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 University. 

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

Nika Colley

Webinar Producer & Host

Jada Grant

Jobs Portal Manager

Queen Guobadia

Website Support

Emily Lau

Social Media Manager

Not shown: Gretchen Burmeister, Tech & ComFoodJobs Support

Dr. Judith Anglin

Treasurer

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 Widener University in Philadelphia where she is a program director and an associate professor. She serves as Treasurer for NAFSN.

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.

Pamela Berg

Partner Representative

Pam is the Academic Program Manager at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future. Working remotely from Chicago, she manages the Center's online courses and helps build educational programs and resources to reach new students, including food systems practitioners. Pam serves on NAFSN's Leadership and Web circles. 

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. 

Amy Christian

Lyson Center Co-Director

Natalie Cruz

Leadership Circle Co-Chair

Natalie is an Afro-Latina culinary professional, decolonized food systems expert, and food writer. She specializes in culinary consulting, instruction, and recipe development.  Natalie is currently writing a cookbook on the African Diaspora in Latin America and writes a weekly newsletter on Substack called Food for Thought, where she writes about food, society, and identity. She serves as NAFSN's Leadership Circle co-chair.

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.

Duncan Hilchey

Lyson Center Co-Director

Duncan is the co-director of the Lyson Center and editor in chief of the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development. He has published on a wide range of food systems issues, spoken at national conferences, and received a number of awards for his work on farm and food-based community development. He currently lives and works in Ithaca, NY.

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. She currently serves as NAFSN's Leadership co-chair, and lives and works out of Washington, DC.

Vivian Le

Webinar Producer

Vivian Le is passionate about strengthening local food systems and is always looking for opportunities to learn from others. She most recently ran the farmers market in Riverhead, NY, and is now studying food systems in Italy. She is excited to make new connections so feel free to reach out to have a chat!

Heidi

Partner Repre

Marisa 

Partner Repre

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. 

Debra Tropp

CARAT 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.