FoodCorps

Javonne is Jersey-grown, calling the Garden State home. She is passionate about being able to serve communities throughout her home state as a Team Leader. Javonne is a graduate student in the Food Studies program at NYU focusing on Food History and Culture. She has been using her experience with FoodCorps to inform her research, hoping to one day teach Food Studies curricula at HBCUs. Javonne loves gardening, spending too much time in bookstores, and enjoys experimenting with cooking.

Apple hails from Des Moines, Iowa, a city which afforded her many opportunities and where she developed her justice-centered values with specific interest in food accessibility as well as racial equity. Her goal in this position is to be an effective support for her Service Members and colleagues, to focus community engagement on systemic and sustainable change, and to utilize the most of her camp counselor energy.

Addell spent her formative years on a vegetable and fruit farm in Romulus, Michigan (a Detroit suburb). Through that experience, she learned to appreciate fresh food and the economic viability of family agribusiness. In addition to many years of service as an academic and nonprofit organization administrator and teacher, she has been an ardent supporter of the arts and culture community.

Alexa brings over a decade of experience at the intersection of public health, sustainable food systems, public-private partnerships, and public policy. In her seven years with FoodCorps, she has played a number of roles across the organization, including launching high-profile programs, campaigns, and cross-sector partnerships that advance policy change, build brand awareness, and grow revenue. As the Chief of Staff, Alexa is a strategic and operational partner to the CEO and Executive Team, leveraging her passions for problem solving and leading people and teams towards ambitious goals to support dynamic initiatives and ensure effective collaboration and communication across FoodCorps. Alexa holds a B.A. in Political Science and Geography from the University of Kentucky, earned a certificate through the Food Policy Leadership Program at George Washington University, and was selected for the NYC Food Policy Class of 2018, 40 Under 40.

The passion and dedication of our corps members and community partners inspire Ashton in her work each day. She is a proud AmeriCorps alum herself, having served with Washington Reading Corps and with the Seattle arts and youth empowerment nonprofit, The Power of Hope. When not at her desk, Ashton can be found browsing cookbooks at the public library, baking bread, or hiking one of the Northeast’s beautiful trails.

Camille is passionate about communications for a cause, social justice, and good food. She has worked with nonprofit organizations on an array of digital campaigns and causes, including safer schools for LGBTQ youth, PrEP for HIV prevention, and ending the rape kit backlog.  She loves reading, writing, and exploring Chicago’s food scene with her wife. Her greatest accomplishment at FoodCorps so far is starting the #pets Slack channel. 

Julia comes to FoodCorps with 10 years of nonprofit finance and growth strategy experience. Having worked as a Growth Capital Consultant at Nonprofit Finance Fund and as Finance Director at Citizen Schools during their period of rapid expansion, she brings a unique perspective to FoodCorps’ leadership team. While getting her MBA at UC Berkeley, she also worked at Revolution Foods, igniting her passion for bringing healthy food to kids who need it most. When not at work she can be found playing with her wildly active son William or reading menus online to plan date nights with her husband, Peter.

Laura joins the HR team after two years of service with FoodCorps, as a service member in her home state of Hawaiʻi, and as a Team Leader in her heart’s home of Oregon. Growing up between the worlds of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific Northwest, Laura developed a strong interest in place, community, and social justice — something she deepened through her studies in Communication and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies at Southern Oregon University. She’s excited to grow her understanding of how best to support people through the work of human resources, and continue advocating for FoodCorps’ service member needs. In her free time, Laura likes to go on meandering walks and bike rides in nature and her neighborhood, spend time with animals and friends, and have kitchen dance parties.

The why behind Kai’s work is the root of it all: students. As a proud AmeriCorps alum, she’s served in communities and schools providing academic and behavioral support to students while leading members along the way in both Jacksonville, Florida and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As a Georgia Peach, Kai is grateful to bring her talents back home and pour into the community that raised her. What makes Kai, Kai is spending time with loved ones, sun bathing at the beach, and vibing out to her favorite artists.

Valentina’s passion for food began at the dining room table watching her grandparents make dumplings. In college, Valentina pursued classes in environmental justice and urban farming and interned at Food for Lane County, cementing her desire to pursue work in food justice. In her free time, Valentina can be found baking, gardening, or spending time with her dog.

My Querencia is New Mexico. My family has been in this area longer than our combined memory recalls. Our connection to land and water ensures our survival, but it also is the foundation of our community development, morals, and values and from which my responsibility to community stems. Community organizing is my background and is the strategy I use in my work. Cookies, adventures, mountains, rivers, and being a tia is what feeds my heart. Gracias!

Kelly has a B.A. in English Writing & Philosophy and has been working at Detroit-based nonprofit organizations for the past 10 years. She’s working to help find partners and support in Michigan who share FoodCorps’ passion regarding investing in healthy futures for kids. She lives in Ferndale, Michigan, with her two dogs, Shelby and Oliver, and loves spending time with her two adorable nieces.

A fiercely proud native of Jackson, Mississippi, Kenya identifies her faith as pivotal to her being a servant leader. For over 15 years, she has served as a field director, senior adviser, campaign manager, and communication strategist for numerous campaigns and nonprofits. Kenya’s greatest joy and legacy are her babies: six smart and incredibly kind boys, three smart and fierce girls, and one smart and adorable German Shepherd/Red Heeler rescue. Of course, they all get being smart from her!

Dawn spent the beginning of her professional career working on anti-hunger and nutrition program and policy. She joined FoodCorps to lead the Connecticut Field Office after being involved with the start of FoodCorps CT in 2012. Dawn is always on the hunt for a new personal challenge, outdoor experience, and anything chocolate.

After beginning her career in publishing, Kate switched tracks to fundraising and development and joins FoodCorps after stints at the American Civil Liberties Union and Prospect Park Alliance. She has always loved cooking and eating great food, which has only been encouraged by living in New York. Originally from New Haven, Connecticut, Kate now lives with her husband and son (the next generation of foodie) in Brooklyn.

Raised gardening in Cedar Falls, Iowa, Karen served in the inaugural cohort of FoodCorps Washington, D.C service members. After her service, she remained active in the D.C. food scene teaching garden-based STEM lessons, writing environmental curriculum, becoming a certified beekeeper, and volunteering at various farmers markets. As FoodCorps Washington, D.C. fellow, Karen supported the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) and 13 service members as they connected children with real food in our nation’s capital.

Malia calls the woods, waters, and soil of Maine home, and when she is not working you can find her exploring around home by foot, snowshoe, or canoe, growing food, or making food creations! Before becoming Team Leader Malia completed a degree in Human Ecology — she is grateful for the experience because it taught her how to be a critical and engaged lifelong learner. After college she served for two years within an elementary school helping to build a lasting garden program. She believes FoodCorps service members can effect great change by uplifting the lesser heard voices in their communities and is thrilled she gets to support an amazing group of people in this work!

Jillian is a former vegetable farmer and good food advocate working to rebuild connections across community food systems, from growers to eaters and everything in between. In her previous role as Deputy Director for The Common Market Mid-Atlantic, Jillian led the outreach team to increase market access for locally grown foods to institutions in Philadelphia, Baltimore, New York City, and Washington, D.C. She also directed the marketing strategy for the national nonprofit to educate and inspire food service directors and their clientele to advocate for local food. Jillian has expertise in sustainable agriculture, CSA management, brand strategy, and institutional procurement with contract management companies and self-operated cafeterias in K-12, healthcare, government, B&I, and higher education.

Michelle is a native New Yorker and is extremely excited to join the FoodCorps family. She spent a significant portion of her professional career in corporate finance and has a diversified background in financial operations and reporting and audit and cash management. She’s passionate about helping others — she has conducted clothing drives, compiled hygiene/school kits, distributed blankets, and fed the homeless. In her leisure time, she loves hanging out with her daughter, family, and friends.

A plant-based vegan, born in Mexico and raised in California, Arely comes to FoodCorps after having spent several years leading social justice work in Los Angeles. Arely’s passion for food equity stems from working in Los Angeles’ inner cities and realizing that healthy food was inaccessible to her loved community. Her love for healthy living led her to launch several inaugural health & wellness initiatives in East L.A.’s Latinx community. When not eating delicious plants, you can catch Arely hiking, riding her bike, or dancing in her favorite onesie.

Carina Gervacio has over a decade of experience designing, teaching, and managing youth-centered food and entrepreneurship programs in the U.S. and Southeast Asia. In her previous role as Deputy Director of Brainfood, she was proud to knead pizza dough and emulsify mayonnaise alongside some of the best and brightest teens in D.C. She’s also a strong advocate for making pie crust from scratch.

Celina’s family taught her food can be an expression of love and can bring communities together! Her favorite food memories involve barbecuing with her dad and making homemade meals with her mom. These experiences combined with her relentless pursuit to learn from community, to make positive and meaningful impacts in communities, to understand public school systems, and her interest in designing equitable food systems bring her to FoodCorps. When her hands aren’t in the soil, she loves playing with her pups, spending time with loved ones, learning a new recipe, and listening to a good podcast!

Catherine (she/her) grew up in central Connecticut, and after graduating from Connecticut College spent two years serving with FoodCorps with UConn Extension. After her two years of service, Catherine went on to hold a variety of roles in the CT food system, from developing harvest of the month materials to farming in northern CT, to facilitating taste-tests of CT Grown items all over the state. As the CT Program Manager, Catherine is responsible for building and maintaining the partnerships FoodCorps has all across the state of CT. 

Midwestern through and through, Jenetta puts the heart in heartland. She packed her bags and chef’s knives and moved to Iowa from Wisconsin because she believes that all kids can grow up being nourished by food and community. As a service member, Jenetta spent her time growing loads of brassicas and supporting students in their quest to become veggie enthusiasts. What’s next on the menu? Jenetta will be cooking up community with FoodCorps alumni and chasing chickens in her yard.

Laura’s experience in school nutrition spans over 10 years. Prior to FoodCorps, Laura led partnerships to increase access to child nutrition programs with Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign. Laura’s early experience with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation involved working with industry and schools to improve beverage options in vending machines available to students. When not working to create a better school food system, Laura can be found running, reading, or racing around with her two boys and husband in Arlington, VA.

Jackie Hemann grew up in rural Southern Illinois and now calls Oakland home. She has spent the last 16 years leading programs to transform school climate in low-income East Bay schools through the nonprofit organization Playworks. In her free time Jackie loves DIY construction projects and hiking in the Bay Area hills with her dog.

Cassidy grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and now calls Fayetteville, Arkansas her home. She served 4 years of AmeriCorps service in Northwest Arkansas before she joined FoodCorps staff. Cassidy believes in the power and magic of sharing a meal and thinks that kids’ food art is the best thing ever. You can find her cruising on her bike, experimenting with herbalism, playing frisbee with friends, or laying in the park on a blanket with a good book! 

Alice joins FoodCorps from Amnesty International, where she led its global growth strategy and strategic communications for advocacy, campaigning, fundraising, and brand. In a previous life, Alice worked in the tech sector, leading product engineering teams for global e-commerce brands, and consulting. Based in her hometown of New York, she spent 10 years abroad in Singapore, Sydney, and London and will never miss the opportunity to introduce her three kids to the joys of local street food or farmers markets. Alice graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with dual bachelors of science degrees and a master’s degree.

Rebecca is a Chelsea, MA native with a history of working with a diverse array of nonprofits that serve our most vulnerable citizens. In her free time she enjoys games of all types, comic books, art-making, and napping like a champion. Rebecca places great value in treating every person with dignity and respect regardless of race, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

Tabitha is a first-generation UNM alumna with an evolving passion for highlighting the inherent assets of both individuals and communities through body awareness, food, and genuine connection. She’s homegrown from Alamogordo, New Mexico, and these passions guide her in uplifting sustainable pathways to anti-racist economic wealth and health equity for local BIPOC communities. During her dedicated self-care time, she enjoys cooking for loved ones, riding her bike, and watching one of her favorite shows, “The Mindy Project.”

Hayley loves everything about food and is fascinated by the many hands, hearts and brains it takes to get food on our plates. She believes food has the power to nourish, inspire and change lives. She also really likes eating food. Hayley served for two years in Newark and New Brunswick in her home state of New Jersey, is a home gardener and preserver, and takes advantage of every opportunity to laugh with others.

Originally from southwest Kansas, Alice joined FoodCorps Arizona as a service member after graduating with a degree in Environmental Studies: Sustainable Food and Agriculture Systems. Alice’s love of vegetables and her passion for food justice keeps her coming back to FoodCorps as she now serves on the National Programs team. When’s she’s not behind the laptop, you can find Alice reading, long-distance running, spending time with her family and rascal-y dog, or making and eating peanut butter.

Originally from the Southeast, Katrina moved to New York City by way of Seattle. She sees food as a vital avenue for social and environmental change and has worked for nonprofits and companies that agree, most recently running communications at Edible Schoolyard NYC. Katrina has also directed a documentary, and she can tell you more than you wanted to know about bean-to-bar chocolate.

Ashley encountered the world of school food when she served for two years with FoodCorps in Iowa. Enchanted by her students and the local school support, she set out to make child health a career priority. Many years on staff later, she happily works with the FoodCorps team to manage dynamic corporate partnerships. Originally from the Midwest, she is lucky to live in Minnesota with her husband and their dog. In her free time, you can find her reading, writing, eating, or thinking about food. 

Jara is a Gulfport, Mississippi native, raised by her mother and grandmother who instilled in her the value of being in service to others. FoodCorps continues to inspire her to be an advocate for food justice in her community and throughout her state. One of Jara’s nicknames is Jara Appleseed because she is always trying to find sustainable ways to help things grow. She enjoys fishing, farming and cooking.

Annika’s work is guided by her commitment to growing local resilience through food sovereignty. She came to agriculture during her time at UC Berkeley where she worked to establish a series of edible classrooms. After many moons working as a farmer, organizer, and educator in the Bay Area she is excited to join FoodCorps to support their programmatic endeavors as the Coordinator for Northern California.

Ro has always had a love for food, culture, and community. As a digital storyteller and FoodCorps’ Content Manager, her superpowers fall within the realms of photography, videography, and graphic design. In her undergrad at Boston University, she explored the science and community building power of food and learned the foundations of journalism and visual design. After completing a year of service with FoodCorps and CitySprouts in Beantown (Boston), she moved to the Big Apple to join FoodCorps’ Marketing and Communications team in 2018. She is currently based in Brooklyn, on the ancestral lands of Munsee Lenape and Canarsie tribes, and is learning the respective cultural and culinary histories of her Filipina and Hakka Chinese roots.

Sam brings over 15 years experience working with nonprofit and civic organizations across the U.S., providing strategic leadership in the development of equitable, innovative, and sustainable technology tools and platforms. Based out of San Francisco, Sam can regularly be found strolling down Telegraph Hill in search of local farmers markets, hole-in-the-wall cafes, and live jazz.

Alli joins FoodCorps after spending 8 years on the Marketing team at Teach For America. Prior to her time at TFA, Alli worked in sports marketing bringing brands to life at the London 2012 Olympics, NCAA Final Four and with the Women’s Sports Foundation. When she’s not gardening, playing basketball, or traveling, she can be found in Easton, PA with her wife and three daughters who share her love of kale, but not her love of sports.

Kane has always been drawn to the power food has in building relationships and community. After serving in his home state of Iowa, Kane set out west for Portland, Oregon. He continues to support the mission by helping to grow the FoodCorps family. When not at work, he can be found hiking, camping, and eating his way through the Pacific Northwest.

Michele returns to FoodCorps with more than 12 years of experience in corporate sales and partnership building. While serving as FoodCorps’ first Director of Corporate Partnerships from 2012-2016, she had an opportunity to be an early contributor to FoodCorps’ impact and growth and is excited to build on that work as FoodCorps continues to pursue its ambitious mission and goals. She is a graduate of Duke University, where she majored in political science and was a four-year member and captain of the nationally-ranked women’s basketball team. When not building partnerships, Michele is visiting her local farmers’ market in Easton, Pa. (established in 1752, it is the oldest continuously-operating farmers’ market in the nation), exploring historic towns, and spending time outdoors with her wife, Sara, a healthcare attorney, and their son, Jay, who lights up her life in every way.

As a public health dietitian, Morgan has spent her career serving America’s youth in Texas, California, and Virginia as a menu planner, nutrition educator, and food services operations specialist. Morgan is a strong advocate for a nation where all children have access to sustainable healthy food that links the cafeteria to the classroom. She passionately believes that a school nutrition department can be a change agent in the community when innovative partnerships are coupled with dynamic leadership. In her spare time, Morgan enjoys exploring the great outdoors and finding self-expression through dance.

Having lived in Europe and Asia, Kirra understands the value that access to healthy foods can have on communities and their ability to thrive. As the Director of Salesforce, she supports FoodCorps by keeping Salesforce data nice and tidy and ensuring that staff can get the information they need. In her free time, she enjoys making black garlic, attempting to master sourdough, and hiking Colorado’s trails with her husband and two dogs.

Eva embraced the world of good food when she started writing about the specialty food industry and simultaneously discovered her local farmers markets in Brooklyn, NY. A journalist by trade, she is now happily applying her writing and editing prowess to inspire passion for child nourishment and an equitable food system. Born in Budapest, Hungary, Eva grew up in the Bay Area, started her career in New York City, and now lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, their daughter, and their dog-like cat.

As a dedicated HR professional, Anna enjoys supporting service members and staff. Anna has spent time abroad in Asia and South America, and has an MA in Psychology. In her spare time, Anna loves hanging out with her little boys and husband, and waits impatiently for the summer when she can enjoy her local farmer’s market every weekend.

Jessica is a seasoned advocate with over 20 years of experience working with the U.S. Congress and Global Fortune 500 companies. Most recently, she led Government Affairs for Sodexo, a leading global food service firm. At Sodexo, Jessica advanced legislation to improve child health by advocating for better nutrition and food education in schools. She also managed Congressional Affairs for the auto giant Chrysler, where she helped secure billions in government bridge loans to keep the company financially viable. Jessica worked with Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) where she gained valuable experience in the legislative and political processes. Jessica is a native of New Mexico and holds a B.A. and J.D. from the University of New Mexico. She also attained her M.B.A. from The Johns Hopkins University. Jessica lives in Alexandria, VA and has two children who attend public school. She enjoys outdoor activities, cooking, and traveling.

Sequoyah Moore (she/her) is a Midwesterner whose love for food goes way back to her days as a child watching her Arkansan grandma toss magic into a pot and ladle out spoonfuls of love. With a passion for storytelling and resource-sharing, she received a degree in strategic communication in order to weave together her vision of community liberation with her skills of intentionally connecting people with life-changing information. By day, Sequoyah stays grounded in her commitment to justice, access, and equity; by night, she dreams about everyone having good food, a clean Earth, and love to rise into.

Kayo is thrilled to bring her passion for public service and sharing good food to FoodCorps. She grew up in Japan where she learned about healthy eating habits and the joy of sharing nutritious food. Before joining FoodCorps, she was a digital producer for Oregon Public Broadcasting and created multimedia features about chefs, artists, and other inspiring people.

After graduating from the University of Maine with a Bachelors of Music in Performance, Ryan landed a job with the United States House of Representatives. He left the House to start his own commercial, micro-scale, diversified farm, which grew to become the largest year-round CSA in Maine. While building his farm business, Ryan became interested and involved in food and agriculture policy, and has lobbied and written extensively about both. Ryan joins FoodCorps after working with the Natural Resources Council of Maine to establish Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, and writing the book, literally, on school food waste reduction.

Kathleen love kids, loves healthy food, and is fiercely determined to bring them together.  She has been fundraising for nonprofits, social enterprises and social impact for-profits for more than 20 years, helping raise more than $100 million dollars. Her focus has been on creating strategies to foster growth, running capital campaigns, and building major donor programs to take organizations to scale.

Building community and justice through food (and a tasty meal or two along the way) drives Aaron in both his personal and professional life. After five years with FoodCorps as both a service member and Fellow, Aaron is proud to continue serving communities across his home state in his role as the Oregon Program Manager. Outside of the office, you’ll find him canning and fermenting whatever comes across his kitchen counter, exploring a new trail, or working his way through a good book on the porch.

Robyn joins FoodCorps after completing two years of AmeriCorps service. Robyn is passionate about equipping community members with the tools they need to be successful in all areas of life. Robyn believes that in her role as Training and Events Coordinator she will be able to positively impact the work FoodCorps service members will be doing in their communities by creating inclusive trainings and brave spaces for learning.

Kali’s journey to FoodCorps began when she was a toddler, with a fascination for farms. Since then she’s worked on produce and dairy farms, with urban and rural youth empowerment farms, and has served two years with FoodCorps in her home city, Springfield, MA. Kali spends her spare time hiking, foraging, meditating, and watching TikToks of farm animals.

A Mississippi collard green, cornbread-fed native of Jackson, Felica attributes her family upbringing as the soil that would root her in love. Felica has worn many hats as she has served as a JPS substitute teacher, volunteer with the homeless, chef/teacher at an all girls annual summer camp, competitor in a national cooking competition, a minister, and her most prized role as the mother of two amazing daughters. On her off time, she can be found indulging in foodie fantasies, thrift shopping, or just hanging out with herself!

Derryck grew up in the eastern Oregon town of Ontario, which happens to be the birthplace of the tater tot. While he’s not directly responsible for that deep-fried contribution to American cuisine, he would like to provide some balance by supporting FoodCorps’ nutrition education initiatives. As the Finance and Operations Manager he supports the staff, fellows, and service members by keeping the offices open, the bills paid, and the computers working (“have you tried turning it off and on again?”)

Destiny’s passion for food justice began at Heifer International, led her to the Andean rainforest and eventually back to her home state, Arkansas. After two years of FoodCorps service, she had the honor of working with Apple Seeds Inc where she continued to engage students through farmers markets, farm field trips, and teacher workshops. To recharge, Destiny enjoys hiking with her dogs, getting dirty on her 34-acre farm, and the occasional kitchen dance/karaoke sessions (don’t try this at home). Destiny says her love for food justice is as thick as her southern accent, and she looks forward to continuing to advocate in the place she knows best.

Of her role at FoodCorps, Josie says: “There are few things more satisfying than being able to tell someone, ‘You got the job!’ In this role I get to combine many of my favorite things: building relationships, supporting meaningful work, and adding to and supporting a diverse workforce. The spirit of collaboration is thriving here and it’s such an exciting place to be!”

Lesley’s background spans from the educational to the analytical. As a former high school math teacher in Arizona, she understands first-hand the impact of healthy food and community upon kids’ ability to succeed. After teaching, she worked in accounting and data and analytics at both small and large organizations, including sustainability-centered startups. Her love of data visualization is matched only by her love of traveling and seeking out fun and new food to try with her wife and family.

Sofie arrives at FoodCorps after a number of years working at a food co-op planning events, editing publications, and managing to keep everything organized. She’s eager to bring that skill to FoodCorps! When Sofie’s not behind the laptop, you’ll find her in her kitchen, garden, or hanging out with her perfect cat.

Wenona Kei Shmull (she/her) is a FoodCorps California alumnus with experience centered in culinary arts, wellness education, and youth advocacy. She is from the island of Guam and attributes her interest in food systems to her upbringing rooted in the values of community, equity, and the power of shared meals. She holds a degree in culinary entrepreneurship and is currently studying integrative nutrition at UC San Diego.

Malaika is a D.C. native and a FoodCorps D.C. alumnus who served with the Washington Youth Garden at Hendley Elementary from 2018-2019. She has a background in environmental and food justice and experience working with local food and urban agriculture non-profits. She is excited to support, mentor, and appreciate service members within the cohort. In her free time she loves to dance, watch Netflix, and chill in parks.

Nathan was a FoodCorps service member for a year in Connecticut and two years in Iowa. At the heart of his service was an investment in supporting teachers to implement innovative, culturally responsive farm to school programs. Now he’s thrilled to continue that passion by supporting Iowa’s amazing service members and sites. Outside of work you can catch Nathan making pottery, collecting plant clippings from public spaces, or climbing trees.

Constantly awed by the bounty and diversity of California’s people, places, and foods, Cassie’s hobbies encompass appreciating all that her native state has to offer. Her experience as a Service Member at Oakland Unified School District reinforced the desire to support communities and schools as we grow equitable food systems together. As the Senior Coordinator, Cassie now happily supports the cohort of service members who are teaching, empowering, mentoring, and feeding California’s youth.

Ashley joined the FoodCorps team with past work experience in both the nonprofit and government sectors, both at home and abroad, as well as a strong commitment to public service. An avid gardener and mushroom forager, Ashley loves cooking with fresh local ingredients and spending time around a table with family and friends.

Joining the FoodCorps team in January 2020, Ina is excited about finding others who are passionate about creating a healthier world, changing the food and agriculture system, and removing barriers to equity and inclusion. In previous positions, Ina has worked to build innovation strategies in the healthcare industry and implement diversity and inclusion programs at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. When not working, Ina loves to dance ballet, travel, read, and garden.

Sarah sees nourishment and food education as a nexus for social, environmental, and economic justice. When she’s not working, you may find her hosting dinner parties, experimenting with home fermentation, or hiking with her husband and son.

Annalise envisions a food system where everyone, regardless of their background, has access to healthy food that is good for people and the planet. A recent transplant from New Jersey, Annalise is excited for her to support service members and foster relationships with partners throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In her spare time, you can find Annalise at the beach, making pottery, or dabbling in the sport of equestrian vaulting.

Mamiko is thrilled to bring her dedication to social change and food justice to FoodCorps’ policy efforts. Since graduating from The Ohio State University, Mamiko has worked in the nonprofit sector, first managing a cultural education program connecting the Japanese expat and Central Ohio communities, and most recently in Kansas City advocating for policies that promote healthy, equitable, and sustainable food systems. When not in the office, Mamiko loves cooking Japanese food, exploring D.C. neighborhoods, and daydreaming about her next trips into nature.

Olivia joined FoodCorps after many years of working in community based non-profits and schools focused on food education and youth development. In her current role, Olivia loves dreaming up training opportunities that will be beneficial and interesting for service members. When she isn’t busy planning a FoodCorps training event, she can be found outside running or hiking trails, biking, gardening or painting in her art studio.

You BUTTER believe it, Erin Wenk is now Michigan’s Program Coordinator! She had an EGG-cellent time serving for three years with FoodCorps in Flint, Michigan (FC Alum ’19, ’20, ’21.) It may be a bit CORN-y, but her students called her “Farmer Erin.” (And NOTHING is cuter than a Pre-K student yelling, “Farmer Erin is here!”) Erin believes it is essential to say ‘JELLO’ to every dog on the street. Erin RELISHES reading, listening to podcasts, hiking, spending time with friends and cooking in her spare THYME. LETTUCE TURNIP the BEET and try things! You think this bio is CHEESY? Well, that’s just how Erin ROLLS. (She really KALE-ed it with the puns.)

Jessicah (“Jessi”) brings a record of building development departments and communications strategies that have led organizations to dramatically increase their revenue and reach. Prior to FoodCorps, she had the privilege to work for Per Scholas and Generation Citizen during periods of rapid growth. Her career began in corporate advertising, the skills from which she has transferred to amplify the work and brands of her cherished mission-driven organizations. A native of a rural town in Kansas called Winfield, ranchers and farmers are baked in her genes. A favorite day of hers as a child was spent on a family friend’s farm feeding pigs (her absolute favorite farm animal).

For more than two decades, Ellen Moncure Wong has helped connect philanthropic dollars with organizations driving major social and environmental change. Prior to joining FoodCorps, Ellen worked in resource development for the American Civil Liberties Union, the Coro New York Leadership Center, the Environmental Defense Fund, and So Others Might Eat. Ellen’s commitment to sustainable food systems stretches back to her roots as a farm girl in rural Virginia, but her passion for connecting all kids to real food is inspired by raising two sons in Flatbush, Brooklyn. Ellen believes in healthy communities and schools, is an active volunteer and community activist, and is the Founder of the Flatbush Family Network.

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