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<\/a><\/p>\nSarah (she\/her) oversees NSAC\u2019s overall organizational strategic direction, administration, management, and capacity-building<\/span>. Previously, she served as NSAC’s Grassroots Director for nearly 8 years, working with NSAC’s member organizations and allies to empower and mobilize grassroots food and farm voices nationwide. Raised in rural Florida, her prior work has included community-led efforts to improve small farm viability, increase fresh food access, and build leadership in rural communities in the Pacific Northwest.\u00a0 She holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College.<\/p>\n Carena (they\/them) manages administrative operations for NSAC. Their curiosity for plants and the environment led them to earn a B.S. in Biology from Hampton University. Soon after they interned as an AmeriCorps volunteer with the U.S. Forest Service where they did everything from repairing bridges along the Appalachian Trail to teaching environmental education lessons within national parks. For nearly a decade Carena worked within the NYC metro area food system, managing farmers markets, running community gardens, launching healthy food access initiatives with the City of Jersey City, and advocating for some of the strongest environmental justice protection laws with Ironbound Community Corporation. During this period they received their M.A. in Food Studies from New York University where they concentrated on Black Agrarianism and Cooperative Economics. Carena lends their passion and motivation for sustaining and building equitable food systems to the survival, joy, and resistance of Black and migrant farmers and workers.<\/p>\n Laura (she\/her) holds a Master of International Affairs degree with a focus on agricultural policy and economic development from Columbia University and a B.A. from the College of Letters at Wesleyan University. She has worked at the intersection of agriculture, climate, economic development, nutrition, and public health for more than 18 years. She has experience advancing the goals of mission-driven organizations through nonprofit management, fundraising, and strategic communications for the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, the Azuero Eco Foundation, and the International Planned Parenthood Federation, among others.<\/p>\n Lee (they\/them) joined NSAC in 2025 as a Program Associate, supporting administrative and program functions across the organization. Lee grew up in Baltimore, MD and spent over a decade working on small-scale vegetable farms in Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. In 2024 Lee earned a Master\u2019s degree in Social Work from Simmons University where they studied mental health support for farmers and growers. Lee enjoys reading poetry and listening to podcasts while weeding, and is passionate about creating equitable, resilient, thriving communities among farmers and agricultural workers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Megan \u201cMR\u201d Rolfe (they\/she) manages NSAC’s human resources and people functions. MR is deeply committed to equipping small social change organizations with people-centered practices. They hold a SHRM-SCP certification and have provided HR infrastructure support to dozens of movement and advocacy organizations through their independent consulting work at Blue Swallow Consulting and as the Administrative Director at Vega Mala Consulting, a consultancy that specializes in equitable HR. Prior to a focus on HR, they held several operations roles, including serving as the Operations Director at the Institute for Conservation Leadership. Raised in Kentucky and North Carolina, MR is based in the DC metro region.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Eowyn (they\/she), when not obsessing over where community organizing and building holistic systems meet, can be found with a handwork project, cooking, eating, or growing food. Most recently director of development and programs at Dakota Rural Action and a past NSAC Organizational Council (OC) member, Eowyn has focused on local & regional food systems and sustainable agriculture policy for the last 15 years. Based in the Dakotas, the occupied lands of the Oceti Sakowin Oyate (the Dakota, Nakota, and Lakota peoples), Eowyn comes to this work via a love for fiber animals, seasonal foods, and textile arts. As a dedicated grassroots community organizer rooted in justice and equity, Eowyn has been invited to serve in many leadership roles in movement spaces, honing a skill to facilitate what challenges us. Originally from southern California and of Michoac\u00e1n descent, Eowyn plans to find their way back to the West Coast eventually to raise animals on pasture on a multigenerational farm with their family. At NSAC she works to connect and empower grassroots food and farm groups in NSAC’s membership and the broader movement, supports the coalition’s grassroots campaigns, and stewards the Racial Justice Committee.<\/p>\n Stef Funk (she\/her) is an experienced educator, event planner, and community organizer. As a proud jack of all trades, she’s held several different roles in fostering local food system resiliency, from farming to distribution to advocacy. She is passionate about cultivating spaces where people feel welcome, cared for, and well fed, and has relished the responsibility of leading the planning of the Annual Chicago Food Justice Summit for several years. Previously, Stef worked with the Chicago Food Policy Action Council, Food and Water Watch, and Plant Chicago. At NSAC, she works with grassroots staff and NSAC’s member organizations to uplift farmer’s stories and lend their on-the-ground expertise to shape stronger policies that advance sustainable and regenerative agriculture in the United States. Stef holds a degree in Environmental Science from Clark University, is an eager crafter, a slow but frequent runner, and cares for 13 backyard chickens on the southwest side of Chicago.<\/p>\n Tyler (she\/her) is a passionate advocate from North Carolina who holds a B.S. in Biology and a Science and Society Certificate from Duke University. Tyler’s interest in agriculture deepened during the pandemic as she researched racial disparities in land ownership and the impacts of industrial agriculture. While working at Tierra Negra Farm in Durham, North Carolina, she cultivated relationships with farmers and community members who practice cooperative land stewardship. After relocating to DC, she sought out new opportunities to study regenerative agriculture at several farms in the area. These experiences, her commitment to racial equity, and her love for storytelling drive her approach to grassroots advocacy.<\/p>\n Nezahualcoyotl “Neza\u201d (he\/him) joins the NSAC team with almost 20 years of experience working in rural communities in Mexico and Central America and in the US South. His training in anthropology sparked his interest in a time-depth perspective of agricultural practices and their social implications across cultural and geographic realms. In his previous work, he served as an advocate for farmworkers in Florida and for a more sustainable food and economic system.<\/p>\n Duncan (he\/him) holds a B.A. in Political Science and Global Health from Northwestern University and an M.A. in Food Studies from New York University. He began his career on a small vegetable farm in Concord, MA, working alongside the owner on all farm operations, selling at farmers markets, and navigating a strained relationship with the weeding geese. He subsequently spent seven years in health policy research at the Harvard School of Public Health and Weill Cornell Medicine, focusing on disparities in U.S. healthcare and international health system comparisons. At NYU, his research explored federal farm programs, regional food system resiliency, and the impacts of consolidation within grain and beef processing. Most recently, Duncan worked at the Congressional Research Service, supporting members of Congress on food and agriculture legislation and research. He is an enthusiastic but novice woodworker, ceramicist, pianist, and outdoorsman, and volunteers with several food distribution and advocacy organizations across NYC.<\/p>\n Connor (he\/they) grew up working in Michigan in agriculture and the food system – from picking weeds in fields to driving the occasional tractor, working as a butcher, managing green roof installations, co-creating an educational farm, and helping advocate for and design a university food bank. He has spent time in North Carolina leading advocacy around food and energy systems\u2019 impact on climate along with working with and centering harmed communities like farmworkers and residents living near CAFOs to develop equitable coalitions, campaigns, and policy. He has a B.A. from the University of Michigan in political science and environmental science, with a specialization in food policy. Connor staffs the NSAC Food System Integrity Committee, which focuses on key food safety, labeling, and livestock processing issues.<\/p>\n Sophia (she\/her) leads NSAC’s cross-team policy coordination and strategy efforts. She returned to NSAC after 4 years leading the Food and Agriculture Clinic at Vermont Law School, where she directed a team providing law and policy services to farmers, food entrepreneurs, and food system organizations. During that time, Sophia led the launch of the Vermont Legal Food Hub, a program that connects farmers and local food businesses with free legal assistance. Sophia previously served as a Senior Policy Specialist at NSAC; her DC experience also includes the Center for Food Safety, the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and the federal district court. She holds a BS in Environmental Science from the University of Michigan and a JD from Vermont Law School.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Mike (he\/him) leads NSAC’s overall policy strategy and advocacy efforts. Prior to NSAC he was the Senior Manager of Government Affairs for the Union of Concerned Scientists\u2019 Food & Environment program, an NSAC member, and served for 3 years on the Organizational Council of NSAC. At UCS, Mike advocated for a science-based, equitable, healthy, and sustainable food and farm system. Previously, Mike served as a policy analyst at the Environmental Working Group and spent six years in the office of former Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI), where he worked on agriculture appropriations, dairy policy, and other farm and food policy issues. He has a B.A. in American history and French language from Marquette University.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Richa<\/span> grew up in North Carolina, where she cultivated her enthusiasm for spending as much time outdoors as possible, and holds a B.S. in engineering and a B.S. in political science from North Carolina State University.\u00a0She joins NSAC from the U.S. House of Representatives, where she previously led agriculture policy for Rep. Yadira Caraveo, M.D. (D-CO) and Rep. Alma Adams, Ph.D. (D-NC). She worked closely with grassroots organizations in the West and South on a wide range of food and farm issues. As a Hill staffer, her efforts have also included supporting farmers\u2019 water and land conservation efforts, responding to historical discrimination in USDA farm lending programs, and elevating resources for rural and farming communities\u2019 transition to clean energy.<\/p>\n Hannah (she\/her) holds an M.P.H. from the University of North Carolina and a B.A. from NC State University. North Carolina is where she found her place in food and agriculture and more specifically in the synergies between promoting public health through a regional food economy. Her programmatic work has included designing and managing sliding-scale CSAs and business development resources for food and farm entrepreneurs, while her policy design and advocacy experience rests in farm-to-school, healthy food finance initiatives, capital access, and urban agriculture. Her approach in the work seeks to disrupt power imbalances in policy design and decision-making by centering community voices, particularly those that have been historically displaced or marginalized. She joins NSAC from Richmond, Virginia to staff the Marketing, Food Systems, and Rural Development committee, which focuses on local and regional food systems, farm-to-school, healthy food access, and economic development.<\/p>\n Nick (he\/him) holds a B.S. in Environment and Natural Resources with a minor in English from the Ohio State University. His experience spans from working on environmental education and food insecurity in Iowa to traversing the Rocky Mountains as a Wilderness Ranger with the US Forest Service in Colorado.\u00a0 Before joining NSAC, Nick worked on a small organic vegetable farm in central Ohio growing food and advocating for sustainable local food systems in urban environments.\u00a0 These combined experiences inform Nick\u2019s approach to sustainable agriculture especially as it relates to climate change and his commitment to building resilient food systems that appropriately address the needs of first-generation farmers and historically underserved farming communities. Nick supports the coalition\u2019s policy campaigns across several issue committees.<\/p>\nCarena Miles, Operations Manager<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nLaura Zaks, Associate Director of Communications and Development<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nLee Ford, Program Associate<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nMR Rolfe, Associate Director of People & Culture<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nGrassroots Team<\/h2>\n
\nEowyn Corral, Grassroots Co-Director<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nStef Funk, Grassroots Co-Director<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nTyler Edwards, Grassroots Advocacy Coordinator<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nNeza Xiuhtecutli, Senior Grassroots Advocacy Coordinator<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nPolicy Team<\/h2>\n
\nDuncan Orlander, Policy Specialist<\/h3>\n
<\/h2>\nConnor Kippe, Policy Specialist<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nSophia Kruszewski, Deputy Policy Director<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nMichael Lavender, Policy Director<\/h3>\n
<\/div>\nRicha Patel, Policy Specialist<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nHannah Quigley, Policy Specialist<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nNicholas Rossi, Policy Specialist<\/h3>\n
<\/div>\n