Jon Belber
Workshop: [A2] Strategies for Creating and Sustaining Successful Farm to School Programs
Jon has been the Education Director at Holly Hill Farm since 2004. Since that time he has grown farm to school partnerships between Holly Hill Farm and 40 nearby schools in 9 local cities and towns plus Boston involving field trips, school garden education, teacher trainings, and more.

Christine Beling
Workshop: [B2] School Food Waste Reduction and Recovery
Christine joined the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA New England) in December 1994. She is currently a member of the Assistance and Pollution Prevention Unit in the Office of Environmental Stewardship.  Chris’ role in the unit is to promote EPA’s mission in the area of Sustainable Materials Management.  The unit focuses on non-regulatory initiatives aimed at extended product responsibility/product stewardship, waste prevention, reuse and recycling actions by the public and private sectors.  Christine holds a B.S in Chemical Engineering from Tufts University.

Joanna Benoit
Workshop: [C5] Food Hubs: Collaborating on Processing and Distribution for Farm to School Success
Joanna is the Food Systems Program Manager at the Franklin County Community Development Corporation where she works with food businesses on starting up and scaling up. She also manages Valley Vegetables where she connects local farmers, processors, and buyers. Outside of work, she loves to be outside and has a love of craft beer.

Nick Cacciolfi
Workshop: [C3] Farm to Summer: Bringing Fresh, Local Foods to Summer Meals
Nick joined the Waltham Boys & Girls Club team as the Director of Operations in July of 2015. In 2016 he took over the operations and management of the Club’s Summer & School Year Foods Program, helping grow the yearly meals served from 25,500 to 44,000 meals, a 72% increase.  He has an extensive background in program management, evaluation, growth and partnership development.  Last year, the Waltham Boys & Girls Club utilized over 2400 pounds of Waltham Fields farm fresh produce that was integrated into their meals program.   He credits the Club’s commitment to healthy lifestyle educational programs that help teach youth the importance of nutrition in creating a strong mind, body & soul.

Giuliana Cappucci
Workshop: [C7] Harvest of the Month: Beyond the Lunch Line
Giuliana has worked in the food justice system in Lowell for five years. She believes that any child should have equitable access to nutritious, locally grown food, and have an understanding of where food comes from.

Tim Connelly
Workshop: [B6] Fish out of Water: Lessons, Games, and Activities That Bring the Ocean to the Classroom
Tim graduated from Union College in 2011, and began splitting his time between farming and outdoor education programs around Massachusetts. He moved to Martha’s Vineyard in 2013, served as Education Director at The Farm Institute until 2016, and joined Island Grown Schools in 2017.

Kelly Cronin
Workshop: [B3] Aligning Garden-Based Learning with Your School’s Curriculum
Kelly has been a special education teacher in the Salem Public Schools for 7 years.  She helped to create the school garden at her elementary school, and has led an extra-curricular Garden Club program for 5 years.  Kelly is working to align and integrate Farm to School programming throughout the K-5 curriculum. She has a Master’s Degree in Moderate Special Needs (K-8) from Endicott College. Kelly believes that using the school garden as a teaching tool, and integrating Farm to School programming allows greater opportunities for all students to access the curriculum, and learn about healthy food choices, in a fun and engaging way.

Lisa Damon
Workshop: [C6] Using Public Policy to Expand Farm to School in Massachusetts
Lisa is the Co-director of Massachusetts Farm to School and works with farmers, food service operators, food distributors, and farm to school advocates in central and western Massachusetts to assist in farm to school efforts. After growing up on a farm in the Hudson Valley, Lisa attended Boston University for degrees in Environmental Policy and went on to earn an M.S. in Agriculture and Nutrition Policy from the Tufts’ Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. Before joining the Mass. Farm to School, Lisa worked for the Mass. Department of Agricultural Resources for five years where she coordinated the Department’s nutrition programs within the Division of Agricultural Markets.

Matthew Delaney
Workshop: [B2] School Food Waste Reduction and Recovery
Matthew is the Food Services Director for Wellesley Public Schools and works with other town departments on many food waste and food rescue initiatives. Matthew has previously worked with Raytheon, The Cheesecake Factory, and Walt Disney World and has been a part of food waste & waste reduction and food recovery programs for over 20 years. Through his experience and resources, he educates students, families, towns, colleges and school districts on these programs. Matthew is an FMP and  attended the Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of Houston.

Jenny Devivo
Workshop: [B5] Seafood Throwdown
Jenny is the Head Chef and Cafeteria Director for the Up Island Regional School District on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. Since her food program’s inception in September of 2011, Jenny has made it her mission to source local food for the school’s daily lunches. Part of that dedication is about fostering real relationships with local food purveyors, farmers and fisherman alike. Jenny has pioneered several Farm and Sea to School programs and continues to teach local food driven cooking workshops throughout New England. Through her leadership, she has formed meaningful alliances which enable her to teach students how their food makes its way into their lunch trays.

Amy Donovan
Workshop: [B2] School Food Waste Reduction and Recovery
Amy is the Program Director at Franklin County Solid Waste District.  25 public schools in Franklin County, including seven high schools, compost food and paper waste from cafeterias and kitchens. From 2016-2018, Donovan used a MassDEP School Recycling Assistance Grant to implement compost programs in seven Greenfield Public Schools.

Sara Dufour
Workshop: [A2] Strategies for Creating and Sustaining Successful Farm to School Programs
Sara has worked as the School Nutrition Director of Quincy Public Schools since 2016. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from the UMass Amherst and a Post-Baccalaureate in Nutrition, through Simmons University, and has obtained a Registered Dietitian license through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Currently, Sara is working toward a Nutrition Masters at Framingham State University. As director, she understands the importance of early nutrition intervention for K-12 students.  Through her work experience, she has seen the reward of grant funded programs that help need-based communities.

Jen Faigel
Workshop: [B8] Seeing Market Gaps as Opportunities in Farm to School
Jen is a co-founder of the former CropCircle Kitchen, now CommonWealth Kitchen, and stepped in as Executive Director in 2014. Jen is responsible for setting organizational strategy, raising funds, wrangling staff and businesses, and developing and managing strategic partnerships. Jen’s background is in real estate and community economic development. She was the lead real estate consultant for the $15 million Pearl project, which is now home to CWK’s flagship kitchen operation.

Jennifer Feller
Workshop: [B3] Aligning Garden-Based Learning with Your School’s Curriculum
Jennifer is Drumlin Farm’s Education Manager. She has over 25 years of experience teaching and leading K-12 environmental, science, and math education. Jennifer has consulted with low-income schools across the country on quality improvement, program evaluation and turnaround strategies, and has taught both outdoor leadership skills and science and math in Boston. She holds a B.S. in biology from Yale University and an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Lisa Fernandes
Workshop: [A8] Weaving New Narratives for Food Futures
Lisa serves as the Communication Director for Food Solutions New England, a regional network based at the UNH Sustainability Institute and is also the founder and board president of The Resilience Hub, based in Portland, Maine. She is an experienced facilitator, communicator and permaculture designer/educator who believes that the strategies of resilience-building, re-skilling and re-localization are among the best we have for creating vibrant communities and for navigating future challenges. Lisa attended Boston College and The Evergreen State College and has worked in the public, private and non-profit sectors, including several years as owner of a software firm with more than 100 client companies across the region.

Danielle Fleury
Workshop: [B7] Distilling the Data: Tips for Using Existing Research and Tracking your Progress toward Program Goals
Danielle is the Regional Farm to School Lead for USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service Northeast Region. In this capacity, she works with seven Northeast states to support the integration of local foods into child nutrition programs. Previously, Danielle worked on education and nutrition policy with the Massachusetts State Legislature.

Kyle Foley
Workshop: [A5] Developing Community Partnerships to Promote Local Sea to School
Kyle is the sustainable seafood program manager at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute based in Portland, Maine. She manages the Gulf of Maine Responsibly Harvested program, which engages seafood processors, retailers, and institutions in sourcing seafood that is traceable and meets important criteria around responsible harvest.

Holly Fowler
Workshop: [A3] Creating Change in the Cafeteria Through Community Collaboration
Holly is the Co-founder and CEO of Northbound Ventures. She is a recognized sustainability leader, systems thinker, and strategic advisor with fifteen years of international business experience. n the community, Holly is a co-organizer of the Boston Area Sustainability Group, advisor to CitySprouts and Net Impact Boston, Teaching Fellow for the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship, and Ambassador for the International Living Future Institute, which administers the Living Building and Living Community Challenges. Holly holds a Professional Certificate in Sustainable Food Systems Leadership from the University of Vermont, a Masters in Business Administration from Babson College, and a BA from Bowdoin College.

Kevin Gibbons
Workshop: [A5] Developing Community Partnerships to Promote Local Sea to School
Kevin is the Executive Chef at The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. He has been at UMass Dartmouth for 7 years and has been with Chartwells Higher Education for 15 years and was the winner of the Regional Chef of the Year in 2016. He is also a certified farmer for the UMass Dartmouth Freight Farm, an on-campus, hydroponic leafy green machine. He has taught students at UMass Dartmouth about sustainability for 4 years. He also leads the culinary club at UMass Dartmouth.

Hope Guardenier
Workshop: [A6] Creative Solutions to Expand Farm to School Programming: Results from Community-Partnered Research in Massachusetts Schools
Hope is the Executive Director of School Sprouts Educational Gardens.

Mistelle Hannah, MPH, RD, LDN
Workshop: [A6] Creative Solutions to Expand Farm to School Programming: Results from Community-Partnered Research in Massachusetts Schools
Mistelle is the Food Service Director for Northampton Public Schools.

Rachel Harb
Workshop: [B7] Distilling the Data: Tips for Using Existing Research and Tracking your Progress toward Program Goals
Rachel is the Program Specialist for Massachusetts Farm to School. She spearheads farm to school trainings and professional development programs across the state such as the Mass. Farm & Sea to School Conference and the Mass. Farm to School Institute. In previous roles, Rachel expanded and institutionalized local food purchasing programs for UMass Amherst Dining Services and the Chicopee, MA public school district.

Ryan Harb
Workshop: [B4] Policies Promoting Racial Equity and Social Justice: Case Study Amherst-Pelham Schools Food Services
Ryan is a food service and local food consultant who co-led the successful transition of Amherst-Pelham Public Schools Food Services to an in-house program in SY17-18. In less than one year, he implemented numerous changes that led to huge increases in staff diversity, meal counts and revenue, and local/regional food sourcing.

Gabby Headrick, MSPH, RDN
Workshop: [A1] Exchanging Cultures Through School Food: Developing Culturally-Relevant Meals for the School Cafeteria
Gabby joined the Cambridge Public Health Department in March of 2018. She was drawn to the role because of the unique collaboration between the Health Department and Cambridge Public Schools. Gabby assists CPSD in diversifying school lunch by overseeing taste tests of potential entrees from across the globe.

Madelyn Herzog
Workshop: [A3] Creating Change in the Cafeteria Through Community Collaboration
Madelyn came to Healthy Chelsea originally as a FoodCorps service member in 2014 and has been collaborating with the Chelsea Public Schools since then. As School Programs Coordinator, she works closely with Chelsea School Food Services and the district around cafeteria improvement initiatives. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Economics from Northwestern University. Outside of work, Madelyn enjoys spending time in nature, working toward social and racial justice, and cooking with friends.

Susannah Hinman
Workshop: [B1] Farm to School Program Blossoms after Marketing Students Promote Harvest of the Month
Workshop: [C5] Food Hubs: Collaborating on Processing and Distribution for Farm to School Success
Susannah is the Sales Manager at the Worcester Regional Food Hub. Susannah oversees the purchasing, sales, and distribution of local food from the farms and producers in the Worcester Regional Food Hub’s network. Susannah came to the Food Hub in 2017 from a long career in wholesale organic produce sales in North Carolina.  Originally from southeastern MA, she developed an interest in the importance of sustainable food and farming systems while living in VT and working on small, family owned farms and restaurants.  She is passionate about using her background to contribute to central Massachusetts’ vibrant regional food economy. One of her favorite parts of the job is working with school food service departments to facilitate increased consumption of local foods.

Maryann Hoenig
Workshop: [B1] Farm to School Program Blossoms after Marketing Students Promote Harvest of the Month
Maryann is a Business Teacher at Bartlett High School. Maryann has been teaching Marketing, Accounting and Business Law at Bartlett High School in Webster for 18 years. She is also the Advisor to the Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA), which runs the school store and sponsors business-oriented learning opportunities for Bartlett students. In addition she helps run a family business with her husband near their home in Thompson, CT. She is the mother of two daughters, one is a registered nurse and the other is an educator at Nature’s Classroom in Lake George, NY.

Mellissa Honeywood, RDN
Workshop: [A1] Exchanging Cultures Through School Food: Developing Culturally-Relevant Meals for the School Cafeteria
Mellissa is the Food Service Director for Cambridge Public Schools. Mellissa delights in the privilege of serving the students of Cambridge wholesome meals so they are well nourished and ready to get the most from their education every day. She has worked to diversify the lunch menu since 2012.

Simca Horwitz
Workshop: [C6] Using Public Policy to Expand Farm to School in Massachusetts
Simca is the Co-Director of Massachusetts Farm to School where works with farmers, food service directors and advocates to increase local foods procurement and education at schools and other institutions. She is passionate about building a vibrant local food system and has worked for the past 15 years at a variety of food and agriculture organizations in greater Boston including three years as a vegetable farmer. Simca holds an M.S. in Food and Agriculture Policy from the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.

Sam Icklan, MS
Workshop: [A1] Exchanging Cultures Through School Food: Developing Culturally-Relevant Meals for the School Cafeteria
Sam is the Director of Chefs in Schools at Project Bread. Sam has been working with food for 19 years in restaurants, schools and summer camps. Sam has been cooking exclusively for children and young adults since 2010, and has worked with students from pre-k through college. Sam holds an MS in Food Systems and a professional certificate in Sustainable Food Systems Leadership from the University of Vermont.

Abby Johnstone
Workshop: [C2] Salad Days: Using School Gardens to Launch Farm to School Programs, Policies, and Culture in your School
Abby is a recent graduate of Connecticut College and the current FoodCorps service member at Backyard Growers. She completed her thesis on “Cultivating the Farm-to-school Policy Network: The Power of Coordinated Relationships in Institutionalizing Public Policy” and participated in a panel at the National Farm to Cafeteria Conference in 2018.

Anna Kelchin
Workshop: [C3] Farm to Summer: Bringing Fresh, Local Foods to Summer Meals
Anna is the Assistant Farm Manager at Waltham Fields Community Farm.  She has been an organic vegetable grower for the past six years with a focus on making fresh, local food accessible to people of all income levels. She has also worked with Groundwork Somerville, teaching in their Schoolyard Garden Programs and also holds a Masters in Education studying farm-based education through the arts.

Megan Lehnerd
Workshop: [A6] Creative Solutions to Expand Farm to School Programming: Results from Community-Partnered Research in Massachusetts Schools
Megan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Food and Nutrition at Framingham State University.

Hannah Leighton
Workshop: [B6] Distilling the Data: Tips for Using Existing Research and Tracking your Progress toward Program Goals
Hannah is the Research and Evaluation Manager at Farm to Institution New England, a regional organization working to transform New England’s food system by getting more local food into institutions. She has a Master’s degree in Sustainability Science from UMASS Amherst, and previously wrote about food and farming on vegetable and small-scale livestock farms across the country.

Joanne Lennon
Workshop: [C4] Make Farm to Breakfast a Reality in Your School
Joanne Lennon is the Food Service Director for Chicopee Public Schools. She has been a foodservice professional for over twenty years, and was identified by the Henry P. Kendall Foundation as a leader of change in the food movement and a champion for nutritious school meals.

Lara Lepionka
Workshop: [A9] Farm to Early Care & Education: Growing Healthy Eaters and Engaged Learners
Faced with the 2008 recession, Lara and her family tore out their lawn and created a micro urban farm in the heart of downtown Gloucester. In 2010 with $6,000, Lara helped a handful of her neighbors start their own vegetable gardens, and Backyard Growers was born. Her ultimate goal: creating life-long gardeners inspired by the power of growing one’s own food. 9 years later, Backyard Growers has grown  to include 150 low- to moderate-income Gloucester households growing their food; gardens for partners providing produce for 2 homeless shelters, the local food pantry, and a health center; 5 community gardens; a school garden program serving all 8 Gloucester schools and Pathways for Children, and a signature school garden program that has been replicated in numerous Massachusetts school districts. Prior to Backyard Growers, she was trained as a community-based artist, having received her MFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, training that has informed and inspired her to transform her community into a network of gardens brimming with creativity, community and, of course, food.

Jamey Lionette
Workshop: [B5] Seafood Throwdown
Jamey is currently the Director of Sustainable Seafood Program at Red’s Best – specifically bringing local fish from community based boats into New England institutions, universities, public Schools, health care facilities. He is a board member of Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance.  He has been involved in local food systems for decades in Boston.  He has owned a butcher shop and restaurant focusing on local food, was the administrator to an urban farm in Roxbury & Dorchester, consulted on many aspects of the local food supply, procurement at City Fresh Foods, co-organized the first two Boston Local Food Festivals, and has been involved in Cochon555.  He also currently volunteers for The New Garden Society and sits on several committees and advisory boards on local food systems and community organizing.

Amy MacKown
Workshop: [B5] Seafood Throwdown
Amy is a community organizer at Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance. Although she currently resides in Rhode Island, Amy hails from Maryland’s Eastern Shore and brings a wealth of ocean conservation and policy experience from her background including NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. Amy holds a masters in Environmental Policy and graduate certificate in Ecological Economics from the University of Maryland. In 2015 she was presented the Promoting our Natural Resources Award by the US. Dept of the Interior in recognition of her work in the National Wildlife Refuges of New England and the Mid-Atlantic.

Eilisha Manandhar
Workshop: [A8] Weaving New Narratives for Food Futures
Eilisha is the BOSFoodLove Program Coordinator through the Mayor’s Office of Food Access. She served as a City Year AmeriCorps member in two Boston Public Schools.  Eilisha earned her B.S in Dietetics and a Certificate in Global Health from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Born in Nepal, her passion for food is rooted in her background. Eilisha hopes to make healthy, nutritious food equitable, accessible, and culturally relevant, especially for underrepresented, marginalized communities.

Liz Manning
Workshop: [A2] Strategies for Creating and Sustaining Successful Farm to School Programs
Liz is Principal Planner for the City of Quincy. With 20 years of planning and community development experience, she helped win a USDA Farm to School Grant for the Quincy Public Schools in 2015. Since that time, she has worked to facilitate and strengthen Quincy’s farm to school partnership with Holly Hill Farm.

Jennifer Martinez
Workshop: [A3] Creating Change in the Cafeteria Through Community Collaboration
Jennifer is the Youth Food Movement Coordinator with Healthy Chelsea. She helps Chelsea youth to learn about social justice, food justice, and ways to help improve their school food. Jennifer is also a 2016 Chelsea High School graduate and Chelsea resident. Jennifer was a member of the Youth Food Movement while she was a junior at Chelsea High School. Prior to her current role, she served as a FoodCorps service member with Healthy Chelsea from August 2017 to July 2018.

Erin McAleer
Workshop: [C3] Farm to Summer: Bringing Fresh, Local Foods to Summer Meals
As President of Project Bread, Erin uses her background in public policy and health and human services to address food insecurity in Massachusetts at the macro level. She previously worked as Director of Opportunity Boston, for Be The Change, Inc., to improve opportunities for children living in poverty. Prior to that, Erin held several senior roles as a member of Governor Deval Patrick’s administration, including serving as Director of Cabinet Affairs, Legislative Director for the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, and Chief of Staff at the Department of Transitional Assistance. Erin has also served as Senior Associate and Government Affairs Consultant at Charles Group Consulting; Fiscal Policy Analyst in the Executive Office of Administration & Finance; and Research Analyst for State Legislature’s Joint Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse. Erin has been mentoring women in Boston since 2008 through Big Sister Association and Noonan Scholars. Erin holds a B.A. in History from Holy Cross and a M.S.W. in Community Organizing, Public Policy and Administration from Boston College.

Peter McLoughlin
Workshop: [A4] Local Procurement 101
Pete has been with Food and Nutrition Programs at DESE for more than five years as the Financial Management Section Head. Before joining DESE Pete spent 20+ years in the private sector in management positions within the technology industry (primarily software and consulting) with companies ranging from startups to large multinationals. He is also a retired U.S. Navy Captain (O-6), with more than 23 years in the Navy. Pete has an undergraduate degree in Business from The University of Massachusetts in Amherst and an MBA from Babson College.

Janice McPhillips
Workshop: [A2] Strategies for Creating and Sustaining Successful Farm to School Programs
Janice has been a Farm Educator at Holly Hill Farm since 2008.  In her role as school garden educator and coordinator, she has been involved in creating and managing Farm to School Partnerships with many schools, teaching curriculum-connected lessons that result in school garden produce served at cafeteria harvest parties.

Donna Miner
Workshop: [C4] Make Farm to Breakfast a Reality in Your School
Donna is the Head Chef at Chicopee High School. She has worked as a chef in Chicopee Schools for the past 17 years, and was recently named Manager of the Year by the School Nutrition Association of Massachusetts. Donna oversees Chicopee’s in-house baking program that provides elementary students with a local breakfast option in the classroom each week.

Maria Moreira
Workshop: [C3] Farm to Summer: Bringing Fresh, Local Foods to Summer Meals
Maria is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of World Farmers. She has been mentoring beginning farmers since 1984. She is a former dairy farmer who developed and operated a value-added cheese making business to sustain her family’s dairy operation during its 25 year existence. She directed the marketing for the Ethnic Crops Program and the Beginning Farmer program at UMass from 2002 -2012 and was instrumental in accessing USDA’s “Know Your Farmer Know Your Food” pilot program for socially disadvantaged farmers in MA. Maria served as FSA County Committee Advisor and has served on the USDA Beginning Farmers & Ranchers Advisory Committee and the Massachusetts Farm Bureau since 1985. Maria has worked with Immigrant and refugee farmers for over 30 years, both as a fellow farmer and with the Flats Mentor Farm a program of WF. She lives at the family farm in Lancaster, MA.

Amanda Muniz
Workshop: [A3] Creating Change in the Cafeteria Through Community Collaboration
Amanda is the Food Service Director for Aramark Education partnered with the Chelsea Public School system. Amanda has received her Associates in Culinary Arts and her Bachelor’s Degree in Food Service Management. She has been working in the K-12 sector for 10 years, 7 of which have been with Chelsea.

Maggie Notopoulos
Workshop: [C7] Harvest of the Month: Beyond the Lunch Line
Born and raised in Massachusetts, Maggie’s passion for food education, advocacy and justice came from growing up in a household where dinners were cooked and shared together. Those roots led her to a lifelong passion for cooking and a desire to share  that love and knowledge with others, especially youth.

Ellen Nylen
Workshop: [B1] Farm to School Program Blossoms after Marketing Students Promote Harvest of the Month
Workshop: [C3] Farm to Summer: Bringing Fresh, Local Foods to Summer Meals
Ellen is the Food Service Director for the Webster Public Schools. Ellen brings a background as a professional chef and caterer to her district, along with a strong interest in farm to school and gardening. She is forever grateful to her nutrition instructor in culinary school for introducing her to the field of school nutrition, where she feels she has found her home as a chef. Born and raised in the Boston-area, Ellen lived and worked in New York, Los Angeles and Indianapolis before returning to Massachusetts and settling in Worcester in 2016.

Dawn Olcott, MS
Workshop: [A1] Exchanging Cultures Through School Food: Developing Culturally-Relevant Meals for the School Cafeteria
Dawn leads the Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL) team of the Cambridge Public Health Department that builds a healthy eating and activity environment for all of Cambridge, including the Cambridge in Motion initiative, the Food and Fitness Policy Council, partnership with the Cambridge Public Schools and out-of-school-time programs.

Laura Orleans
Workshop: [A5] Developing Community Partnerships to Promote Local Sea to School
Laura holds an M.A. in folklore from UNC-Chapel Hill and a B.A. in English from Oberlin College. She was founding director of the Working Waterfront Festival, an educational celebration of the commercial fishing industry.  In 2014, Orleans became the founding Executive Director of the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center.

Jennifer Ortiz
Workshop: [B4] Policies Promoting Racial Equity and Social Justice: Case Study Amherst-Pelham Schools Food Services
Jennifer been in the Amherst-Pelham Regional School District for 6 years, working in the Human Resources Department. During her time in HR she has worked in different capacities; first as the HR Assistant, then as the Benefits Specialist and most recently as the Human Resources Administrator. She says, “our biggest goal for recruitment and retention is to attract a diverse pool of qualified candidates and create and maintain a culture where our employees feel valued and welcomed.”

Sasha Palmer
Workshop: [A1] Exchanging Cultures Through School Food: Developing Culturally-Relevant Meals for the School Cafeteria
Sasha is currently the food service director for the Amherst Pelham Regional School District. She was previously a food service director in Maryland and Connecticut and  has worked in school and food service for over 10 years. Sasha has a strong background in education and food service and was formerly a food and Nutrition teacher as well as a Food Service Management company business owner. She brings with her a rich sense of culture from her native Jamaica and is passionate about bringing diverse menu into school food that reflects her student  population. Her food motto is to ‘try any food at least once.”

Winton Pitcoff
Workshop: [C6] Using Public Policy to Expand Farm to School in Massachusetts
Winton is Director of the Massachusetts Food System Collaborative, which builds networks among food system stakeholder organizations and helps build their capacity to advocate for policies and programs that support a sustainable and equitable food system. Previously, he was project manager for the Massachusetts statewide food system planning process. He is also coordinator of the Massachusetts Maple Producers Association, and has worked on food and agricultural policy issues at all levels of government. He has raised beef cattle, pigs and dairy goats, owned and operated an ice cream business, and worked for an on-farm yogurt maker and a dairy cooperative. Due to an unfortunate incident several winters ago involving a hungry mink, Winton no longer raises chickens.

Annabel Raby
Workshop: [A9] Farm to Early Care & Education: Growing Healthy Eaters and Engaged Learners
Annabel has been working as an educator and youth supervisor in Boston and Cambridge Public Schools for the last 4 years. For two years as a FoodCorps service member, she specialized in school garden programming and as an advocate for local, healthy school food. Through The Food Project and NUBIA Farms, she has 3 seasons experience leading high school aged youth working on farms, participating in food justice programming and running farmers markets. She holds a Bachelors in Biology from McGill University, and Masters in Nutrition from Columbia University.

Shannon Raymond
Workshop: [A9] Farm to Early Care & Education: Growing Healthy Eaters and Engaged Learners
Shannon is the CACFP and SFSP Training Coordinator for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) in Massachusetts. Through her trainings and resources, she educates sponsors in Child Nutrition Programs about ways to incorporate local produce and products into their programs. In addition, she is part of a team supported by a USDA grant to expand Farm to Summer efforts across Massachusetts. Shannon has an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, and a Masters in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.

Kirby Roberts
Workshop: [A5] Developing Community Partnerships to Promote Local Sea to School
Kirby is the Marketing Director at The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.  She brings a Gen Z viewpoint to the panel.  She has developed marketing campaigns for UMASS Dartmouth, New England Institute of Technology and she has been a major contributer to Chartwells marketing team in the Northeast.   She works closely with Chef Kevin Gibbons in the Freight Farms, planting and harvesting lettuce.  She developed the Grounds to Ground coffee grind sustainability program on the UMASS Dartmouth Campus.  She is an active member of the Campus Planning Council.

Katie Ruppel
Workshop: [A7] From Seed to Sales: How to Create Successful, Student Powered Plant Sales and School Garden Stands
Katie graduated from Texas Christian University in 2010 with a degree in photojournalism. She helped build community gardens in her hometown of Fort Worth while teaching at an after school program. Katie joined Island Grown Schools in 2015 and loves growing food with her students.

Suzie Scordino
Workshop: [A7] From Seed to Sales: How to Create Successful, Student Powered Plant Sales and School Garden Stands
Suzie was born in Sudbury, Massachusetts, and later moved to Georgia. After graduating from Boston College’s School of Education, she worked on and ran a farm camp in Connecticut, and helped manage an herb and flower farm north of Boston. She joined Island Grown Schools in the summer of 2017.

Emma Scudder
Workshop: [A9] Farm to Early Care & Education: Growing Healthy Eaters and Engaged Learners
Emma is the Food and Farm Program Coordinator at Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm in Lincoln, MA. She develops farm-based education programs for all ages both on and off the farm, and coordinates Drumlin’s Farm to School program. Before coming to Mass Audubon, Emma worked as a garden-based educator in Cambridge and on Martha’s Vineyard. She holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Tufts University.

Greta Shwachman
Workshop: [C4] Make Farm to Breakfast a Reality in Your School
Greta has been working in Chicopee Public Schools since 2015 to connect students to healthy food through local school meals and hands-on nutrition and garden activities. Her role as Farm to School Program Coordinator encompasses local sourcing and menu planning; building, maintaining, and supporting school gardens; and working with community partners to raise awareness about the importance of eating local. Greta holds a Bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences from Rice University in Houston, TX.

Karen Spiller
Workshop: [A8] Weaving New Narratives for Food Futures
Karen is principal of KAS Consulting, with over twenty years of experience, providing mission-based consulting with a focus on resource matching and strategic planning for health and equity focused initiatives. She works with diverse stakeholders, including community residents and businesses, state and local agencies, policy makers, corporations, foundations, community- based organizations and healthcare providers. She serves as a board member for organizations that include Boston Food Forest Coalition, Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group and Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts as well as an engaged process team member of Food Solutions New England. Karen is a Thomas W. Haas Professor in Sustainable Food Systems at University of New Hampshire, Durham.

Meghan Stratton
Workshop: [C2] Salad Days: Using School Gardens to Launch Farm to School Programs, Policies, and Culture in your School
Meg served as a FoodCorps service member at Backyard Growers after earning a BA focused on Sustainable Food Systems Advocacy. After serving with BYG, she became their School Programs Manager, and now designs and manages district-wide school garden and Farm to School programs and consults with schools across Massachusetts.

Noli Taylor
Workshop: [A9] Farm to Early Care & Education: Growing Healthy Eaters and Engaged Learners
Workshop: [B6] Fish out of Water: Lessons, Games, and Activities That Bring the Ocean to the Classroom
Noli is the Community Food Education Director at Island Grown Initiative on Martha’s Vineyard. She launched the Vineyard’s farm to school program, Island Grown Schools, in 2007, and now serves on the Board of Agriculture for the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, the Mass Farm to School Advisory Board and the Mass Farm to School Network Leadership Team. Noli also works on food equity issues on the island and helped start IGI’s mobile farmer’s market, community lunch program, and the Vineyard Food Equity Network.

John Turenne
Workshop: [C1] Integrating Food Service Management Approaches and Community Values
John Turenne, FCSI, founder and President of Sustainable Food Systems, is a nationally recognized leader and innovator in sustainable food practices. In his role as Executive Chef at Yale University and in the creation of the Yale Sustainable Food Project, John recognized the impact of food service decision-making on the world around us. His consulting company is on the cutting edge in developing best-practices tailored to benefit both the planet and the bottom line for clients.

Madison Walker
Workshop: [C4] Make Farm to Breakfast a Reality in Your School
Madison is active within the School Nutrition Association and serves on the Massachusetts Farm to School Leadership Network where she co-chairs the Supply Chain working group. Madison holds a Master of Science degree in Sustainability Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst where she also received a BS in Natural Resource Studies.

Andrew Wilkinson
Workshop: [A5] Developing Community Partnerships to Promote Local Sea to School
Trained at The Culinary Institute of America, Andrew brings his extensive international chef experience to North Coast Seafoods & the local seafood supply arena. His newest mission is “Real Food for Healthier Kids.” Andrew is spearheading North Coast Seafoods’ commitment to offer all school children the benefits of adding seafood to the weekly menu offering.

Nancy Wiseman
Workshop: [A5] Developing Community Partnerships to Promote Local Sea to School
With a long standing career in food service management serving in a variety of locations including healthcare, business dining, K-12 and University food service, Nancy has been very active in developing and implementing the sustainability platform for Dining Services at UMASS Dartmouth.  She is active in perpetuating local food spend on behalf of University of Dartmouth Dining.