Professional experience

Sustainability Consultant, Public Schools of the Tarrytowns (April 2023-present)

• Lead the design and implementation of a zero waste operational system for five elementary through high school campuses

• Provide hands-on lessons to support habit shifts and environmental literacy, including staff professional development and student lessons offered in English and Spanish

Strategic Marketing Consultant, Common Grain Alliance (2022)

• Developed first Strategic Marketing Plan to support sustainable farmers, millers, bakers, and grain artisans

• Operationalized plan by introducing member products at retail locations throughout DC region, training sales staff on product attributes, and forging partnerships with mission-aligned nonprofits and distributors

Cooking & Gardening Teacher, Mundo Verde Public Charter School (Washington, DC, 2018-2021)

• Taught five classes daily of kindergarten – fifth grade students in a Spanish bilingual, urban setting

• Awarded 2021 Gilda Allen Best School Garden in DC Award, Office of the State Superintendent of Education

• Managed sustainability initiatives e.g. campus composting education, waste stream audit competition

• Developed and adopted environmental education curricula: Authored original curricula for two years of in-person and one year of virtual instruction, anchoring unit and lesson themes in Next Generation Science Standards and Cloud Institute Education for Sustainability Standards; Before opening of second school campus, surveyed established curricula for garden education nationally, presented to leadership and recommended a curriculum for the two-campus network; Adapted established curriculum from Smithsonian, FRESHFARM Foodprints, Anacostia Watershed Society and other nationally recognized outdoor education institutions

• Engaged in professional development training to master advanced teaching techniques: Evidence-based pedagogy around the neurobiological impacts of stress and trauma and responsive strategies that reduce classroom behavioral issues; Anti-racism in the classroom, and how to create a culture of belonging for students of color; Differentiation of material for learners of diverse abilities and scaffolding of key ideas and work products for English language learners

Chemistry Teacher and Head of Science Department, Day School Summerbridge (San Francisco, 2003)

• Taught chemistry to middle school-aged students, and designed detailed curriculum plans for six weeks of instruction, in a program of the national Breakthrough Collaborative; Selected as Head of Science Department, to serve as link between teacher team and program administrators

Host, Lunch Agenda Radio (Washington, DC, 2018-2020)

• Produced and Hosted Lunch Agenda, the weekly "food activism" talk radio show and podcast on Full Service Radio at the Line Hotel in Washington, DC

Seylou Bakery & Mill, Director of Breaducation (Washington, DC, 2017-2018)

• Led PR around opening, with front page Washington Post, NPR, and more coverage

• Grew Seylou’s brand loyalty and thought leadership reputation while brokering partnerships within the local as well as regional agricultural community

Capital Area Food Bank, Director of Marketing (Washington, DC, 2014-2017)

• Positioned CAFB as a national thought leader in nutrition access through leadership of a PR campaign about the organization’s 2016 commitment to wellness

• Oversaw $400k+ marketing budget, including expenditure for events, online marketing, advertising & administrative

• Designed and executed a public awareness campaign to serve as CAFB’s strategic framework for engaging the community on the issue of hunger. Successes under this campaign include dramatic increase in media and PR coverage for the CAFB, including five Washington Post features in 2016, plus feature articles on WAMU and in Edible DC, DCist, Huffington Post, and more

• Led team of five marketing associates, including hiring, termination, and guiding professional growth 

• Served as primary press spokesperson for the CAFB (after CEO), with appearances on News Channel 7, Kojo Nnamdi show, Fairfax County TV, etc. (roundup available here)

Bi-Rite Family of Businesses, Marketing Director (San Francisco, 2009-2013)

For a group of businesses including two grocery stores (“Arguably America’s most ambitious grocery”—Food & Wine), a bakery & ice cream shop, farms, a catering company and a non-profit education center:

• Devised and implemented annual marketing strategy by leveraging three direct reports, store managers, buyers, service staff and community partners

• Directed all newsletters, email blasts, online media, print ads, signage & collateral for all member businesses

• Led development of Bi-Rite Market & Bi-Rite Creamery websites, including creation of company blog

• Planned, promoted and managed community events, including San Francisco’s 1st Food & Farm Film Fest

• Led national rollouts of two cookbooks, Eat Good Food and Sweet Cream & Sugar Cones, garnering reviews in The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal and many others

Education

Stanford University, (Stanford, CA, 2000-2004)                                                                                  

• BA, International Relations; minor, French (fluent in French and Spanish)

Certificate in Food Journalism, French Culinary Institute (NYC, 2005)

Community Leadership

• Appointed Member, Sleepy Hollow Environmental Advisory Committee (2023-present)

• President and Board member, Crispus Attucks Development Corporation (January 2018-2022)

• Board member, FRESHFARM Markets Advocacy Board (Washington, DC, 2016-2022)

• Culinary Instructor, Cooking Matters (Upper Marlboro, MD, 2016): Taught cooking and nutrition curriculum to residents of The Vistas at Lake Largo senior home

• Board member, Rudolph J. and Daphne A. Munzer Foundation (Long Beach, CA 2012-present)

• Founding & Governing Board Member, Mission Preparatory School, San Francisco’s K-8 college preparatory public charter school (San Francisco, 2010-2013)