and purchasing pipelines necessary for advancing food justice.
LaMonika holds a B.A. in Political Science and Communication from Oakland University and an M.Ed. in Urban Teacher Leadership from Georgia State University. She is a dedicated leader in the fight for food equity, currently serving as an Advisory Board Member for the National Farm to School Network and Executive Committee Member of DC Good Food Purchasing Coalition.
Independent Consultant, Community-Based Public Health Practices, Planning, Policy and Research
Dr. Canessa contributes with an extensive history of leadership in the field of Public Health. A graduate of Northwestern University in Psychology and Executive Management, she has served in an advisory capacity to CDC and NIH in the development and integration of several evidence-based practices; worked at United Nations International Programmes as an expert in Adolescent Health, Women's Health and HIV; and currently serve in numerous Boards supporting health education, research and policy.
Deputy Chief Operating Officer for Montgomery County’s Department of Health and Human Services
Patrick Campbell serves as the Deputy Chief Operating Officer for Montgomery County’s Department of Health and Human Services, where he leads emergency preparedness, disaster response, and mass care efforts to support residents before, during, and after emergencies. Through this role, he works closely with community partners and food-access organizations, connecting disaster operations with the local food system to strengthen food security and ensure families have dignified access to healthy food in both everyday and crisis conditions
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.
Senior Legislative Aide, Montgomery County Council
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. Angie enjoys camping, singing, paddleboarding, looking at birds, trying new recipes, reading too many books at once, and enjoying time with loved ones.
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.
Director of Federal Government Relations, FoodCorps
Ashanti Lewis is a policy and advocacy professional advancing child nutrition and food systems through federal strategy, coalition leadership, and values-driven public engagement. She brings deep experience in government relations, translating complex policy into actionable advocacy that drives lasting impact. Her work centers on building partnerships, shaping public narratives, and strengthening systems that support children, families, and communities.
CEO and Owner, Compost Crew
Ben Parry, the CEO of Compost Crew, is a business executive and entrepreneur fighting to protect the health of our planet. Ben acquired Compost Crew in 2018 when it was a small food scrap hauler with 3 trucks, 5 employees, and several hundred customers. The company has since grown to a diversified composting business with over 20,000 customers, 40 trucks, and 80 employees. The company operates several distributed composting systems - its Compost Outposts - in partnership with area farms and municipalities to process high quality compost and build food system resiliency. Ben lives in Maryland with his wife, three boys, is an avid gardener, and has an MBA from Georgetown University.
Founder of Nature’s Love and Wisdom
Bodhi is the founder of Nature’s Love and Wisdom. He is a passionate forest gardener, herbalist, naturalist, and teacher. His teaching explores the intersection of foraging, agroforestry and food systems with ecology, activism, and cultural transformation. He offers immersive, educational and transformational workshops, retreats and courses. Bodhi also helps manage Forested, a regenerative food forest farm and education center working to expand forest agriculture in DC and Maryland. With a BS in environmental science and engineering, multiple technical certifications, and a decade of experience working with the land, he applies the skills and knowledge he has acquired towards his service to life on Earth.
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. 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.
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
Director of Operations & Programs, Kitchen of Purpose
Daniela Hurtado is a passionate nonprofit and culinary education leader with over a decade of experience using food as a pathway to opportunity. As the Director of Operations & Programs at Kitchen of Purpose, she ensures that programs are welcoming, high-quality, and truly responsive to the needs of the community. Trained in gastronomy and culinary arts at Le Cordon Bleu and shaped by years of teaching at leading culinary institutions in New York and DC, Daniela brings a unique blend of expertise and heart to her work. Her Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Georgetown University strengthens her ability to lead with clarity, compassion, and equity. Since joining Kitchen of Purpose in 2017, she has been dedicated to creating equitable, empowering programs that help individuals build skills, gain stability, and transform their lives through the power of food.
Chief Operating Officer, Union Kitchen
Elena Gonzalez is an Experienced operator and strategic leader focused on building enduring food businesses through local manufacturing, workforce development, and early-stage investment. She is the COO of Union Kitchen and Fund Manager. Her work defines the company's roadmap, sets the vision, and leads execution across the Union Kitchen ecosystem — Stores, Distribution, and Manufacturing ensuring every brand scales with focus and purpose. Her insights have been featured in Packaging Digest, Interact Brands, GoSolo, and leading podcasts like Food & Beverage Talk, Winning at Work, and Mindset Startup Academy.
Elena is a frequent speaker and judge at Natural Products Expo West, Good Food Awards, and GW New Venture Competition. She also serves on the Advisory Committee for the University of Richmond’s School of Professional & Continuing Studies.
Senior Specialist, Menu & Innovation, Montgomery County Public Schools
Erica is a registered dietitian and an employee with the Montgomery County Public School’s Department of Food and Nutrition Services, she is deeply invested in our county's food system. Her career has been dedicated to connecting people with the food they need. Erica brings extensive experience working across county, state, and federal levels, as well as within the non-profit, for-profit, and government sectors. This diverse background has equipped her with a comprehensive understanding of the complex challenges and opportunities within our food system here in the county. As a been a resident here for over ten years and am raising two eaters to understand and enjoy all that their local food system has to offer!
Standards Division, USDA National Organic Program
Erin Healy has worked at the intersection of health, agriculture, and the environment for 25 years across the public and private sectors. She currently oversees organic regulations at USDA, and she previously led USDA’s Office of Community Food Systems, which included a $10M Farm to School grant program, technical assistance resources, and the nationwide Farm to School Census. Before joining the government, Erin launched and led a nonprofit organization in Florida to educate and employ youth in environmental and food justice projects. From Florida, she moved to California to lead healthy food access programs for The Health Trust. Erin had previously worked on public health and development programs in West Africa. She holds a Master of Public Health from Tulane University and a bachelor’s in arts from the University of Pennsylvania. She speaks French and is learning Spanish.
Economist, Member Sustainable Maryland Committee
Janet Owens has been engaged in economic policy issues connecting poverty, development, and sustainability at the local, national, and international levels throughout her career. She launched her career in West Africa where she advised women’s marketing cooperatives as a Peace Corps volunteer. Subsequently she joined the US Bureau of Labor Statistics to work on employment measurement issues and the Michigan Department of the Treasury. She joined the World Bank in pursuit of measuring the causes and consequences of poverty, and in particular how agricultural risk can drive poverty and cultural dimensions can influence differences in welfare across males and females.
Since moving to Takoma Park in 2015, Janet has become focused on the importance of promoting a healthy and diverse community through sustainable practices. She joined the Takoma Park Sustainable Maryland Committee which works under the City Council to promote sustainability in the community on a wide spectrum of issues. Janet also contributes to the sustainability of the area where she gardens on a community plot as a Montgomery County Master gardener in Takoma Park and volunteers as a garden steward at Nature Forward. She holds a masters in agricultural economics from Michigan State University and a BA in from the University of Iowa.
Registered Dietitian
Jenny is a Registered Dietitian (RD) with Trinity Health PACE – Montgomery County. This program provides all-inclusive care for underserved seniors that allows them to age in place within the community.
In this role, she provides nutrition education, nutrition counseling, and connects the elderly to food resources within the community to ensure food security. She began her career as an RD working with Head Start and has continued to work with underserved communities throughout her career, with a special focus on the elderly population over the last several years. She is a Board Certified Specialist in Gerontological Nutrition and is passionate about helping the elderly population achieve optimal nutrition. Her goal is for people to achieve not just food security, but nutrition security. This promotes consistent access, availability, and affordability of foods that promote well-being, prevent disease, and treat disease.
She believes in finding sustainable food solutions through a systems-level, evidenced-based approach, engaging the community in meaningful ways, and partnering with stakeholders and policy makers to make impactful change.
Jenny is convinced that food should be nourishing for our bodies and souls, as well as nourishing for the Earth and our environment. She earned her master's degree in Nutrition and Human Performance from Logan University and her bachelor's degree in dietetics from Florida State University. In her spare time, she loves cooking, exercising, and spending time with her family, including her adorable Cavapoo, Chai.
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.
Operations Manager, Future Harvest
Laurie Savage has 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, grass-fed beef, pastured pork, free-range eggs and freshly milled whole grains. She direct markets their products to consumers via an on-farm store, farmers’ markets and several retail locations. Laurie 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.
Independent Consultant, The Food Sourceress
Mandilyn Beck has 10 years of professional experience in food procurement/sourcing, operations, and supply management. Her specialty is incorporating local and/or sustainable food products into large food service operations. Through this experience, she has developed comprehensive knowledge of domestic and international food products and brands. She also has experience in creating and implementing recycling and food waste reduction programs.
Director of Operations, The Upcounty Hub - Germantown
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 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. 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.
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. 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.
Community Garden Program Manager, Montgomery Parks
Michelle Nelson, the Community Garden Program Manager with Montgomery Parks believes that food is a connector of culture, understanding, and growth. She has been in the urban agriculture and community garden space for over 10 years – working for the University of Maryland Extension and the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission. Her work is most focused on exploring intersections of food systems, land use, agricultural education, and leadership/mentoring. Michelle has been a featured speaker at many conferences across the country, is a former Board Chair with Crossroads Community Food Network and is a proud HBCU graduate.
Program Manager, Community Action Agency, DHHS
Monica Goldberg is a Program Manager with the Montgomery County Community Action Agency, Department of Health and Human Services, there she leads the Navigation Team and TESS Center management. The programs support outreach initiatives that connect families to critical resources such as food, housing, and long-term case management. With a strong focus on a two-generation, whole-family approach, she builds community partnerships and innovative programs to reduce poverty and support family stability.
Manager, Healthy Communities, Holy Cross Health
Monika Driver, MPH works as the Manager, Healthy Communities, overseeing the areas of Healthy Families, Social Care Hub, and Community Transformation Initiatives at Holy Cross Health. She 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.
Monika 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. 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.
Government Relations and Public Funding Manager, Food and Friends
As the Government Relations Manager at Food & Friends, she works at the intersection of food access, health equity, and policy advocacy, ensuring that individuals living with serious illnesses have access to nutritious meals and comprehensive nutrition services. Raisa’s role has given her insight into the critical gaps in our MoCo food system, particularly for our most vulnerable residents. She is passionate about leveraging policy solutions and cross-sector partnerships to build a more equitable and resilient local food system that nourishes all community members.
Clifton Park Baptist Church’s Outreach Coordinator and Green Seeds Founder
Randi Drewry has been involved in the local food system for over nine years. As the Outreach Coordinator at Clifton Park Baptist Church, she has expanded a monthly food distribution from serving about 200 households to now reaching over 5,400 households each month. Randi is dedicated to providing healthy food options and cultivating a safe, healthy environment for community members.
Throughout her career, she has gained firsthand insight into both the strengths and weaknesses of our local food system. Her personal passions include helping people access basic necessities and combating climate change. These two interests collide in her business, Green Seeds, LLC, which aims to increase the availability of healthy, local, and fresh foods in the community using a "Buy One, Give One" model. The goal is for community members to support one another while promoting indoor farming that utilizes solar energy, organic soil, and compostable packaging.
Randi hopes to create a positive impact on the food system, ensuring that everyone has reliable access to fresh, healthy foods, regardless of challenges such as pandemics, floods, or financial constraints.
Transportation Scheduler/Technical Assistant Client Transportation, Gaithersburg Help
William Clements 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 resides in Clarksburg which is just 10 - 15 minutes away from Germantown. He graduated from Montgomery Community College (MC), Germantown Campus with his AA degree in Elementary Education where he also worked for the Humanities Department He previously worked for the Writing Center.
He attended National American University (NAU) for his bachelor's degree in Information Technology and. 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).
Senior Career Coach
William Hegwood is an innovative leader dedicated to fostering equitable systems through innovative workforce development, strategic collaboration, and a steadfast commitment to social justice. By bridging technical access with human connection, he empowers individuals and organizations to reach their full potential, driving transformative change in education and digital equity.
His professional highlights include leading a coaching team at CareerCatchers’ Rapid Rehousing Vocational Program, where William oversees a team of coaches, supports hundreds of clients each year, and maintains strong placement outcomes. He collaborates with federal and local partners to design equitable career‑readiness strategies that expand access to opportunity. Previously, as a Technical Sales and Volunteer Champion at Apple, he generated $2.5M in revenue while leading initiatives that aligned corporate values with nonprofit partnerships, strengthening employee engagement and community impact. As a Senior Talent Development Specialist at Equus Workforce Solutions, he designed and facilitated hundreds of immersive training programs, helping more than 3,000 individuals secure employment and advance their workforce readiness.
William’s board community leadership includes serving as Treasurer of the Children’s Opportunity Alliance and Board Member of Words, Beats & Life. He also advances digital navigation and STEM advocacy efforts, promoting digital equity, workforce development, and STEAM education through Formula 1–inspired STEM Racing programs and community resource fairs.He holds an M.Ed. from the City University of New York (CUNY), along with an Instructional Learning and Design Certificate from the University of Maryland Global Campus and an Education Administration Certificate from the College of Saint Rose.
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.
Elisabet Eppes
Rick Chessen
Amanda Nesher
Nancy Katz
Marla Caplon
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 25
Join us at the largest environmental festival in Montgomery County, the Montgomery County GreenFest!
Apr 28
Learn the practical steps that help you decide whether—or how—to take your food idea to market.
Apr 30
The Maryland Food System Resiliency Council (FSRC) holds a public bi-weekly meeting with the Communication & Coordination Committee to monitor and discuss food systems bills during the 2026 Maryland General Assembly Session.
Apr 30
The Maryland Food System Resiliency Council (FSRC) holds a public bi-weekly meeting with the Communication & Coordination Committee to monitor and discuss food systems bills during the 2026 Maryland General Assembly Session.
May 11
The Food Council’s Food Security Calls are designed for learning, information-sharing and network building.