Speaker Bios - CFSC National Food Policy Conference 2011

Speaker Bios for CFSC National Food Policy Conference 2011(In Alphabetical Order by Last Name)Aliyah Ali Aliyah Ali received a Master in Public Health Administration and Policy from theUniversity of Minnesota School of Public Health in 2007. Currently, she is a Project Specialistfor the Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) at the Minneapolis Department of Healthand Family Support, which focuses on reducing the burden of chronic illnesses by creatingenvironments conducive to healthy behaviors. As part of her SHIP work, Aliyah coordinates theMinneapolis Healthy Corner Store Program -a strategy to increase access to healthy foods inMinneapolis’ low-income neighborhoods – by supporting store owners in making fresh producemore attractive and affordable to neighborhood residents.Aliyah Ali, MPHStatewide Health Improvement Program, Project SpecialistMinneapolis Department of Health & Family Support250 South 4th Street, Room 510, Minneapolis, MN 55415Phone: 612-673-3861 || Fax: 612-673-3866aliyah.ali@ci.minneapolis.mn.usRachael Banks Rachael Banks is a Program Supervisor for the Community Wellness and PreventionProgram at Multnomah County Health Department. In her role, she advances policy, systems andenvironmental strategies to support tobacco prevention and control, physical activity and healthyeating. She is currently leading the Health Department’s Population and Setting Specific FoodPrograms which includes the CDC’s Healthy Communities ACHIEVE Initiative.Erin BarbaroAssistant Director and Senior Geographic Information Specialist, Center for Applied Researchand Environmental Systems Erin Barbaro is an Assistant Director and Senior Geographic Information Specialist at theCenter for Applied Research and Environmental Systems (CARES) at the University ofMissouri. At CARES, Erin is involved in over 40 distinct projects in a coordination and client-services role. She has played a major role in the development of the collaborative managementtools developed at CARES in both design and implementation. Erin carries out geospatialanalyses and works with clients to select quantitative and qualitative data to create opportunitiesfor collaboration and narrative in communities. Additionally, Erin creates and implementstraining modules to help clients successfully utilize the suite of collaborative management toolsdeveloped at CARES. She received both a B.A. and M.A. in Geography from the University ofMissouri.

Suzanne Briggs Suzanne grew up on a Montana wheat farm. During the 80’s and early 90’s she was aProduction Manager in the apparel industry, which included 7 years at Nike. In 1997, she foundher way back to her farm roots when she co-founded the Hollywood Farmers’ Market in herPortland neighborhood. With 100 volunteers and 50 vendors, this market now attracts 4000shoppers each week. Inspired by the success of the Hollywood Farmers’ Market, Suzanne helped revitalize theOregon Farmers’ Market Association and served as its President from 2000 to 2005. Over thepast six years, she has developed and taught workshops on SNAP in Farmers’ Markets in tendifferent states. In 2010, Suzanne co-authored Real Food, Real Choices: Connecting Snap Recipientswith Farmers Markets. Currently, Suzanne is providing Technical Assistance to CPPW grantee’sfarmers Markets in Portland, Maine, King County, Washington, and Tucson, Arizona.Janie Burns Janie Burns has been active in providing local food for local people since 1989 when shestarted selling organic vegetables at Boise’s first farmers’ market. She is a charter vendor of theCapital City Public Market where she sells grass-fed lamb and pastured poultry raised on her 10-acre Meadowlark Farm south of Nampa, Idaho. Over the past 22 years, she has raised a widevariety of crops and sold to restaurants, CSA’s and to retail stores. She is the co-owner ofHomeGrown Poultry, LLC, Idahos first licensed poultry processing facility. In addition to herfarming and business ventures, Janie serves as the co-chair of the Treasure Valley FoodCoalition, on the board of the Food Coalition’s parent organization: Sustainable CommunityConnections, and the advisory committee of the University of Idaho’s Department ofAgricultural Economics and Rural Sociology.Kerri Cechovic Kerri is responsible for implementing outreach strategies for Washington EnvironmentalCouncil’s legislative policy efforts and campaigns. She first joined the WEC team in 2006 andhas worked to develop and implement organizing and coalition building strategies on WEC’sclimate and clean water campaigns. Kerri directs WEC’s Local Farms-Healthy Kids campaignto help connect Washington farms with schools across the state. She received her Bachelorsdegree in Political Science from the University of Montana in 2002.Kerri Cechovic, Outreach DirectorWashington Environmental Council1402 3rd Avenue, Suite 1400Seattle, Washington 98101206.631.2607kerri@wecprotects.org www.wecprotects.orgKathryn Colasanti

Kathryn Colasanti is an Academic Specialist with the C.S. Mott Group for SustainableFood Systems at Michigan State University. Her current work involves coordinating the MichiganGood Food policy initiative, which sets forth six overarching goals for Michigan’s food system,and researching school food procurement. She completed her master’s degree in the CommunityFood and Agriculture program within Michigan State University’s Department of Community,Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies in May of 2009. Her thesis research investigated theproduction potential of and community perspectives regarding city-scale urban agriculture inDetroit, Michigan. Before coming to MSU she worked on community-based neighborhood healthinitiatives through Denver Urban Gardens in Denver, Colorado.Amanda EdmondsExecutive Director, Growing Hope; 734-786-8401 amanda@growinghope.net Amanda Edmonds is the founder and Executive Director of Growing Hope, anorganization based in Ypsilanti, Michigan that helps people improve their lives and communitiesthrough gardening and healthy food access. Amanda was recently appointed to the MichiganFood Policy Council, a state-level advisory body.Gail Feenstra Gail Feenstra is the Food and Society Coordinator at the Agricultural SustainabilityInstitute (ASI). As the food systems program leader, she encourages the development ofregional food systems that link farmers, consumers and communities. Feenstra’s researchand outreach includes: farm-to-school evaluation, regional food system distribution,food access and food security for low-income populations and food system assessments.Feenstra has a doctorate in nutrition education from Teachers College, ColumbiaUniversity with an emphasis in public health.Gail Feenstra, Food systems coordinatorUC Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program andUC Davis Agricultural Sustainability InstitutePhone: 530-752-8408Email: gwfeenstra@ucdavis.eduSAREP website: www.sarep.ucdavis.eduMailing address: SAREP, 1 Shields Ave., University of California, Davis, CA 95616Gwendolyn Flynn Ms. Flynn is Community Health and Education Policy Director with Community HealthCouncils, a non-profit community-based, health policy advocacy organization in LosAngeles, California. Her background includes more than 15 years experience addressing social justiceissues in various capacities.

She joined the staff of Community Health Councils, Inc. in 2001 working with theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention’s national REACH initiative to eliminate chronicdisease disparities in racial and ethnic populations. One of her responsibilities wasto create and implement strategies that transform the community infrastructure, onecomponent of the Project’s comprehensive efforts to reduce cardiovascular disease(CVD) and diabetes disparities in the African American communities of South LosAngeles County. As Policy Director, she oversees efforts that improve access to nutritious food andphysical activity opportunities through polices that change institutional practices,promote local reinvestment, and improve existing resources in South Los. Ms. Flynn represents Community Health Councils on various committees and boardsincluding Roots of Change Stewardship Council, City of Los Angeles Food PolicyCouncil and is an American Public Health Association member.Gwendolyn “Gwen” Flynn, Policy DirectorCommunity Health and EducationCommunity Health Councils, Inc.3731 Stocker St. Suite 201Los Angeles, CA 90008323-295-9372 X 239323-295-9467 (fax)gwen@chc-inc.orgwww.chc-inc.orgKimberly Freeman Kimberly Freeman has over 15 years experience in land use planning and resourcemanagement. Most recently she has focused on agricultural preservation and was ProjectManager for the innovative Orting Valley Farms which established 3 new organic farms in thesouth Puget Sound region. She is responsible for the transfer and purchase of development rightsprogram in Pierce County, Washington.Thomas Forster Thomas, a committed advocate for developing a local and regional food system, is thePolicy Advisor for School Food FOCUS. He is also co-director for the International Partners forSustainable Agriculture, and teaches food policy at the New School in NYC. He also served asPolicy Director for the CFSC.Thomas Forster, School Food FOCUS, Policy Director301 Degraw Street, Apt 2Brooklyn, New York 11231347-414-2951thomasforster2@gmail.comhttp://www.schoolfoodfocus.org/

Christopher Fulcher, PhD Christopher Fulcher, PhD Co-Directs the Center for Applied Research andEnvironmental Systems (CARES) at the University of Missouri - Columbia. Chris’ appliedresearch focuses on developing and implementing social innovations for strategic planning anddecision support. His systems-based approach to decision making enables local, state, nationaland international public and nonprofit sector organizations to effectively address social issuesusing unique collaborative management systems. Chris and his team integrate emergingcomputer technologies including geographic information systems, data visualization, communityengagement tools and Internet accessibility to better serve vulnerable and underservedpopulations. These web-based technologies help organizations and policy makers make moreinformed decisions about access, equity, and allocation of resources. Chris received his B.S. inAgricultural Engineering at Texas A&M University in 1984 and his M.S. in AgriculturalEconomics at Texas A&M in 1985. He received his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics at theUniversity of Missouri in 1996. In 2005 Chris completed his National Library of Medicine PostDoctoral Health Informatics Fellowship. He serves as a faculty member in the Division ofApplied Social Sciences and the Harry S. Truman School of Public Affairs at the University ofMissouri.Kathryn Gardow Kathryn Gardow started Gardow Consulting to enlarge the conversation on why thePacific NW needs to protect our farming and food production economy, to provide land use &permitting services to farmers, and to advise jurisdictions & developers on strategies to savefarmland on development projects. Kathryn was the Executive Director of PCC Farmland Trustin Seattle during the Orting Valley Farms project in Pierce County, in which 100 acres of organicagricultural conservation easements were acquired. Kathryn has over 30 years of land useexpertise.Kathryn GardowGardow Consulting206-419-8923Ellen Gray Ellen has been the Executive Director of The Washington Sustainable Food & FarmingNetwork since January 2008. She stepped up to this role from her staff position of DevelopmentCoordinator. Ellen currently Chairs the Washington Small Farm Advisory Board, serves on the“Kitchen Cabinet” of Washington State University’s Dean of the College of Agriculture, Humanand Natural Resource Sciences and co-chairs the Good Food Coalition. Ellen has a MMA fromthe University of Washington and a BA from the University of Vermont. She is a dynamic,articulate, energetic, and seasoned nonprofit professional with diverse hands-on experience andskills. Ellen has a long commitment to advocacy work and more than 25 years experience in thenon-profit sector. Originally from Vermont, Ellen spent much of her childhood working on eitherdairy or horse farms. She has a deep appreciation for the challenges facing small farms that are a

vital element of a healthy agricultural landscape. As a parent of a 13 year old boy, Ellen hasworked for several years to encourage her school district to serve more locally grown fresh fruitsand vegetables. She has a passionate and personal interest in the farm to school movement.www.wsffn.orgEllen Gray, Executive DirectorWashington Sustainable Food & Farming Network (WSFFN)PO Box 762, Mount Vernon WA. 98273-0762Phone: (360) 336-9694 Fax: (360) 336-1579egray@wsffn.orgwww.wsffn.orgSandy Han Sandy is currently a staff attorney and adjunct at the Harrison Institute for Public Lawworking on health law and policy. She focuses on increasing access to health services and iscurrently working on food and nutrition policies. Specifically, how the law can increase accessto healthy food options in schools. Prior to working at Georgetown, Sandy worked in health careregulation and compliance at the Washington Hospital Center and Strategic ManagementSystems. Sandy was admitted to the Virginia State Bar in 2000 and the District of Columbia Barin 2008.Sandy Han, JD, LLMSupervising Attorney, Harrison Institute for Public Law Georgetown Law600 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Suite 120Washington, DC 20001202.662.4023shh27@law.georgetown.eduhttp://www.law.georgetown.edu/clinics/hi/PolicyClinic.htmAlisa Haushalter Alisa Haushalter is the Director of the Bureau of Population Health Programs with theMetro Public Health Department of Nashville, Tennessee. The Bureau includes a variety ofpopulation-based divisions and programs including STD/HIV, Ryan White, TuberculosisElimination, Occupational Health, Behavioral Health, Prevention and Wellness as well asCommunities Putting Prevention to Work for which Alisa serves as project director. Alisa beganher public health career as a Metro Health district nurse over 28 years ago. She holds a Doctorateof Nursing Practice in Public Health Leadership from the University of Tennessee HealthScience Center.Jim Johnson Jim is currently the Land Use and Water Planning Coordinator with the OregonDepartment of Agriculture. His land use planning career has bridged local, state and regionalperspectives including positions with Klickitat County, Washington; Wasco County, Oregon, the

Columbia River Gorge Commission and the Oregon Department of Land Conservation andDevelopment, the Sate of Oregon’s land use planning agency. Jim is currently a member of theCity of Lake Oswego Planning Commission.Jim earned a MA in geography from the University of Nebraska-Omaha and a BS from WesternOregon University.Contact Informatiom:Oregon Department of Agriculture635 Capiutol Street NEsalem, OR 97035sjjohnson@oda.state.or.us(503) 986-4706Hannah Laurison Hannah Laurison is a senior associate at Public Health Law & Policy in Oakland,California. She works closely with advocates around the country to enact policies that will createcommunities where grocery stores and farmers markets are accessible to everyone. Hannahholds a masters in planning from Tufts University.David E. Procter is director of the Center for Engagement and Community Development and theInstitute for Civic Discourse and Democracy at Kansas State University. He leads the RuralGrocery Sustainability Initiative, which works to develop models to sustain retail sources of foodfor rural Kansans. Procter holds a doctorate from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.Sharon Thornberry, Community Resource Developer at the Oregon Food Bank, has beeninfluential in policy advocacy, coalition building, and incubating many grassroots food-relatedefforts from conception to completion. She has tirelessly dedicated herself to increasing access tohealthy food for low-income communities - particularly in often overlooked rural Oregon. Shesimultaneously advocates to stop providing junk food while working to increase the distributionof fruits and vegetables.Lyn Kathlene, Ph.D.Senior Research Associate, Center for Systems Integration Lyn Kathlene is a senior research associate at the Center for Systems Integration(CSI). Prior to joining CSI, she was the founding director of the Colorado Institute of PublicPolicy (CIPP) and professor of political science at Colorado State University. Dr. Kathlene hasfacilitated research-based stakeholder dialogues, directed numerous community action projects,overseen the design and implementation of both formative and summative evaluations for stateagencies, non-profits, and local governments, and designed and implemented citizenparticipatory planning, policy and planning processes, and non-traditional policy researchmethods. Her research has been published in the top journals of political science and publicpolicy, and she has received numerous research and teaching awards. In addition to publications,

Dr. Kathlene’s research on livable communities is the subject of a NE-PBS documentary,Community by Design. Her current projects and professional commitments include: Staff for theColorado Farm to School Taskforce, project director of the Colorado Farm to School statewideinitiative, research analyst for the Colorado Food Assessment Framework, co-chair of theNational Advisory Committee of the Leadership for Healthy Communities Initiative at theRobert Woods Johnson Foundation, and Advisory Committee member for a National ScienceFoundation’s Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) project onwater sustainability. Dr. Kathlene received her M.A. in public policy analysis and Ph.D. inpolitical science from the University of Colorado-Boulder. Her academic appointments havebeen at Purdue University, University of Minnesota (on sabbatical at the Hubert H. HumphreyInstitute of Public Affairs), the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, and Colorado State University.Katie Lynd Katie Lynd is the Food Policy Coordinator in Multnomah Countys Office ofSustainability. With a masters degree in Urban & Regional Planning from PSU, Katie hasbrought experience in community involvement and strategically planning for sustainable foodsystem action to her position within the Office of Sustainability. Most recently, Katie hasfocused efforts on community engagement through the Multnomah Food Action Plans reviewand adoption process. Following the County Commissioners adoption of the Action Plan inJanuary 2011, Katie has been working to implement the outlined goals and actions of the planthrough stakeholder outreach, network formation, and policy change. Prior to her role atMultnomah County, Katie has worked for a number of years in local government in the field ofsustainability. Projects have included education and outreach, on both programming andinstruction, as well as planning for specific issues. Prior to working for Multnomah County,Katie spent 2 years as Metros Recycle at School Coordinator to help reduce solid waste streamsand secure local food procurement. Katie is a Montana native, and currently a 3 year resident ofPortland.Erin MacDougall Erin MacDougall, PhD is the manager for the Healthy Eating and Active Living Programat Public Health – Seattle and King County. She supports planning, policy development,coalition building, and technical support to King County organizations in order to facilitate theirworking together toward chronic disease prevention in the areas of nutrition and physical activitypolicy. She holds a Doctorate in Nutrition from the University of California, Davis and was anIATP Food and Society Fellow.Roxanne Medina-Fulcher Roxanne Medina-Fulcher, J.D. is Director of Operations and Training for CommunityInitiatives, a network of professionals and partner organizations helping build healthy,whole communities. Roxanne’s background includes community organization,community indicator development, poverty law and nonprofit management. Sheserved as Senior Vice President of Community Building at Trident United Way,helping solve problems facing individuals and families. Roxanne directed development

and implementation of United Way’s Community Investment Process, guiding datacollection to support decisions and demonstrate United Way’s impact on Charleston—emphasizing policy and environmental change strategies. Roxanne was RegionalDirector of Community Investment Strategies and Community Impact Process Managerfor United Way of Southeastern Michigan. Prior to United Way, Roxanne was Directorof Programs for Women’s Philanthropy Institute, helping develop national programs andtraining to enhance giving. As a Managing Attorney, Roxanne practiced poverty lawin Detroit MI at Legal Aid and Defender Association. Roxanne received a Juris Doctorfrom Michigan State University and a B.S. in Political Science/Economics from AndrewsUniversity.Tammy Morales Tammy Morales is a principal of Urban Food Link, a consulting firm specializing inconnecting communities to healthy food. She puts her community development and foodsystems know-how to work in neighborhoods throughout Seattle, providing seasoned guidanceon food project planning. Tammy¹s work has earned her a solid reputation as a food systems leader in the PugetSound region, where she advises policy makers at the local, county and regional levels. She is aboard member of the Community Food Security Coalition and a member of the AmericanPlanning Association.Wendy Peters Moschetti Wendy Peters Moschetti, founder of WPM Consulting, LLC of Boulder, Colorado,consults on a wide variety of local and state-wide food systems policy projects, as well as schoolhealth and wellness initiatives. Wendy works closely with communities across the state of theColorado, including LiveWell Colorado, the Colorado Department of Public Health andEnvironment, and the Colorado Food Systems Advisory Council. Prior to launching WPMConsulting, Wendy provided project management support for the Metro Denver Health andWellness Commission Schools Team, worked with the national Healthy Eating-Active LivingConvergence Partnership, and also served as Project Coordinator for the CU Denver Gardens forGrowing Healthy Communities project. Wendy holds a BA in Social Work from the Universityof Washington with a focus in child development and the child welfare system and a Masters inCity Planning from the University of California-Berkeley with a self-defined concentration inCommunity Environmental Planning.Sara Padilla Sara Padilla is the Program Manager for the CDC’s Communities Putting Prevention toWork program at the Community Food Security Coalition. Sara has over fourteen years ofexperience working in public health and program management in the United States andinternationally. She holds a master’s degree in Public Health from Tulane University and speaksSpanish fluently. Sara resides in Portland, Oregon with her family.

Megan Rowan Megan Rowan, MPH, Senior Research Manager, Department of International Health,Center for Human Nutrition at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH).She has over 7 years of research and management experience in chronic disease prevention andtreatment. In partnership with Joel Gittelsohn, PhD, she currently manages 6 JHSPH HealthyCornerstore Programs, which utilize culturally- and setting-relevant interventions and havedemonstrated success improving food availability and consumption. Under Ms. Rowan’sguidance, evidenced-based healthy store criteria have also been integrated into policyrecommendations for Baltimore City.Linda Shak, MSW Linda Shak oversees projects related to healthy, sustainable food systems. Linda providestraining and consultation to government, foundations, and collaboratives, helping them developquality prevention initiatives. She is project manager for the Environmental Nutrition andActivity Community Tool and primary author of “Recipe for Change: Healthy Food in EveryCommunity.”Sharon P. SheldonWashtenaw County Public Health Department, 734-544-6781, sheldonsp@ewashtenaw.org Sharon P. Sheldon is the Program Administrator for the Health Promotion / DiseasePrevention Division of the Washtenaw County Public Health Department and has been with thedepartment for 8 years. Ms. Sheldon is on the Board of Directors of the Food System EconomicPartnership, a five county collaborative working to change the food system in SE Michigan. Ms.Sheldon received her MPH degree from the University of Michigan School of Public Health,Health Behavior and Health Education Program.Juliet Sims, MPH, RD Juliet Sims, Program Coordinator at Prevention Institute, supports projects related tohealthy eating and active living. She collaborates with agencies and organizations across thecountry, providing training and consultation to incorporate prevention strategies into theirefforts. Juliet helps with Strategic Alliance, Californias statewide coalition of food and activityadvocates, including coordination of its Rapid Response Media Network, which enables moreeffective advocacy related to nutrition and physical activity. She also oversees development ofthe Environmental Nutrition and Activity Community Tool (ENACT), a Web-based resourcedesigned to give policymakers and advocates the tools to improve local nutrition and activityenvironments.Shannon StemberShannon is a Registered Dietitian and Child Nutrition Specialist with over 20 years experience inK-12 schools including 14 years with Portland Public Schools (PPS) Nutrition Services. Sincereceiving her dietetics degree from UC Berkeley, Shannon has specialized in nutrition education

to increase fruit and vegetable choices, implementation of nutrition standards in child nutritionprograms and promoting PPS Farm to School programs, Harvest of the Month and LocalFlavors. Shannon was a member of the first Portland Multnomah Food Policy Council in 2002-04 and has been active in federal child nutrition policy work since 2003.Shannon Stember, RD, Assistant Director of Nutrition ServicesPortland Public Schools501 North Dixon StreetPortland, Oregon, 97227-1807503.916.3365shannons@pps.k12.or.ushttp://www.pps.k12.or.us/Deirdra StockmannFood System Economic Partnership (FSEP), deirdra@umich.edu, 734-222-6859 Deirdra Stockmann is a PhD candidate in the Urban and Regional Planning program atthe University of Michigan, where she received her Masters of Urban Planning degree. Herdissertation focuses on the socio-politics behind emerging municipal-level food policy. Herresearch and advocacy interests include food systems planning, policy innovation and adaptation,and civic participation. She is a board member of the Food System Economic Partnership, aregional collaborative working to change the food system in southeastern Michigan, and is thetreasurer of Slow Food Huron Valley.Fran Talsma Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research (MICHR) , 734-646-3412,ftalsma@umich.edu Fran Talsma is a Research Policy Advocate for the Michigan Institute of Clinical andHealth Research (MICHR). She works to educate local and state policy makers about the goodwork of MICHR’s community partners, to increase policy makers’ knowledge about health-related issues, and to establish mutually beneficial lines of communication. In addition to herwork at MICHR, Fran leads Michigan’s Pioneering Healthier Communities, a state-wide YMCAeffort that promotes policy, system, and built environment changes to reverse the childhoodobesity trend.John Weidman John Weidman is the Deputy Executive Director of The Food Trust, a Philadelphia-basednonprofit working to ensure that everyone has access to affordable, nutritious food. The FoodTrust operates farmers’ markets, provides nutrition education services in schools, and works tobring supermarkets to underserved neighborhoods. He holds a Master’s degree in PoliticalScience from the University of Pennsylvania.

John R. Williams John R. Williams is Deputy Director for Community Development in Metro’s Planningand Development Department in Portland, Oregon. This work includes oversight of a spectrumof current and long range land use and transportation planning activities. He’s recentlycompleted work on an innovative effort to designate urban and rural reserves around the Portlandmetropolitan region, creating a 50-year blueprint for regional growth. The department’s focusnow is working with local jurisdictions, citizens and the private sector to spur development onthe ground to fulfill regional desired outcomes and local aspirations. Prior to working at Metro, John served as Community Development & Planning Directorfor the City of Canby, OR. He has a B.S. in Geology from Tufts University, a Master’s degree inGeological Science from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, and a Master’s Degreein Public Administration from Lewis & Clark College. John grew up in Brooklyn, New York.Sabrina Wu Sabrina Wu is staff to the HOPE Collaborative and serves on the Oakland Food PolicyCouncil. She has worked in public health, nutrition, and sustainable food systems for over 10years. Sabrina holds a MS in Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Policy from Tufts Universityand a BA from Barnard College of Columbia University.Deborah Yashar Deborah Yashar serves as Food Systems Program Manager at the Agriculture & Land-Based Training Association (ALBA) – an organic farm incubator and training center forbeginning and aspiring farmers in Monterey County, California. Deborah has played a key rolein the establishment of 10 SNAP-accessible certified farmers’ markets and farm stands on theCentral Coast as part of her work to improve market access for emerging farmers whileincreasing affordability of healthy foods. She led the successful passing of California AssemblyBill 537 in 2010 for federal food assistance (EBT) benefits to be universally accepted as alegitimate form of payment in farmers’ markets in 2010. Deborah is a member of the Santa CruzFarmers’ Markets board of directors and the Certified Farmers’ Market Advisory Committee ofthe California Department of Food & Agriculture.

Speaker Bios - CFSC National Food Policy Conference 2011

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