{"id":970,"date":"2021-02-16T09:22:10","date_gmt":"2021-02-16T17:22:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oregonfarmtoschool.org\/?page_id=970"},"modified":"2023-06-16T14:47:49","modified_gmt":"2023-06-16T21:47:49","slug":"staff","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/oregonfarmtoschool.org\/about-us\/staff\/","title":{"rendered":"Staff"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t

Staff<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Melina\n\t\t\t\t\t

Melina Barker<\/h1>\n\t\t

Director<\/h4>\n\t\t\t

Melina is the Director of the Oregon Farm to School & School Garden Network. Melina has been active in the farm to school and school garden movement for many years. She helped to found Rogue Valley Farm to School in southern Oregon where she served as Program Director for 12 years. Melina holds a MS in Environmental Education and lives on a small homestead in southern Oregon with her husband and two children. She enjoys hiking, gardening, pottery and cooking with her family.Contact Melina<\/a><\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Screenshot\n\t\t\t\t\t

Wren Huff<\/h1>\n\t\t

Operations Manager<\/h4>\n\t\t\t

Wren is the Operations Manager of the Oregon Farm to School & School Garden Network. After 10 years working within the insurance industry, she began her farm to school journey working at the Oregon Dept of Education helping to administer the Oregon Farm to School grants. She has loved every step since. Wren studied musical theater in New York City, and now enjoys annoying her children by belting out broadway soliloquies. She also enjoys baking, gardening, and board games with her family.Contact Wren<\/a><\/p>\t\t\n\t

Committee Chairs<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"5\"\n\t\t\t\t\t

Nell Tessman<\/h1>\n\t\t

Fundraising<\/h4>\n\t\t\t

Nell collaborates with other advisory committee members and staff to support fundraising efforts of the OFSSGN, including identifying prospects, reviewing grant proposals, and supporting alignment between available funding and strategy.<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Kelso\"\n\t\t\t\t\t

Kelso Brasunas<\/h1>\n\t\t

Finance<\/h4>\n\t\t\t

As the Finance Chair, Kelso provides financial oversight for the OFSSGN, in coordination with OFSSGN staff and the Finance Committee. She drafts the budget, approves expenses, time sheets and reconciliations, and provides support to the Operations Manager as they maintain sound financial practices.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"BAiley\"\n\t\t\t\t\t

Bailey Delacruz<\/h1>\n\t\t

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ) Working Group<\/h4>\n\t\t\t

Bailey is the OFSSGN’s Equity Advisor and serves as the Chair of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ) Working group.Bailey studied Environment, Economy, Development, and Sustainability at Ohio State University and is passionate about dismantling systematic racism that has led to the wealth and resource disparities in latinx communities and hopes to continue to work for change.<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"IMG_4771\"\n\t\t\t\t\t

Nadia Kelem<\/h1>\n\t\t

Communications<\/h4>\n\t\t\t

Nadia coordinates social media, the quarterly newsletter, website updates and other communications.She was the FoodCorps service member for the Oregon Farm to School & School Garden Network from 2020-2022.Contact Nadia<\/a><\/p>\t\t\n\t

Steering Committee<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"JN\n\t\t\t\t\tJamie Nicholson | CNP Manager, Lincoln County School District\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tJamie is the CNP Manager for Lincoln County School District. She has worn many hats at LCSD and has used her institutional knowledge to create connections and relationships between district programs to better support the physical and emotional health of LCSD students. She works closely with the district’s Food Service Management Company to create a sustainable plan to bring school garden grown produce into the lunch lines. This work has created K-12 student stakeholders by inviting children into the process of growing and nurturing gardens. She helps the schools navigate the process of grant management, working with administrators, facilities supervisors and teachers to get gardens built and fresh local foods into school meals.In addition, she supports the larger school district family by building strong community partnerships, managing the district food pantry, and working closely with the district’s homeless advocacy. She believes there is no reason for any of our students to go hungry and works hard to ensure ALL students have access to food.Jamie is proud to call the beautiful Central Oregon Coast her home with her husband and three children. In her free time, she enjoys her own garden, tending her vegetables and herbs, foraging in the surrounding forest, reading, or sitting by a campfire and enjoying good friends.\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"kjh\"\n\t\t\t\t\tSuzanne Easton | Grants Program Manager, East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t

Suzanne has served as the Grants Manager for EMSWCD for over seven years. She oversees grants for restoration, urban gardening, urban forestry, sustainable agriculture and environmental education. She served on the EMSWCD’s Equity Team for four years and has led changes toward more equitable grantmaking. Her Masters Degree is in Wildland Resource Science from U.C. Berkeley. A resident of Northeast Portland, Suzanne loves to garden, hike and read.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Cuadros_ji\"\n\t\t\t\t\tJill Cuadros | Nutrition Services, Euguene School District 4J\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tJill works with Eugene School District 4J to build a scratch-based menu that is local, sustainable, culturally inclusive and seasonally based. Jill is an American Culinary Federation trained chef, as well as an avid back yard gardener & chicken farmer.\u00a0Jill has multifaceted experience in working with students and nutrition, including Willamalane Parks & Recreation District, Lane Community College and University of Oregon before coming to 4J. Jill specializes in nutrition, children, and culinary arts, with a focus on building sustainable programs through expanding staff & community capacity. Her deep knowledge of day-to-day production cooking operations will help her lead development of infrastructure necessary to expand scratch cooking and nutritional literacy in schools.\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Headshot\n\t\t\t\t\tMichelle Welton | Executive Director, Grow Portland\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t

Michelle (She\/Her)\u00a0is the current Executive Director at Grow Portland, a role she’s held for three years. A fifth-generation Oregonian, Michelle holds a degree in International Studies, and has over two decades of nonprofit experience. Michelle spent the initial years of her career at numerous Pacific Northwest camps and retreat centers supporting outdoor education, youth and family programming, fundraising events, and retreat center management. Since 2008, Michelle has served throughout the Portland community, primarily in social services and refugee resettlement including roles in volunteer coordination, program management and staff support, community outreach, development, and grant writing and oversight.Michelle serves as the Board President for the Rose City Rollers<\/em>, empowering youth and adults through sport and community building. Michelle is a passionate urban gardener, coach, outdoors person, and prides herself on being the world’s greatest aunt.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Kelso\"\n\t\t\t\t\tKelso Brasunas | MPA Candidate, Princeton University\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t

Kelso is currently a graduate student studying domestic policy, with a focus on inclusive urban policy. Before that, she worked for FoodCorps for 8 years, both on the Finance team and as an AmeriCorps service member in Arkansas, connecting kids to food in schools. She has experience both working directly with kids as a food educator, and on nonprofit management (budgets, audits, financial management, grants, strategy). She is happiest in the PNW mountains, swimming in alpine lakes and hiking along ridgelines.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Screen\n\t\t\t\t\tRebecca Slosberg | Co-Executive Director of Programs & Staff, Rogue Valley Farm to School\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t

Rebecca has been working with Rogue Valley Farm to School for most of its life as an organization (over a decade) and it has been exciting and amazing to watch it evolve.I love working together as a small team to be creative and find the best way to connect kids with food, gardens, and farms.\u00a0 Being outside with students and watching them make a connection or find a peaceful contented moment is what makes this work meaningful for me.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"5\"\n\t\t\t\t\tNell Tessman | Program Officer, Gray Family Foundation\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t

As Program Officer for Gray Family Foundation, Nell is committed to increasing access to resources and opportunities that unify youth and communities in their efforts to be strong stewards of their environments, their health, and each other. She has worked as a garden-based educator, program manager, evaluator, and grant manager in schools, youth-serving organizations, local government, and at a national child health nonprofit. Nell has a Master’s in Educational Leadership and Policy from Portland State University, with focus on food justice and place-based education and proudly serves on the Think Tank (formerly known as the Board of Directors) for Growing Gardens. She lives in Northeast Portland with her family and loves to grow veggies in her garden, play on her basketball team, and hang out in the forest with her kid.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"77\"\n\t\t\t\t\tAaron Poplack | Oregon Program Manager FoodCorps (Chair) \n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t

You can often find Aaron canning and fermenting whatever comes across his kitchen counter, exploring new trails across the state, or looking for a new book to read (preferable in a hammock). When he’s not outside or in the kitchen, Aaron works with communities around the state to place emerging AmeriCorps leaders in schools, where they support young folks in building a healthy relationship with their food. It’s an honor to serve on the Network Steering Committee, as we continue to build our farm to school community across Oregon.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"unnamed1\"\n\t\t\t\t\tMichelle Markesteyn | Farm to School Coordinator, Oregon State University\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t

Michelle is a mom on a mission to make it easy to raise happy, healthy kids and help our farmers prosper. For over 25 years she has gotten her hands dirty on farms 4-4,000 acres in size, taught in school gardens, researched ways to make it easier to get local foods on our tables, and then advocated for policies that do just that. Michelle helped craft the first farm to school and school garden legislation in Oregon, establish the Oregon Farm to School & School Garden Network, and shape the farm to school program at the Oregon Department of Education.\u00a0 She served as the first Western Regional Lead to the National Farm to School Network, directed FoodCorps in Oregon, and served as the Farm to School Coordinator for the Oregon Department of Agriculture and Ecotrust. Michelle also helped launch a national school food company, and founded the country’s first farm to school edutainment production company to close the gap between nutrition education in the cafeteria, classroom and community. She lives in the heart of the Willamette Valley with her two growing boys. Michelle’s favorite vegetable to grow is eggplant. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"PSX_20200929_135651\"\n\t\t\t\t\tReeba Daniel | Founder & Garden Leadership, Keep Growing Seeds\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tReeba Daniel, she\/they, founder of\u00a0R&ARIE\u00a0and Keep Growing Seeds has created a self-care support system powered\u00a0by creating hyper intentional products, wellness event\u00a0management, food product maker and small business collectives creator.\u00a0Reeba is a farmer focussed on cultivating medicinal and culinary herbs that are culturally specific,\u00a0heirloom and ancestral. They are a food autonomist and teach folks how to grow their own food by using easily\u00a0accessible household items. A passion of theirs is creating access for those marginalized and so serves as the DEI chair for the Farmers Market Fund. Reeba’s Keep Growing Seeds Library provides seed rentals to the community and a children’s self-care garden.\u00a0Reeba\u00a0spends most of their time surrounded by nature and the love of their family. A homeschool caregiver, they employ the empowering act of social justice, foraging, growing food and adaptive sensory experiences to share resiliency skills and grow a self-care toolkit that they have for life.\u00a0\u00a0It is with great excitement to share my skills on the OFFSGN\u00a0steering committee!\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Oregon\n\t\t\t\t\tKaren Wagner | Garden Education manager\/Regional Hub Procurement Lead, Sustainable Living Center\/Walla Walla Valley Farm to School\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t

Karen has spent two decades working to expand access, availability and affordability of fresh local farm products in Eastern Oregon. Her work began as a founder and developer of regional farmers’ markets, and director of the OR Farmers’ Markets Association, leading to work with the regional food bank conducting community food assessments, and feasibility studies for food system infrastructure and expansion.\u00a0 Working now to raise awareness of and participation in the local food system\u00a0 with school administration, teachers and students, providing experiential education in the garden, classrooms and the kitchen!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Deirdre_2\"\n\t\t\t\t\tDeirdre Geddes | Sales and Customer Service Manager, Hummingbird Wholesale\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tDeirdre is passionate about organic food and the health and well-being of ALL people and the planet. She is a mom of two amazing school-aged boys and lives in Eugene Oregon where she loves to get lost in the outdoors with her family and friends whether\u00a0on bikes, skis, or surfboards.\u00a0As a 20+ year veteran in sales and service, Deirdre has had the privilege of leading the Customer Service and Sales team at Hummingbird Wholesale for the last 5 years where she has been able to connect our communities with locally grown, organic foods. She feels privileged to lead a team of amazing coworkers and is focused on developing strong, capable teams who support mutually beneficial relationships with customers, vendors, and farmer partners. Deirdre believes that people are at the core of any organization and community and if you put your energy and resources into building empowered, knowledgeable people, you will earn trust and achieve greatness in whatever you do.\u00a0 In addition to managing the CSS team at Hummingbird, Deirdre\u00a0also sits on the Leadership team where she is able to contribute to the overall success of the company by developing strategies with focused energy to improve outcomes and inspire growth.\u00a0\t\t\t\t\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Staff Melina Barker Director Melina is the Director of the Oregon Farm to School & School Garden Network. Melina has been active in the farm to school and school garden…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":111,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/oregonfarmtoschool.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/970"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/oregonfarmtoschool.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/oregonfarmtoschool.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oregonfarmtoschool.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oregonfarmtoschool.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=970"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/oregonfarmtoschool.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/970\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2752,"href":"https:\/\/oregonfarmtoschool.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/970\/revisions\/2752"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oregonfarmtoschool.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/111"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/oregonfarmtoschool.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=970"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}