Senior Change Designer

Background

My career path leading to Forum has been varied, but always with a focus on food, agriculture, and education. Originally from Virginia in the United States, I started my career working on farms and developing community and schoolyard gardens. I then managed farmers markets in New York before moving to Washington, DC to teach cooking and gardening to primary school children as a FoodCorps Service Member. Following graduate school, I worked in school food operations managing federal school meal programs and facilitating farm to school initiatives and strategic planning. I also conducted an equity-centered analysis of food access landscapes, researching how school systems and community-based organizations work to support children and families experiencing food insecurity.

Most recently before joining Forum, I worked with Common Grain Alliance—a member network of farmers, value-added producers, and other stakeholders working together to build a regenerative grain economy in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. I facilitated discussions between the member network and partners and coordinated collaboration along the value chain to create new direct-to-consumer market opportunities, explore shared infrastructure innovations, and implement consumer education initiatives.

I hold a Bachelor of Urban and Environmental Planning with a minor in Global Sustainability from the University of Virginia and completed my M.A. in Sociology of Education from the Institute of Education at University College London on a Fulbright Scholarship.

My dream project

My favourite projects involve value chain coordination, especially at the local or regional level. I really enjoy supporting fruitful connections among stakeholders that lead to resource sharing, coalition building, new programs and strategies, and ultimately more robust, equitable, and regenerative food systems.

What floats my boat outside work?

I love exploring the green spaces in and around London with my dog, Bruce, and observing the changing seasons. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen either experimenting with new recipes or cooking family recipes by heart (mostly my Nana’s eggplant parmesan). I also really enjoy watching soccer, especially the women’s game.

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