MEMBER-LED & STUDENT-DRIVEN

NAFSN is guided by a Leadership Circle of food systems professionals from throughout the North America.

The legwork of NAFSN is accomplished by a team of student staff members from Cornell Univ & interns from other universities. 

In this way, NAFSN blends experiences, expertise, and energies to forge an inclusive, multi-generational, cross-sectional network of food systems professionals.

Mia Barratt

Jobs & Website Manager

Cornell University

Nika Colley

Webinar Producer & Host

Cornell University

Eric Dong

CARAT Project Manager

Cornell University

Liam Du

Jobs & CARAT Tools Developer

Cornell University

Queen Guobadia

Webinar Producer & Co-Host         

Cornell University

Rachel Horne

Webinar Technical Intern

Cape Fear Community College

Emily Lau

Social Media Manager 

Cornell University

Vivian Le

Podcast Producer

University of Gastronomic        Science at Pollenzo

Loraine Liu

Memberships Manager

Cornell University

Alexandra Piske

Webinar Marketing Intern

Oklahoma State University

Dr. Judith Anglin

Partner Representative

Judith is a nutrition scientist and registered dietitian nutritionist. She has more than 20 years experience in clinical practice research, and program development, most recently at the University of the District of Columbia in Washington DC as department chair of Health, Nursing and Nutrition. READ MORE.

Kathryn Barr

Network Builder

Kathryn (Katie) currently works for The Common Market and is a champion for Farm Stops, a new "consignment" model  that support small and mid-scale producers with direct-to-consumer sales venues that they don't have to directly manage. She serves as a NAFSN Network Builder. READ MORE.

Pamela Berg

Partner Representative

Pam is the Academic Program Manager at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future. Working remotely from Chicago, IL, she manages the Center's online courses and helps build educational programs and resources to reach new students, including food systems practitioners. Pam contributes to NAFSN's Productions Circle. READ MORE.  

Dr. Regina Bernard-Carreno

Sunday Custard, Editor

Regina is an Associate Professor of Youth Studies at the CUNY School of Professional Studies. Born and raised in Hell's Kitchen, NYC, and her research focuses on race, class, food inequalities, narratives of women of color's wellness, and engaged activism among NYC's youth.  READ MORE. 

Michelle Brooks

Network Builder

Michelle is an experienced digital asset manager in both corporate and fine arts institutions, and currently works remotely as a digital specialist for Amy's Kitchen in CA. She is also a graduate student at Thomas Jefferson University in PA with an interest in sustainable fibers and textile design. READ MORE.

Dr. Susan Chen

SJSU, Student Chapter Advisor 

As an associate professor at San Jose State University in the Department of Nutrition, Food Science, and Packaging, Dr. Chen guides the NAFSN-SJSU Student Chapter in CA. She is a public health nutrition researcher exploring the intersection between community food security and sustainable food systems practices.  READ MORE.

Amy Christian

Lyson Center Co-Director

Amy is the co-director of the Lyson Center and managing editor of the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, which is published by the Lyson Center, a project of the Center for Transformative Action. She currently lives and works in Ithaca, NY. READ MORE.

Devin Cornia

Partner Representative

Devin is the executive director of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey (NOFA-NJ), and owner of Hungry Work LLC. He acts as a partner representative for NAFSN, connecting us to other food systems professionals throughout his NJ. READ MORE.

Natalie Cruz

Leadership Circle Co-Chair

Natalie is an Afro-Latina culinary professional, decolonized food systems expert, and food writer. Natalie is currently writing a cookbook on the African Diaspora in Latin America and  the Food for Thought column on Substack. She is also the Community and Volunteer Program Manager at the Riverdale Neighborhood House in the Northwest Bronx, NY. Natalie serves as NAFSN's Leadership Circle co-chair. READ MORE.

Joy Davis

Food Systems Consultants Forum Coordinator

Joy is the assistant program manager for the Revel Meat Co in OR where she helps to expand their traceability program. During her undergraduate years at Cornell University, she co-founded & co-hosted our popular  "Finding Your Future in Food Systems" series. Joy currently helps to coordinate NAFSN's community food systems consultants forum. READ MORE.

Peggy Fogarty

Treasurer

Peggy brings more than two decades of executive community food systems development work to her current role as program manager at TeamAg Inc in PA. She also owns Fogarty Consulting: Cooperative Agriculture Systems. Peggy acts as NAFSN's treasurer and also provides capacity building guidance.  She was a featured practitioner in our Trailblazer Series for 2023. READ MORE.

Ali Ghiorse

Core Competencies Assessment Advisor

As a long-time, bi-coastal advocate for more equitable, resilient and regional food systems, Ali is the founder of The Foodshed Network, an education platform and resource to amplify changemakers in CT. The Foodshed Network convenes two local initiatives: Greenwich Food Alliance and The Foodshed Forum. READ MORE.

Dr. Gilbert Gillespie

Lyson Support Circle Chair

Gil is a sociologist retired from Cornell University, where he worked to support more civic forms of local food system social "infrastructure." In "retirement," he now lives in rural Iowa with his wife on her family's farmstead where they operate a small-scale farm producing food for local consumption. He serves on the Lyson Center's Advisory Board providing continuity between NAFSN and its sister programs, including JAFSCD.

Erica Hall

Membership Circle Chair

As the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Florida Food Policy Council, and a long time food equity champion and environmental activist, Erica works to address gaps and affect policy within the food system through integrity and collaboration for the benefit of Floridians and the environment. She currently serves as the chair of NAFSN's Membership Circle.

Kim Hines

Leadership Co-Chair

As the former executive director of Augusta Locally Grown in Augusta, GA, and an adjunct assistant professor of food systems studies at Augusta University, Kim currently provides full time support to NAFSN and its sister programs, JAFSCD, CARAT and ACRE of the Lyson Center. She currently serves as NAFSN's Leadership co-chair, and lives and works out of Washington, DC.

Michaela Lubbers

Student Chapters Liaison

Michaela is graduate student and an IPM & Sustainability Communications Specialist at Bugwood Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health of the University of Georgia in Tifton, GA. Michaela provides guidance to NAFSN's student chapter chairs, and is passionate about rural education in agriculture. READ MORE.

Heidi Mouillesseaux-Kunzman 

Lyson Center Advisor to NAFSN

Heidi is Senior Extension Associate with the Community and Regional Development Institute (CaRDI) in the Department of Development Sociology at Cornell University. Current projects include the CALS NYS Internship, an initiative to connect employers and communities with exceptional and motivated College of Agriculture and Life Sciences students. READ MORE.

Grace McVay

Internship Opportunities Manager

At Penn State University, Grace earned a degree in agribusiness management with a specialization in horticulture. After graduating completed a term of service through  AmeriCorps at the Mountain Roots Food Project in CO. Grace is currently an intern at Voiz Academy in sustainability analysis. She contributed to NAFSN's ACRE training program and now manages our internships page. READ MORE.

Daniela Ochoa Gonzalez

International Collaborations

Daniela specializes in Spanish, English and French content and training to reach zero waste, improve food systems and expand regenerative agriculture practices, and currently works as a project manager at the University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. She helps NAFSN forge connections within her native country of Mexico. READ MORE.

Sara Prout

ACRE Circle Chair

Sara is a lifetime non-profit development professional and accomplished relationship manager, finding joy in increasing efficacy and matching resources with remarkable regional programs — especially those addressing local and global environmental and political concerns related to sustainable agriculture and food systems, community food security and farmland conservation.  She chairs NAFSN's ACRE Circle. READ MORE

Dr. Brian Raison

Partner Representative

Brian is an Ohio State University faculty member teaching on-campus and working statewide in the Extension community development program area as a leadership specialist. His current research and teaching focus is leadership development. He has also worked extensively in strategic planning, often within the local food systems arena. He assists NAFSN with capacity building.  READ MORE.

Dr. Dawn Rodriguez-Ward

NCSU Student Chapter Advisor

As the Program Coordinator for AgBioFEWS at North Carolina State University, Dawn also acts as faculty advisor for the NAFSN student chapter at NCSU. She works on conservation and development issues in Latin America, with research interests in natural resource use and management, agroforestry,  non-timber forest products. REDD+ and forest governance. READ MORE

Nikki Seibert Kelley

Partner Representative

Nikki, of Wit Meets Grit, works as a Southeast-based consultant to increase the capacity of organizations and businesses through innovative, equitable, and inclusive economic development. One of her recent projects is Growing Local SC, for which she plays a leadership role with support from the USDA Regional Food Systems Partnerships program. Nikki also contributes to NAFSN's CARAT project. READ MORE

Dr. Yona Sipos

UW Student Chapter Advisor

Working at the intersection of food systems, sustainability, community-engaged scholarship, and equity, Yona investigated long-term partnerships critical for community food systems while at the University of British Columbia. Now at the University of Washington, she helped launch the new major in Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health. She is the faculty advisor for the NAFSN student chapter at UW. READ MORE

Ani Steel

Webinar Host

Ani is a food scholar with interest in destination management, culinary tourism, and storytelling and currently works for History Colorado. During her time with the Center for the Regional Agriculture, Food, and Transformation, she contributed to the Food Lover's Elective: A CRAFT Conversation Series. She is now the host of NAFSN's Growing Evidence podcast. READ MORE.

Nic Tedesco

Partner Representative

As the director of The Center for Food Equity & Economic Development (FEED) in Bridgeport, CT, Nic brings years of experience in food and nutrition access programming. More recently he has been deeply involved in food policy advocacy work at the state level, specifically around school meals. READ MORE

Debra Tropp

CARAT Circle Chair

Debbie is a retired USDA AMS chief and analyst who currently works as a consultant to provide training, technical assistance, and grant support on local/regional food systems issues to communities, government agencies, foundations and NGOs. She serves on the Lyson Center's Advisory Board and currently chairs the development of CARAT: the Community Agriculture Resiliency Audit Tool. READ MORE

Dr. Kareem Usher

COM-FED Chair

Kareem is an associate professor of City and Regional Planning at The Ohio State University's Knowlton School of Architecture. His academic identity can be described as a public scholar who strives to create a peaceful, joyful and loving world through community-engaged planning research - the co-production of knowledge between community members and faculty, with the site of inquiry being food systems at the neighborhood scale.  READ MORE

Adrian Evans

NCSU Student Chapter Co-Chair

Adrian is a senior at North Carolina State University studying Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems and double minoring in Soil Science and Environmental Science. His interests include farm work, conservation/ecological Science, and non-profit work. 

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Charlotte Yancy

NCSU Student Chapter Co-Chair

Charlotte has lived what she describes as some of the best years of her life on North Carolina State University’s campus and is now preparing to graduate with a degree in agroecology and sustainable food systems with a concentration in urban horticulture and a minor in plant biology.

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Jordan Cote Kuzmich

UW Student Chapter Co-Chair

Caitlin Soler

UW Student Chapter Co-Chair

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Mekky Moges

SJSU Student Chapter Co-Chair

Mekky is an undergraduate student pursuing dietetics at San Jose State University and is currently the president of the Nutrition and Food Science Club, looking for research opportunities and experience from nutrition professionals.

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Samantha Dahlberg

SJSU Student Chapter Co-Chair

Samantha is a student at San Jose State University studying Nutritional Sciences with a concentration in Applied Nutrition and Food Science. She is the Community Service Chair and NAFSN co-chair within the NuFS Club on campus, and passionate about how nutrition and lifestyle choices can improve one's health and well-being.

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