Candidates PFPC Board of Directors
Overview
In 2021, the PFPC began its transition to a 501c3 supporting organization of the Community Foundation of the Alleghenies. Our Board of Directors consists of up to 15 members who represent specific stakeholder seats with staggered 2 years terms. We are thrilled to announce this fantastic slate of candidates who have stepped forward to run for our board election.
Below you will find a photo and brief bio provided by the candidates. This information is intended to provide an overview of what passion, perspective, relevant experience, and skills they would bring to the stakeholder seat they are running for and to the organization as a whole.
WHO CAN VOTE?
PFPC Collaborating members are eligible to vote in bi-annual elections. Collaborating members actively contribute to advancing the Council’s mission through participation in at least one Working Group or Functional Committee.
Who
Represents any one or more of the following experiences and/or expertise: Food production, environmental sustainability, land use, food and food-related waste and recovery, composting, soil quality, and soil nutrients.
Dan Dalton
I want to serve on the board of the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council to represent the voices, needs, and perspectives of agricultural producers in the important work of the PFPC. We cannot build a food system that is fair, equitable, and just without providing for the needs of those who produce our food day in and day out. I would work to represent agricultural producers from all backgrounds, scales, and production styles to advance a holistic vision of access and sustainability in our food system statewide.
I manage the Diversified Vegetable Apprenticeship and Pre-apprenticeship Programs (DVA and DVP) providing training experience to those seeking careers in production agriculture. I have helped plan programming for Pasa's annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference and the Pennsylvania Vegetable Growers Association's Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention. I sit on the steering committee for AgChoice Farm Credit's AgBiz Masters Program. I also sit on the USDA-NRCS' state technical subcommittee for urban agriculture
Regionally I Coordinate and administer Pasa's soil health benchmark research. I provide educational programming in western PA while providing technical assistance to growers on integrated pest management, irrigation systems, and season extension tools and techniques. Locally I sit on the PFPC's Urban Agriculture Working Group and co-chair its Farmland Access Subcommittee, as well as on the technical advisory committees for the Hilltop Urban Farm, BUGS-FPC, and Grow Pittsburgh's Garden Resource Center.I provide educational and technical support for all of Pasa's activities in the Pittsburgh region. Some of the additional contributions that I bring to the PFPC include communications/marketing, human resources, governance, and policy work.
Who
These stakeholder seats (3) provide room for those who desire to share their time and experience or expertise towards meeting the mission of the PFPC.
Cynthia Caul
At Large
I’m a Pittsburgh resident who believes in the mission of the PFPC and would be honored to support the actualization of this mission as a council board member, particularly in this period of strategic planning. I believe that food and how and by whom it is grown, prepared, and accessed, are central to understanding how we can build a more just and equitable society. That’s why I’m here and why I do the work that I do. I believe I could bring experiences, skills, and perspectives that would add value to the Board and the PFPC. I think I have much to give, but also believe I would gain just as much with this experience contributing to my growth as an individual and a food system professional. I’m currently a program manager at the Center for Regional Agriculture, Food, and Transformation (CRAFT)—a center at Chatham University that I helped to start about five years ago. In that role, as well as previous roles working in and on the food system at another center, local food pantry, county department of human services, and the U.S. Peace Corps, I’ve gained experience and honed skills in nonprofit management, communications, grant writing, food system research, organizational diversity, equity, and inclusion, and strategic planning. All of these are experiences and skills I believe I could contribute to the leadership of the PFPC. At CRAFT, I launched and currently manage the Regional Food System Inventory, which provides open-source, entity-level information about a variety of system stakeholders. I’ve also helped to develop a diverse funding portfolio for the organization that has sustained and expanded the organization over the past five years, as well as processes for monitoring spending and managing budgets. Additionally, I handle ongoing monitoring and evaluation for CRAFT, as well as our internal and external communications strategy. Lastly, in this role, I work with Chatham’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on a number of programs and pieces of training for the broader Chatham community, working towards the university’s aspirations for a more welcoming and inclusive community on campus.
Prior to CRAFT, I was a project manager at the Allegheny County Health Department’s Immigrants and International Initiatives and was on the team responsible for writing the first department-wide Language Access policy, as well as a supported the strategic planning process that resulted in the Allegheny County Immigrant Community Blueprint. I also worked at the University of Pittsburgh’s Ford Institute for Human Security, conducting research on human rights-based approaches to improving agricultural land access for women farmers, and was the 2017 recipient of the Simon Reich Human Security Writing Award for a paper about water access in northern Ghana.
Karen Gardner
At Large
I have been grateful to be a member of the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council for 4 years and a board member for 8 months. I care deeply about the food system in Pittsburgh — the city I was raised in and where I am raising my daughters. I would be honored to contribute to the PFPC’s work toward a just and equitable food system in our city. If elected to the board, I would especially like to provide an ongoing link between the PFPC and the Driving PA Forward Coalition. I have experience across several sectors of food policy, specifically focused on state and local advocacy campaigns. I am currently a senior policy associate at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, where I lead advocacy for state and local policies across the country that improve healthy food access through the food retail environment. Prior to joining CSPI, I served as the Pennsylvania Manager for the National Young Farmers Coalition, leading the Coalition’s organizing and advocacy work in our state. I have also worked as a food policy research analyst for NYU and as a community wellness advocate for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana.
I earned an MA in Food Studies from New York University and a BA in Economics from Bard College. I believe I could contribute technical assistance on various issues on which PFPC is advocating, as well as a direct connection and coordination role to the Driving PA Forward Campaign, which advocates for state policy change that would allow all PA residents to apply for drivers’ licenses, regardless of immigration status.
Zinna Scott
At large
I have been a part of the first cohort group to help create recommendations for our new mayor and city council to consider increasing equitable access to food throughout the city of Pittsburgh. In a multitude of ways. I'm from a community that is labeled a "food desert/apartheid". I'm able to communicate with people and work on policy. I will fit in as needed to help us make Pittsburgh an equitable city for all communities both economically and race.
Laura Valentine
at large
I became involved with the PFPC as a graduate student in Sustainable Food Systems. Since earning my MS, I have remained involved and find the work the PFPC is doing in our regional food system to be thoughtful and valuable. I feel I would bring a wide range of skills to a role on the PFPC Board, including practical skills, creativity, and a willingness to work on difficult problems. In my work with the PFPC in the past, I have served as a data consultant for the State of the Food System report and the Greater Pittsburgh Food Action Plan. I have a background in writing with a focus on breaking down highly technical concepts for general audiences and in group facilitation as well as a master's of Science in Sustainable Food Systems. During my Master’s program, I began attending Food & Health Equity committee meetings, due to my educational focus on data use and monitoring & evaluation of food systems. I served as co-chair of the Edible Teaching Garden in Point Breeze for three years, and during that time (and for some time afterward, at the request of the next chairs) participated in the Urban Ag committee. Currently, I attend meetings of the Food & Health Equity and Urban Ag committees when my other commitments allow.
In addition to a small consulting business, I work for the Center for Regional Agriculture, Food, and Transformation (CRAFT) at Chatham University, where I am responsible for coordinating our quantitative food data work, including creating and maintaining our data management plan, documentation, methodologies, and processes. I also serve on the Board of the East End Food Coop, where my focus during my term has been on policy and governance (and policy governance) within a cooperative context. The EEFC Board has been trying to build a culture of transparency and consensus using the principles of sociocracy, which has been an enlightening and eye-opening experience. From a practical standpoint, I bring various skills to the table: I can write for a wide variety of audiences, locate and analyze data, facilitate meetings, and provide live mind mapping of brainstorming sessions. I am interested in policy work and governance particularly, but am more than willing to pitch in wherever there is a need, and am happy to put in the time to get them up to speed on issues where I have little experience.
Who
This stakeholder seat is filled by a person who lives in a City of Pittsburgh community experiencing food apartheid.
Teaira Collins
City of Pittsburgh Representative
Coming from a low-income neighborhood I know 1st hand how to help our families get educated on proper nutrition and how to prepare healthy eating habits. Community engagement and organizing I have fundraising experience I have helped to bridge the gap between Port Authority and get better service provided in low-income neighborhoods. Help to get rental assistance for people in need. Help with stopping eviction in Pa. Been to Harrisburg to get the state representative to join forces to help low-income families. My long-term goal is to help bridge the gap in our food system and provide a better food system for families. Help the food banks provide adequate food that people can eat and want.
Who
This stakeholder seat is filled by a person who lives in an Allegheny County community experiencing food apartheid.
Masoud Sayles
Allegehny County Representative
The food systems within Allegheny County are currently extremely dependent on inputs sourced from well outside our region (in some cases internationally). This has created an extreme reliance on maintenance of the status quo [centralized production and processing in an increasingly monopolistic model]: ultimately this leads to a non-resilient, non-adaptive system that relies on everything working 'just on time, and just as expected' to avoid catastrophe. Furthermore, the overarching themes of systemic racism permeate all aspects of the food system, from production (where the vast majority of farmers in this country are members of the European diaspora), all the way through aggregation, processing, preparation, and service (where the vast majority of restaurant/grocery owners in this country are also members of the European diaspora). The jobs that non-European descended peoples can access within the food system are quite often the lowest paying jobs with the smallest amount of job security, subject to turnover, seasonality, and a general lack of worker benefits/protections. I'm here to change these things. I would prefer to make my contributions as relates to Food Policy Work within Allegheny County, as I have lived in McKeesport Pennsylvania (a community subject to food apartheid) for the majority of my life, and wish to see a more resilient food system nurtured in this space. I have previously represented this locality on PFPC's board in a temporary capacity, and wish to continue in this role moving forward if possible.
Who
Represents experience in or expertise in food-related businesses.
Monica Malik
Food Entrepreneurs
Food security is a passion of mine. I want to see Pittsburgh and Allegheny County reach out to the underserved communities, and I am heavily involved in those communities. Having access and knowledge is important but having a trusted member of the community is just as important. I have been a franchisee for checkers and rallies and my family owned 7 McDonald’s restaurants, which I also operated for over 2 decades. I work on the social determinants of the health team for Highmark Health
Who
Represents expertise within the health and/or nutrition fields or health and/or nutrition programs.
Ruth Bender
Health & nutrition
Though PFPC is engaged in work that strives to touch all elements of the food system, I am especially passionate about healthy food access and closing gaps that contribute to conditions of food insecurity and hunger. I believe ending hunger is about more than getting food into bellies. To end hunger is to see all members of our community with access to meals that are safely prepared, culturally relevant, and health-promoting. Food should do more than satiate hunger, it should nourish growing bodies and minds, strengthen social bonds, and facilitate a connection to the earth. A lasting end to hunger requires systems changes that facilitate health literacy and empowers everyone to know and choose wellness. I am humbled by the opportunity to run for a position on the PFPC Board and participate in the re-imagining of our region’s food system as one that fosters health, wellness, sustainability, and equity. By training, I am a Registered Dietitian, and have the pleasure of serving as a subject matter expert in nutrition to champion evidence-based best practices for multiple coalitions and working groups, including PFPC’s FHE and Child Nutrition subcommittees, Aliquippa Food Council, PA Farm to School Network, Keystone Kids Go statewide workgroup and the Pittsburgh Public SD School Wellness team.
In practice, I work as a SNAP-Ed Policy, Systems, & Environment (PSE) Coordinator for Adagio Health’s Nutrition Services Department, which administers WIC and SNAP-Ed programs throughout Western PA. As PSE Coordinator, I represent Adagio Health in seeking opportunities to collaborate with communities, organizations, agencies, and learning institutions on projects that make the healthy choice, the easy choice for low-income individuals and families. Planning and implementing projects to promote federal child nutrition programs, boost participation, and improve mealtime environments is central to my role, which necessitates excellent communications, community engagement, and partnership development skills. I provide guidance and technical assistance for PSE project facilitation to Adagio Health SNAP-Ed nutrition educators in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, and Westmoreland counties. In Allegheny County, our Langley and Turtle Creek offices have early childhood, K-12 school, food assistance, food retail, and community organization partners across the Greater Pittsburgh area.
Specifically, the projects that I engage in with Adagio Health are related to early childhood and K-12 school wellness, Farm to School and Farm to ECE, senior wellness, food insecurity screening in clinical settings, GPCFB Healthy Options Pantry Program, Farmers Market Nutrition Program promotion, and park prescription programs (Parks Rx). Beyond health and nutrition advocacy work related to my role with Adagio Health, I also serve as a Councilwoman for Leechburg Borough Council where I have gained invaluable experience working within local government. I also have experience managing a small-scale sustainable farm and CSA program with fruit, vegetable, and livestock production.
Alonso Diaz
Health & nutrition
I would like to serve on the Board of the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council (PFPC) because I believe that the position will afford me an opportunity to make a positive impact on the organization, my experience with the PFPC so far has helped me develop a number of skills that will be highly relevant to the Board, and because I believe that both the Board and myself will benefit from my legal expertise. I am currently involved in the governance stakeholder group and have been nominated for an At Large seat on the Board of Directors. I believe that I could contribute to the leadership of the PFPC through my experience and representation in many organizations across southwestern PA and through my knowledge of food law and policy in the service area. I am currently a Fitness Nutritionist Specialist at the Township of Upper St. Clair, a former manager at 412 Food Rescue, and participate on the boards of the Pittsburgh Restaurant Workers Aid and the Black Urban Gardeners and Farmers of Pittsburgh Cooperative.
Who
Represents youth either as a professional or paraprofessional working with youth or because the stakeholder is 18 - 24 years of age at election.
Jeremiah Davis
Youth Seat
My interest in community development and urban policy coupled with my work experience in that field would make me a good fit for the youth board seat I was nominated for. Coming from a background informed by sustainability helps you see problems holistically and without silos. This is important because the PFPC is examining food policy but that has many intersections with the built environment, whether that's with mobility, urban planning, and economic development. And I believe that’s a perspective I can bring.
Although I am still young, I believe my experiences and knowledge would allow me to make valuable contributions to PFPC. I have experience interning with the City Council in Councilman Lavelle’s office, where I saw how city laws and policies were developed and passed. I also interned in the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, where I saw how government programs became implemented by staff. Those experiences allowed me to better have a more real and tangible way government works and gets things done, one from the political and the other from the civil service end. In terms of youth involvement, I worked with youth in my role in the Eden Hall K-12 Programs Office. I facilitated field trips and workshops about sustainability and social justice for students in kindergartens to 12th grade. I also helped lead a group of students both High School and College students for a youth candidates forum for candidates running in the local election in 2021.
Adia Effiong
Youth Seat
Since joining Grow Pittsburgh 5 years ago my relationship with the PFPC has evolved and included many cross-sectional opportunities that have afforded me the ability to see the PFPC work in action. As a board member, I will have the opportunity to not just work on a subcommittee and as grantees but support the overall mission of the PFPC. I have worked directly with Sarah for many years and would love the opportunity to support the organization as a whole.