Meet this year’s Alumni Council

Each year we invite new members to join our Alumni Council to bring fresh perspectives and passions to the group. They are here to support all alumni in launching initiatives they’d like to start, in lifting their voices to FoodCorps’ National team, and in advancing their career goals post-FoodCorps. Meet the Council members below and learn about their goals for the year.  

Kane Martin, IA ’16: After Serving in Cedar Rapids, IA Kane went on to become the AmeriCorps Program Coordinator at Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland metro where he keeps up his passion for amateur gardening.

Kendal Chavez, NM ’12-’13: After serving in Albuquerque, Kendal became the state fellow and then Farm to School Director at Farm to Table, a small non-profit based in New Mexico that focuses on food systems work at local, regional and national levels through community-based programs and policy.

Kala Cuerington, CT ’13 (CA Fellow ’14): Since FoodCorps, Kala has managed a restaurant, worked at The Edible Schoolyard Berkeley and currently manages corps members for Education Outside in San Francisco. Kala is currently into her new sous vide machine, and kayaking in the questionable waters of the bay.

Rebecca Rosenthal, MS ’14-’15: Rebecca served with FoodCorps in Mississippi, and is now a Health Coach and Grad School student with goals of becoming a licensed nutritionist and herbalist.

Elizabeth Esparza, CA ’16-’17: Elizabeth just finished her second term with FoodCorps and is starting grad school this fall at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo pursuing a Master’s in Public Policy with the hope of continuing to work on food systems issues within California.

Amy Kleinman CT ’13 (returning): Recent graduate from the University of Colorado, Denver with her Master’s in Public Health in Health Systems, Management, and Policy. Amy served in Bridgeport, Connecticut from 2012-2013 and currently works in Type 1 Diabetes pediatric research in Denver.

Allison Boyd, NC ’12 (returning): Since serving with FoodCorps in North Carolina remained at her site as a service site supervisor for two years after. Since then she’s worked on Capitol Hill, served as the ED of an urban farm cooperative in Baltimore, and was recently a service site supervisor for a second time as part of her role as a manager at Revolution Foods, a healthy school food provider. Currently, she’s building an organic farm enterprise with her husband, raising chickens, honey bees, and a few acres of vegetables, and teaching yoga.

Alex Freedman, MA ’13 (’14-’15 fellow) (returning): Alex is California boy, by way of Somerville, MA. Having just wrapped up roles doing municipal public health policy and sustainable farming in Massachusetts, he is headed to grad school in Los Angeles for the fall. In addition, he loves gardening, traveling, and obsessing over the Great British Bake-Off.

Tiffany Torres CT ’14-’15 (returning): A native of the Sunshine State, Tiffany returned to Florida after service to work for the University of Florida Cooperative Extension’s Family Nutrition Program as a Food Systems Specialist, where she is part of an amazing statewide Farm to School team serving SNAP-eligible youth and adults throughout Florida. Tiffany enjoys quieter moments in nature, mushroom foraging or tending to her own home garden alongside her cuddly cat Athena. She’s also our Alumni Council Chairperson!

Alyssa Charney MT ’13 (returning): Alyssa is a policy specialist at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) in Washington, D.C. At NSAC she leads the coalition’s work on farm bill conservation policy, and also works on appropriations, climate change, and organic agriculture. Alyssa served as a FoodCorps member for two years in Red Lodge, Montana with the Red Lodge Area Food Partnership Council.

Our Goals for 2017-2018

Build internal Alumni Council processes that encourage transparency, accountability & realistic goal-setting in order to keep us on a path to success.

Strengthen network of alumni in order to provide professional support and communicate positivity & hope during our current difficult political and social climate.

Embed an equity & inclusion lens into Alumni Council programs in order to support all alumni in being leaders of those values in their work and lives after FoodCorps.

Partner with FoodCorps policy team to encourage alumni to be politically engaged and see themselves as change-makers.

Provide meaningful channels for alumni to provide feedback and raise their own voices regarding updates and changes to the FoodCorps program.

Got questions about these goals? What more specifics? Ask! Get in touch with Robyn Wardell at robyn.wardell@foodcorps.org or Tiffany Torres, our Alumni Council Chair, at TiffanyNicoleTorres1@gmail.com.