Board of Trustees

Tara Agrawal – (Roslindale, MA) Tara is currently Senior Project Manager in Boston Children’s Hospital’s Office of Community Health (OCH) where she leads a multifaceted grantmaking initiative focused on improving the health and well-being of children and families. Tara has been working at the intersection of community nutrition practice and research both domestically and internationally for over 15 years. Prior to joining OCH, Tara served as an agricultural advisor with Global Exchange and ENLACE Civil, a Mexican NGO, advising indigenous farmers in Southern Mexico about sustainable agricultural development. Tara returned to the U.S. to pursue her Master’s Degree in Food Policy and Applied Nutrition from the Tufts Friedman School. It was during this time that she first connected with The Food Project—serving as the urban grower’s assistant & farmers market manager. Tara has since earned her PhD in Nutritional Sciences from Cornell University. As a community nutrition researcher, Tara is interested in the social and behavioral aspects of food and eating to inform policy and practice. She has conducted research on a variety of food, agriculture, and health related topics for organizations including UNICEF, the World Bank, the Jesuit Refugee Service, and The Food Chain Workers Alliance.

Amy Ballin – (Gloucester, MA) Amy’s career as an educator spans over 30 years from teaching science education at elementary and middle schools to working as a school counselor for children with language-based learning disabilities to her current position at Simmons University as an assistant professor in the special education department. Amy received her Bachelor in Science from Cornell University as an environmental education major. She earned a Masters in Science Teaching from Antioch University New England and worked as a science educator for ten years before returning to college to obtain a Masters in Social Work from Boston University. Dr. Ballin received her CAG.S. in education administration and her PhD in education from Lesley University where she explored theories of school culture, the ethics of special education, and student motivation. Amy is the mother of two children who were fortunate to participate in The Food Project as youth and then later as staff. Their experiences at The Food Project were life altering. As young adults, they use the skills and insights from The Food Project to advance social justice. Amy is also an avid gardener committed to growing her own food.

Cassandria Campbell – (Dorchester, MA) Cassandria is a 1999 alumna of The Food Project and co-founder of Fresh Food Generation, a Boston-based food truck and catering company. After participating in The Food Project’s youth crews, Cassandria studied Economics and Public Policy at Swarthmore College and later returned to The Food Project as a youth coordinator. With an interest in building communities, Cassandria pursued a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from MIT and spent time working in affordable housing development. Campbell co-founded Fresh Food Generation in 2014 with Jackson Renshaw, fellow Food Project alumnus, with a shared goal of bringing healthy, locally-sourced food to communities where these options are hard to come by. In 2014, Cassandria was included in Zagat’s 30-Under-30 list—honoring Boston’s young entrepreneurs who are redefining the dining industry. She is also the 2018 winner of The Food Project’s Leadership Award.

Valerie Cardoso – (Dorchester, MA) Valerie is a Climate Change Policy Analyst for the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA). Prior to her time at EEA, she worked as the Deputy Director of Constituent Services for the Office of Governor Charles Baker. Valerie graduated with a B.A. in Sociology from Boston College in 2014, and upon graduation, served as a City Year Americorps member at an elementary school in the Bronx, NY. After completing her first year of Americorps service, she returned to Boston where she spent the year crossing the country leading volunteers in high impact service projects at both schools and nonprofit organizations. Valerie became involved with The Food Project’s Seed Crew at the age of 15. She spent three years in various youth roles throughout the organization and was given opportunities to represent The Food Project outside of Boston. Valerie frequently states that her passion for service and social justice started at The Food Project, and that the organization has played the most important role in shaping her life and career trajectory.

Annalisa Di Palma – (Swampscott, MA) Annalisa is a fitness industry professional, community volunteer, and mother. Until recently, Annalisa owned and operated her own fitness studio where she was a coach, instructor, and personal trainer, bringing her decades of fitness and marathon running experience to her clientele. Prior to that, she worked for nearly a decade with startup companies in the telecommunications industry, managing their public and analyst relations programs. Annalisa was elected to the Board of Girls Inc. of Lynn in September 2008 and served as the Board President until 2014. She is also a member of the Board of Overseers of Salem State University and is active with Catholic Charities. Annalisa’s passion for healthy living and nutritious cooking fueled her quest to help individuals everywhere access an affordable, fresh food supply. Annalisa holds a BA from Boston College and an MBA from Northeastern University. She and her husband share a love for the outdoors, for extensive traveling, cooking, and entertaining.

Michelle Dyer (Treasurer) – (Essex, MA) Michelle is Vice President, Risk & Compliance – EMEA, M&A Compliance, and Responsible Business of American Express Global Business Travel (GBT), serving as lead for all risk and compliance matters in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, as well as mergers and acquisitions compliance and responsible business initiatives globally. She previously led compliance due diligence and integration for GBT’s mergers and acquisitions—and shareholder governance, stand-up, and separation activities at the formation of the GBT joint venture. Prior to joining GBT, Michelle worked at American Express as Director of Strategic Operations for Global Business Services and has held various other mergers and acquisitions and transformation roles throughout her career. Michelle has a BA (Art and Culture Studies) from Simon Fraser University in Canada; an MSc (Sustainability) from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden; and an MBA (Finance) from Northeastern University in the United States. Michelle lives in London, UK with her family.

Sarah Gould – (Hamilton, MA) Sarah grew up in the north of England and graduated from Cambridge University with a degree in Land Economy. After an early career as a chartered surveyor in London, she joined the British merchant banking firm Kleinwort Benson Limited. She served postings in Chicago and New York as a Vice President in commercial real estate and leveraged lending. Sarah left the workforce just prior to having the first of three daughters and has been an active mother and volunteer over the past twenty plus years. She is a past trustee of Brookwood School and has volunteered in different capacities (and on several occasions) in Tanzania, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and West Virginia. She currently volunteers on a regular basis as a literacy tutor in Lawrence and at a food pantry in Beverly, where she has seen first-hand the enthusiasm when fresh produce has been made available. Sarah has been a keen volunteer and supporter of The Food Project for over ten years and loves taking care of her own tiny vegetable garden on the coast of Maine. The rest of the year, she lives in Hamilton with her husband, daughters, and dogs.

Norris Guscott – (Somerville, MA) Norris is a clinical and social sciences researcher currently enrolled in Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government’s UE Executive Education Program (Using Evidence to Assess Effectiveness). Additionally, Norris collaborates with Harvard Medical School’s The Family Van and HMS MedScience with their impact analysis and research publications. Norris has a deep history with The Food Project. At the age of 16, he was introduced to the organization by former executive director, J. Harrison, while working in a community garden in Lynn, MA. Norris later became one of The Food Project’s first FoodCorps service members, and eventually went on to publish a research piece on the benefits of community gardens in collaboration with The Food Project. He is currently completing his academic studies while working at Dana Farber Cancer Institute and consulting regularly with several Boston area non-profit organizations. In his spare time, Norris is an avid gardener and competitive cricket player.

Preble Jaques – (Brookline, MA) Preble works in the Investment Management Division at Goldman Sachs & Co. in Boston. Prior to that, he co-founded Avedro, Inc., a medical device company. Earlier in his career, he worked at Housatonic Partners, a private equity firm, and in equity research at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. Preble is a graduate of Harvard College and received his MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. He serves as a Board member at The Crittenton Women’s Union and as a member of the Investment Committee at the Massachusetts Historical Society. Preble and his wife Jessica Shattuck, a fiction writer, live in Brookline with their three children.

Natasha Lamb – (Manchester, MA) Natasha is a Managing Partner, Director of Equity Research & Shareholder Engagement with Arjuna Capital. She works with clients to integrate Environmental, Social, and Governance factors into their investments, while engaging major corporations to improve their performance through shareholder activism. Named by Bloomberg Businessweek as one of the “Bloomberg 50” most influential people who defined global business in 2017, Natasha was also featured on the cover of the magazine in June 2017. In 2018, she was named to InStyle magazine’s “The Badass 50: women who are changing the world” list. Natasha has been profiled in Forbes, Fast Company, and the Boston Globe, while her work has been featured in Rolling Stone, the Economist, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times, as well as on NPR and CNN. In 2016, Natasha received the Upstart Business Journal Upstart 100 Award and the Aiming High Award from Legal Momentum for pioneering a shareholder campaign on gender pay equity. Her 2014 landmark negotiation with Exxon Mobil led to the company’s first public report on global warming and carbon asset risk. Natasha is a Chairman of the Crane Institute of Sustainability, host to the Intentional Endowments Network. She holds an MBA in Sustainable Business from Presidio Graduate School, where she taught sustainable investing for 5 years. Natasha received her B.A. cum laude from Mount Holyoke College.

Anmol Mehra – (Boston, MA)  Anmol is a recent graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He is currently an affordable housing investor and developer. Previously he worked for 15 years as an equity research analyst and portfolio manager for Fidelity Investments in Boston. Prior to joining Fidelity, Anmol was a pension consulting actuary at Towers Perrin, a human resources consulting firm in Houston, TX. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and actuarial studies from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from McCombs School of Business, also from the University of Texas. Anmol is an Associate of the Society of Actuaries. He is on the Board of Directors with Urbanity Dance, a Boston-based contemporary dance company, and a Board member with Music For All, a national music education and advocacy nonprofit in Indianapolis. Anmol is also a partner with Social Venture Partners, and he is on the Advisory board for the University of Texas MBA Investment Fund.

W. Andrew Mims – (Dedham, MA) Andy is a Trustee and Partner at the Sustainability Group of Loring, Wolcott & Coolidge (LWC), a 200-year-old trust and investment firm that manages over $7 billion in assets. Guided by a commitment to fostering universal human dignity and supporting the acceleration of sustainable capitalism, the Sustainability Group offers clients the opportunity to profitably invest their assets in a manner that can make a positive difference in the lives of people and our planet. Prior to joining LWC in 2013, he spent four years as the sustainability officer of Gaylord Entertainment where he focused on operational efficiency, supply-chain management, and stakeholder engagement. Prior to Gaylord, he spent over ten years in finance with BT Wolfensohn/Deutsche Bank, Thomas Weisel Partners, and ABS Ventures (Alex. Brown and Sons).  Andy is a director of the Environmental League of Massachusetts and Manomet. Originally from Jacksonville, FL, he is a graduate of Princeton University and Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business.

Midori Morikawa – (Jamaica Plain, MA) Midori is the Director of Business Strategy for the City of Boston. In this role, Midori focuses on attracting new businesses, retaining and growing existing businesses, and engaging the Boston business community to strengthen Boston’s workforce for growth as a place to do business in the national and international markets. She also leads strategies to enhance emerging industries, including exploring workforce development opportunities for talent pipeline development and retention in response to business community needs. Over the past four years, Midori served as the Deputy Director of Workforce and Policy Development at the Office of Workforce Development. Midori led key initiatives for the Walsh Administration including the development and implementation of the Mayor’s Tuition-Free Community College and the development of the city’s first Neighborhood Jobs Trust Impact Report. Midori has promoted a number of key partnerships including the Boston Bridge, a collaboration between the city and the MA Executive Office of Education to create tuition-free four-year degree pathways for Boston residents, and oversaw a multi-year evaluation of Summer Youth Employment program in partnership with Northeastern University. Before joining the City of Boston, Midori served as the Director of Planning at Action for Boston Community Development, and as the Program Performance and Evaluation Manager at YWCA Boston. Midori received her MA from the Heller School of Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University and a BA from Clark University. A native of Japan, Midori spent her childhood in Malaysia and Indonesia before coming to the United States to attend college.

Mary Kathryn Poole – (West Roxbury, MA) Mary Kathryn is a PhD Student in Population Health Sciences in the Nutrition Department at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Her research is focused on evaluating federal, state, and institutional food and nutrition policies that impact children. Mary Kathryn has experience working across academic, government and non-profit sectors to implement nutrition interventions and support equitable food access. She received her Master of Public Health degree from Tulane University and studied psychology at Davidson College. Born and raised in New Orleans, LA, Mary Kathryn developed an interest in food at a young age and continues to be passionate about growing, cooking, and enjoying food.

Diane Remin – (Watertown, MA) Diane is the President of MajorDonors.com, a consulting and training company that helps small-to-mid-sized nonprofits raise more money with an eye toward major gifts. Prior to founding MajorDonors.com, Diane was a Senior Associate at Wellesley, MA-based Biondolillo Associates, Inc., a marketing and development firm that creates innovative, branded fundraising programs for nonprofit organizations. As a nonprofit board member, Diane has made “asks” for both capital campaigns and operating support. A top-rated speaker and trainer, Diane’s technique-driven workshops hit the mark with individual nonprofit boards and large conferences. In 2016, she was named one of the “Top 25 Most Effective Fundraising Consultants” by Philanthropy Media. She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Diane holds a BA from Carnegie-Mellon University and an MBA from Boston University. Her twitter handle is @DianeRemin. She likes to point out that “Giving is good for your health!”

Charles Riemenschneider – (Boston, MA) Charles is currently an independent consultant in the areas of domestic and international agriculture, rural development and finance. Most recently he was the Director of the Investment Centre of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome, Italy from 2006 to 2012. The Investment Centre works cooperatively with the World Bank and other international financing institutions and UN partners in the formulation, supervision, and evaluation of approximately $4 billion annually in investment projects and programs in agriculture, rural development and natural resources management in nearly 100 developing and transition countries. Chuck joined FAO initially in 1994 as Director of the North American Liaison Office in Washington. Prior to joining FAO, he was Staff Director of the United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry for eight years where he supervised all aspects of the Committee’s work, including sustainable agriculture and domestic nutrition programs of relevance to The Food Project’s activities. He has been a Vice President in the Global Portfolio Management department of Chemical Bank in New York City, on the professional staff of the U.S. Senate Budget Committee, and on the faculty at Michigan State University. Chuck grew up on a family dairy farm in Maryland and holds an M.S. and Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Michigan State University and a BS in Agricultural Economics from Rutgers University.

Katie Ryan – (Brookline, MA) Katie is an active volunteer for MassArt, Brookline Community Mental Health Center, and her children’s schools. Prior to becoming a stay-at-home parent, she worked for several years at the U.S. National Park Service (NPS), identifying archeological resources within the national park system. While at the NPS she wrote her graduate thesis,  Agricultural Transformation in Kazakhstan, which reviewed Kazakhstan’s emerging transformation from a wheat producer to controlling all steps of farming from production to market. Katie’s graduate work examined food systems small and large, and ways to keep traditions alive and improve modern practices. After the NPS, she ran the Geography Information Systems (GIS) Center at the U.S. Library of Congress, creating a Congressional mapping analysis tool to enable the assessment of legislation. Katie holds a BA from Trinity Washington University (Washington, D.C.), and an MA from Catholic University (Washington, D.C.).  Katie, her husband, and children enjoy playing tennis, skiing, cooking, boating, and travel.

Diane Stansbury – (Arlington, MA) Diane works in development as the Assistant Director of Alumni/ae and Parent Engagement at the Cambridge School of Weston. Diane enjoys her work at CSW building community and connecting alumni, parents, and other constituents to each other and the school. Community engagement benefits the fiscal health and growth of any organization. Diane’s professional experience began in corporate wellness programming:  teaching classes in fitness, health, and nutrition.  Diane is passionate about teaching the importance of a healthy diet and exercise as well as finding ways to make healthy choices available for all communities. Diane holds a BS in Health Education from George Mason University. She lives in Arlington with her husband Will and two grown children, Randall and Jayson. She enjoys spending time with her family on the Cape, reading, entertaining, and walking her dog Rosco.

Matthew Tetreau – (Andover, MA) Matt is a Portfolio Manager for Hancock Natural Resource Group, focused on portfolio construction and investment strategy for the firm’s farmland investment platform. Prior to that, he served as the Head of Agriculture Investing for JPMorgan Asset Management’s GFICC group where he was responsible for portfolio management, research, and investment strategy in the global grain, oilseed, tropical, and livestock markets. Matt earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and an International MBA from Florida International University’s Chapman Graduate School of Business. He has also completed a graduate certificate in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems through Tufts University. Matt is a food and agriculture enthusiast with a passion for environmental sustainability and community health. He lives with his wife and Great Pyrenees mix on their farm in Greater Boston.

Carolyn Zern (Board Chair) – (Cambridge, MA) Carolyn is Vice President of Development at Berkeley Investments, where she focuses on the development of multi-family apartment communities and commercial buildings throughout the greater Boston area. Prior to Berkeley Investments, she worked in a similar capacity at Wood Partners and at Boston Capital, and as an urban planner and budget analyst for the City of New York before that. She is a graduate of Dartmouth College, NYU’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, and Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business. Carolyn has volunteered as a fundraiser for Dartmouth in various roles for more than a decade. She was raised in Larchmont, NY, currently lives in Cambridge, MA, and tries to spend as much time in mid-coast Maine as possible.

Our Board of Trustees meets six times per year.

The Food Project is always looking for talented people to join our Board of Trustees. In particular, we seek individuals with backgrounds/experience in finance, fundraising, legal, communications/media, social enterprise, or agriculture. If interested, please contact Board of Trustees Chair Carolyn Zern by sending a message to [email protected]