Growing up in northern California, I had a very different take on what rural means. Living in the Midwest has raised my awareness of the importance of rural people and communities.
My family owned a restaurant in California, which sparked my love for all things food- and kitchen-related. During college, I majored in international relations at the University of California, Davis and enjoyed learning foreign languages there. For a while, I worked in operations and human resources for an insurance company, then I was a stay-at-home parent. Six years ago, I moved to Omaha. There, I worked in local foods as a farmers market manager, food hub coordinator, and volunteered with community gardens around the city.
In my role with the Center, I work on local food access in the farm to school agriculture education programs. I strive to align my work in local foods with the needs of the communities that we serve.
My family still lives in California and Nevada, and we go back home to visit as often as we can. Cora, my daughter, loves art, sledding, climbing trees, and swimming. We also have two dogs, Louie, a Golden Retriever, and Betty Biscuit, an Australian Cattle Dog/German Shepherd. I enjoy living in Nebraska and appreciate living in a place that gets to see all four seasons. In my spare time, I like traveling, being in a book club, visiting markets, and spending time with family and friends.
