As grants manager, I serve as a liaison between Center staff members and granting agencies. I partner across the Center to help develop ideas and funding proposals that will strengthen our reach. I enjoy engaging with staff to support their endeavors and building deep connections to advance diverse partnerships.
The Center’s work is led by values, and the work and those values both bring me hope. It’s a privilege to work with an organization that leans into rural prosperity and vibrant livelihoods. Staying attuned to changing landscapes, listening to the people being served, and responding strategically and thoughtfully makes for meaningful work.
For two decades, I have been steeped in food systems work, managing urban farmers markets with nonprofit organizations, developing rural community gardens, and expanding state and regional food systems development within nonprofits and state and federal agencies. From 2013 through 2016, I worked with the Center to build farm to school projects in rural communities, and in 2016 moved to the Nebraska Department of Education to coordinate farm to school statewide. It’s a privilege to work with communities and learn from them in tandem to developing meaningful programs and systems.
I’ve spent much of my life in largely rural states like Oklahoma, Michigan, Wyoming, and Nebraska. Living in these states, I have found energizing opportunities to widen the community table to make room for expression of unique voices. These diverse communities of fellow humans offer opportunity for learning and connection furthering our stewardship of the land, natural environment, and the critters who call it home.
Outside of work, I stay busy with my middle school daughter, my partner, and his teenage kids. My favorite moments are simply time with my family, running trails with my husky, cooking food from our local food subscription box or our disorganized garden, and biking rural roads.
Q&A
What's something surprising about you that most people don't know?
I studied art and psychology in college and always thought I would be an art therapist working with people in recovery from addictions. I still care about digging into who people are and what makes them thrive in their world, via food and art.
What is your dream vacation spot?
I will never turn down a staycation. But, otherwise, I’m happiest in the mountains, cross-country skiing to cabins, or backpacking remote areas for days at a time.
What's your favorite food/restaurant?
I spent a semester studying abroad in India and that forever changed my relationship with food. My favorite restaurant of all time was a South Indian restaurant in Ann Arbor, Michigan, that served legit South Indian dosas. When in India, there were days I ate dosas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with an overripe mango making my hands and face sticky.
