RONDA RUTLEDGE
Executive Director
Phone: (512) 236-0074 ext. 106
Email: ronda AT sustainablefoodcenter DOT org
Ronda Rutledge is the Executive Director of Sustainable Food Center in Austin, Texas. She was appointed to the Austin/Travis County Sustainable Food Policy Board where she currently serves as vice-chair. She participates in One Voice Central Texas and the Texas Food Policy Roundtable, advocating for policy changes that help support hunger relief and sustainable agriculture. She also serves on the Advisory Board of SXSW Eco and the Advisory Panel for the Texas Health Institute's Texas Health in All Policies Project (T-HiAPP). In 2012, Ronda was selected for the inaugural class of Anderson Foundation Fellows for nonprofit leaders.
Prior to joining SFC, Ronda served as Executive Director of the American Indian Child Resource Center in Oakland, California. While there, she completed training from the Indiana University Center on Philanthropy Fundraising School as well as a two-year Executive Director fellowship called LeaderSpring. Previous experience includes a Rotary International Group Study Exchange to South Africa.
Ronda holds a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. Over the course of her career, she has been a Licensed Professional Counselor, Marriage and Family Therapist, and Clinical Director for a residential treatment facility. She currently serves as a volunteer on the Austin Powwow Committee for Great Promise. She is married and has twin daughters – River and Raven – who help her shop at the SFC Farmers’ Market for healthy, local food.
ANDREW SMILEY
Deputy Director
Phone: (512) 236-0074 ext. 102
Email: andrew AT sustainablefoodcenter DOT org
Andrew Smiley has over 12 years experience working in sustainable agriculture and food systems, including on-farm production, agricultural marketing, micro-enterprise development, food journalism, farmer training and technical assistance - and even food-service management. His initial interest in food and farming grew out of his positive experiences with family as a child - shelling peas and shucking corn on the porch, snacking on ripe strawberries while picking in the field and uncovering buried treasure in the potato or carrot patch. Andrew received his B.A. in Political Science from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. He is the former Executive Director of Baton Rouge Economic and Agricultural Development Alliance, Inc. (BREADA). Andrew is an active supporter and volunteer of the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (Southern SAWG) and Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (TOFGA) and has applied his passion for gardening, small-scale farming and healthy cooking to his work with SFC since 2005.
SUSAN LEIBROCK
Community Relations Director
Phone: (512) 236-0074 ext. 111
Email: susanl AT sustainablefoodcenter DOT org
Upon graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, Susan lived in New York City for seven years, working in both the restaurant industry and for five years at the flagship office of J. Walter Thompson (JWT), the global advertising agency. Susan worked on integrated marketing campaigns for JetBlue, Kleenex, Unilever and Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson, realizing as she researched supermarket industry trends that she wanted to help solve the issues caused by the Western Diet. Susan attended French Culinary Institute and read many books on local food systems and sustainable agriculture before returning to Austin in summer '07. An avid traveler, Susan has most recently been to Japan, Israel, Turkey and Greece. She enjoys cooking for others whenever possible.
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JOY CASNOVSKY
The Happy Kitchen/La Cocina Alegre® Director
Phone: (512) 236-0074 ext. 104
Email: joy AT sustainablefoodcenter DOT org
Joy first became interested in the dynamics of food after taking the life-altering class, "Food, Cuisine and Kitchenspace" as an undergraduate student. She holds a BA in Geography and Spanish from the University of Texas. Though originally from Austin, Joy has lived in Minnesota, California, Oregon and Ecuador promoting environmental stewardship within the National Park Service and the non-profit sector. For two years, Joy served as a representative of the U.S. Peace Corps in Bolivia. She directed a town-wide recycling program and taught nutrition courses. She is most interested in teaching people how to become involved in their local food system and improving their health through cooking. She is currently working towards a certificate in Culinary Arts from Austin Community College. She is a member of the American Public Health Association and the Association for the Study of Food and Society. When she's not cooking, gardening or collecting eggs from her hens, she enjoys hiking and traveling off the beaten path.
KATY LEVIT
The Happy Kitchen/La Cocina Alegre® Developer
Phone: (512) 236-0074 ext. 103
Email: katy AT sustainablefoodcenter DOT org
After volunteering for Sustainable Food Center for a number of years, Katy joined The Happy Kitchen/La Cocina Alegre® staff in 2010 as the first Program Developer. She has a BA from Tufts University in English and Studio Art. She received her nutrition training at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City, in conjunction with the Teacher’s College of Columbia University. Before embarking on a career in Nutrition, Katy ran a community art space in Memphis, TN, lived and worked on an organic vegetable farm in Fisherville, TN, worked as a multimedia graphic designer in both Austin and Boston, and was a porcelain sculptor in Amherst, MA. She is an avid cook and welcomes the opportunity to find new ways to prepare and preserve the local food she gets at the farmers’ market. In addition to her role at SFC she is a member of the AISD School Health Advisory Council. Katy is a certified Nutritional Health Counselor through the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. She lives with her husband, Clay, and her kids, Hannah and Caleb, who are learning to eat their vegetables.
ADRIANA PRIOLEAU
The Happy Kitchen/La Cocina Alegre® Coordinator
Phone: (512) 236-0074 ext. 103
Email: adriana AT sustainablefoodcenter DOT org
Adriana Prioleau moved to Austin in 1997. She has worked as a tailor, in a civil engineering company and for a gardening center. Through all of it she has grown her own organic vegetables. Her personal research and experience has taught her how important good nutrition is and how much fun it is to cook delicious, healthy food like her mother did.
SUZANNE SANTOS
SFC Farmers' Market Director
Phone: (512) 236-0074 ext. 101
Email: suzanne AT sustainablefoodcenter DOT org
Suzanne Santos holds a Master of Science in Community Development from the University of California at Davis and has worked to promote local food systems for the past fifteen years. Ms. Santos joined Sustainable Food Center in 2000 as Executive Director, then served as Development Director when the agency merged, bringing significant marketing and management experience to the organization. Her passion for farming led Ms. Santos to her niche connecting local farmers with urban markets. Prior to joining SFC, Suzanne worked for three years in Costa Rica and Honduras on agricultural projects as a representative of the Peace Corps. Along with her work at SFC, Ms. Santos runs a small family farm in Kyle, Texas, where she raises two sons, peaches and chickens.
CECIL WINZER
SFC Farmers' Market Manager - Downtown
Phone: (512) 236-0074 ext. 113
Email: cecil AT sustainablefoodcenter DOT org
Cecil Winzer holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin. Mr. Winzer joined SFC in early 2006 as a crew member for the Austin Farmers' Market, helping setup and breakdown the market on Saturdays. His involvement and passion grew when he found out that the food he was eating was not raised the way his grandfather farmed in Waco. His eyes were opened to the environmental, health, economic and animal cruelty implications of factory farming. When he is not working at the Austin Farmer's Market, Cecil is working on his real estate and technology businesses (he is a licensed Real Estate Broker), and spends most of his time raising his four children with wife Aileen. When he has spare time he also enjoys Austin's great outdoors, the Children's Museum, Austin Zoo, Enchanted Rock, Zilker Park, and the Central Texas Wine Trail.
MATT MACIOGE
SFC Farmers' Market Manager - Sunset Valley
Phone: (512) 236-0074 ext. 101
Email: matt AT sustainablefoodcenter DOT org
Matt joined Sustainable Food Center as Sunset Valley market manager in March 2010, but his dedication to sustainable farming and local food goes back several years, as a volunteer for both SFC and a local farm. Matt holds a Masters of Architecture in Sustainable Design from the University of Texas at Austin. His thesis was developing a sustainable migrant farming system in which farms in different climates could effectively shared employees based on human comfort and growing seasons. He loves to cook, experiment with fresh local foods, and share his foodie inventions with friends. When he's not at the market, you can find him at his drafting table designing sustainable homes for his design firm, Consortium Lumina, or perhaps on the saddle of his bike or kayak.
HUNT GRUNDY
SFC Farmers' Market Manager - East
Email: hunt AT sustainablefoodcenter DOT org
Hunt Grundy has a Culinary degree from Le Cordon Bleu in Austin. He is a third generation Austinite, and has lived here most of his life. His love of sustainably grown foods comes from his family's long line of backyard gardening. He specializes in growing different types of peppers. He also volunteers for the Green Corn Project whenever possible. When not at the Farmers' Market, Hunt spends his time working at some of the restaurants and catering facilities around town, playing with his dogs, or anything outdoors.
CLAUDIA HARDING
SFC Farmers' Market East Outreach Coordinator
Email: claudia AT sustainablefoodcenter DOT org
Claudia Harding holds a Bachelor of Science in Radio-TV-Film from the University of Texas at Austin. She worked on a number of films and commercials in Central Texas before making a move to San Antonio. While in San Antonio she received her Master of Public Administration. It was also during this time that she read Jane Goodall's Harvest for Hope and began to learn about the food we produce and consume. Being an avid cook, the book resonated deeply with her and she began to make incremental changes in her home kitchen. She returned to Austin a few years later and began volunteering with SFC, first at the markets, then as a facilitator with The Happy Kitchen/La Cocina Alegre™. She joined SFC and the farmers' market team in 2012. Claudia enjoys scouring food blogs for tasty new recipes to cook, trying to keep her garden going, or dreaming of that next great food travel adventure.
MICHAEL HANAN
SFC Farmers' Market Manager - Triangle
Email: michael AT sustainablefoodcenter DOT org
Michael has been helping to facilitate SFC Farmer's Markets since late 2011. He brings his passion about sustainability and local food production to the SFC team as well as his experience with horticulture and customer service. He's been gardening for over 5 years, has a background in landscape design and installation, and has worked for several Central Texas farms. Michael holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Southwestern University.
SARI ALBORNOZ
Grow Local Co-Director
Phone: (512) 236-0074 ext. 110
Email: sari AT sustainablefoodcenter DOT org
Sari Albornoz holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Anthropology from Reed College, and a life-long interest in ecology, conservation, and the relationship between nature's processes and human society. She is inspired by the many ways in which community and school food gardening can positively impact individuals, communities, and the environment, and she is passionate about spreading awareness of these benefits to the people of her native Austin. Previous to starting work with the Sustainable Food Center, Sari spent a year gardening with youth as part of her term of service with AmeriCorps/4-H CAPITAL. Sari greatly enjoys tasting new foods while visiting new places (especially in Latin America), seeing kids get excited about natural phenomena, swimming holes, and succulents.
ANGELA OSBORN
Capital Campaign Director
Phone: (512) 236-0074 ext. 107
Email: angela AT sustainablefoodcenter DOT org
Angela has been in the fundraising field for 10 years and began her career at Ballet Austin. She has worked with Complexions Contemporary Ballet, March of Dimes and Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central & South Texas. Her passion for philanthropy doesn't stop with her professional practice. In 2008, Angela chaired the Association of Fundraising Professionals Philanthropy Day. She has served on the board of AFP for the last three years and is recently the Director of Strategic Planning. Committed to the Austin community, Angela is an active volunteer with Impact Austin and Girl Scouts of Central Texas. Philanthropy has been important to Angela since she was a small child serving holiday meals to the homeless, to giving gifts to a family in need during the holidays, to organizing fundraisers in support of charities' campaigns. When she is not working, Angela likes to stay active and enjoys spending time in nature, running around Town Lake or the other trails, learning a new style of dance, traveling or staying at home hosting a dinner party for friends and family.
REBECCA SALTSMAN
Volunteer Resources Director
Phone: (512) 236-0074 ext. 114
Email: rebecca AT sustainablefoodcenter DOT org
Rebecca Saltsman hails from Southern California and grew up surrounded by good food and amazing local produce. She left California to teach English abroad for 2 years and subsequently moved to Austin to obtain her MSW from the University of Texas. After graduating with a concentration in Community Organizing and Nonprofit Management, Rebecca has since made it her mission to combine her education and experiences with her passion for cooking, an avid interest in the culture of food, and her desire to create an active and healthy community.
DEBI VANWEY
Finance Director
Phone: (512) 236-0074 ext. 112
Email: debi AT sustainablefoodcenter DOT org
Debi Vanwey has been with Sustainable Food Center since early 2003. She brings many years of experience in finance, human resources, computer systems, and small business management. She has worked in corporate environments, and has owned and managed her own small businesses, including a naturals food store, and a private chef and catering service. She enjoys working at SFC where others share her belief that we can make a difference in our lives by eating well...and eating locally!
BECCA MONTJOY
Development and Policy Coordinator
Phone: (512) 236-0074 ext. 116
Email: becca AT sustainablefoodcenter DOT org
Becca Montjoy was born and raised in Tallahassee, FL. After receiving her Bachelor of Science in Studio Art, Becca moved to New York City where she worked in photography and web design. After 3 years of working in the Big Apple, she moved to Austin to obtain her Master of Science in Social Work at The University of Texas. While studying at UT, Becca began working with SFC first as a volunteer and later as an intern. It was during this time that she fell in love SFC’s mission to cultivate a healthy community through improving access to nutritious and affordable food. After completing her degree in August of 2011, Becca became a full-time staff member at SFC.
BIANCA BIDIUC
Community Health Organizer, AmeriCorps VISTA
Phone: (512) 236-0074 ext. 117
Email: bianca AT sustainablefoodcenter DOT org
Bianca was born in Romania where she first experienced the relationships between food, health, agriculture, and the environment on her grandparents’ farm. Her favorite memories include picking prickly cucumbers, making yogurt, and tagging along at farmers markets. While completing her A.B. in International Affairs at the University of Georgia, she fine-tuned her curiosity of sustainable community development, food systems planning, and cultural exchange by interning with non-profits in Athens, GA as well as France, Romania, and the Dominican Republic. She also spent one adventurous summer working on an organic farm and agriturismo in Italy. At SFC, she builds wellness teams in schools and connects them to SFC resources and programs. Aside from this role, Bianca is steeped deep in Romance languages, family recipes, travel daydreams, and art projects.
MOLLY COSTIGAN
Community Health Organizer, AmeriCorps VISTA
Phone: (512) 236-0074 ext. 117
Email: molly AT sustainablefoodcenter DOT org
Originally from Frankfort, Kentucky, Molly is a graduate of Elon University in North Carolina. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish with minors in Human Services and Nonviolence Studies. Her interest in local food systems began when her class work and volunteer projects in college exposed her to the stark contrast between her own experiences growing up on a farm with a family who loves to cook, as compared to the access to and knowledge of healthy food in many low-income communities. Molly comes to Austin following a year-long Fulbright teaching assistantship in Valencia, Spain where she experimented with the Mediterranean diet and continued to practice her Spanish. She is excited to learn more about the Austin community as she works with SFC and Marathon Kids to facilitate the development of wellness teams in several local elementary schools.
TOI SCOTT
Community Health Organizer, AmeriCorps VISTA
Phone: (512) 236-0074 ext. 117
Email: toi AT sustainablefoodcenter DOT org
Toi has been a visionary community organizer for health, food, racial, economic, gender and LGBT justice for many years on multiple coasts. Toi has assisted with community gardens, skillshares, and workshops in New York City, Oakland, CA, and Austin and is committed to food justice for low-income communities and communities of color on the East Side of Austin. Toi received a Bachelors in Spanish and Latin American Studies from Austin College and a Masters in Health Advocacy from Sarah Lawrence College. Toi is also a poet, playwright, author, and “artivist.”
VANESSA TORO
Education Coordinator & Community Health Organizer, AmeriCorps VISTA
Phone: (512) 236-0074 ext. 105
Email: vanessa AT sustainablefoodcenter DOT org
Vanessa Toro grew up eating home cooked family meals in Bogota, Colombia. After moving to the US, her interest in environmental issues led her to pursue a degree in Environmental Studies and Biology at Southwestern University. During her four years at Southwestern she also received first hand experience in the process of starting up a community garden as a community-engagement coordinator and learned to make delicious Texas style pesto! She is passionate about food justice and strives to make connections between her Latina roots, food, and sustainable agriculture. Vanessa is also an avid runner, cook, and aspiring farmer.
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