Meet the Team
Leadership Team
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Usha Thakrar, Executive Director
Usha has a background working with non-profit healthcare organizations and comes by her interest in food security through many years of volunteering at the Lexington Food Pantry. After 12 years at the Jimmy Fund Clinic at Dana-Farber and 2 years at a community health center, Usha decided to make a career change to focus on addressing food insecurity. She is passionate about building resilient, sustainable food systems that can provide access to healthy food for everyone. Usha holds a Masters in Public Policy from the Kennedy School at Harvard University and has a wide range of experience including fundraising, financial management, organizational development and as a small business owner (she was a florist). She serves on the board of the Lexington Food Pantry and is a member of the Health and Research Council at the Greater Boston Food Bank. She has lived in Lexington for over 20 years and finds balance in her life by gardening, cooking, traveling with her son and hanging out with her many pets. |
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Dylan Frazier, Director of Operations & Strategy
Dylan's been keen on amplifying our work since 2014. He's been working in and studying food systems for more than a decade. His experience includes growing, harvesting, post-harvest processing, distribution and retailing food. This experience comes from working as a lobsterman in the Gulf of Maine, milking dairy cows, growing and harvesting organic vegetables, and managing the quality assurance and food safety programs for a national produce processor. Dylan graduated from Saint Joseph's College of Maine where he studied Environmental Science, Philosophy and Business. He earned his master’s degree in Sustainability and Environmental Management, with a focus on Sustainable Food Systems, through the Harvard University Extension School in 2016, and was certified in Food Hub Management by the University of Vermont in 2017. He's also a certified Wilderness First Responder and is certified in HACCP for food safety. |
Management Team
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Courtney Mussell, Senior Human Resources Manager
Courtney has been exposed to the restaurant industry since she was a child. Around age 10, she stood on a milk crate to reach the cash register in her parent’s deli, ringing up customers for fresh coffee and sandwiches. Since then her passion for food and cooking has only grown, but she was also fascinated by buildings, interior architecture, and art. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design, Courtney began working at high-end design firms in the Boston Area. Meanwhile, she was volunteering for the Boston Area Gleaners and Back on my Feet, an organization that combats homelessness through running. She developed a passion for nutrition and well-being, and a significant interest in how to minimize the process of getting food from farms to our plates. She soon decided to make a career change and joined the Boston Area Gleaners Team with great enthusiasm and excitement to learn about local farming and how to get fresh produce to families efficiently. She recognized that the Boston Area Gleaners perfectly brought together the two ideas that she wanted to pursue – helping underserved communities and working with local food. She believes that everyone should have access to healthy food, and since joining the Gleaners, she has continuously been inspired by our team and volunteers. |
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Matt Crawford, Senior IT Manager
Matt’s specialty is making sure that all of our technology systems are in place so that we can accomplish our mission of creating food equity in the Boston area. They design, manage, and onboard new technology systems to ensure accurate and efficient data tracking across all of our programs. They began working with us in 2013, and have held many different roles over the years, including Gleaning Coordinator, Distribution Manager, and Truck Driver. Matt holds a degree in Spanish and Human Geography from St. Michael's College in Vermont. They are a Certified Salesforce Administrator and also hold a Permaculture Design Certificate from Sowing Solutions in Shelburne Falls, MA. Matt has worked with many other food access organizations and businesses in the Boston area, including Neighborhood Produce in Somerville, Food For Free, and Waltham Fields Community Farm. They maintain a can-do approach to increasing community involvement in food issues, while directly improving food access in the Boston area. |
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Annie Broad, Senior Food Hub Manager
Annie is a Massachusetts native and was born and raised in Framingham and educated in Boston at Northeastern University where she studied Environmental Studies and International Affairs. She has spent the past nine years in the food industry and brings to the Gleaners a diversity of experiences including working on a 3-acre vegetable farm, spending a year as an AmeriCorps VISTA at a backyard gardening organization, in addition to managing regional sales for a natural foods distributor, organic salad brand, and most recently a local procurement software start-up. She currently lives in Hudson with her husband, Ben, and 11-year old pup, Jonah. |
Administrative Team
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Laura Mixter, Senior Administrative Manager
Laura’s interest in food systems started after working for a community-driven, locally-sourced wine bar in Somerville. After nearly 10 years in working in the arts, arts administration, and restaurants, she decided to lend her energy to a different mission. She is excited to have this chance to support her colleagues at Boston Area Gleaners in their important work supporting farmers and unserved communities. When not pushing papers, Laura loves to get outside by gleaning, taking a swim, or having a delicious, funky glass of wine. |
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Laurie “Duck” Caldwell, Senior Development Advisor
Duck began gleaning as a volunteer in 2009, and was our first employee in 2010, hired primarily because she had a pickup truck, when volunteers numbered about 25 and the annual budget wasn't much more. As Executive Director until 2019, organizational capacity increased by 5,000%, and Boston Area Gleaners grew from a small outfit serving a handful of local pantries, to a major supplier to over 500 food banks, meal programs and food pantries across eastern Mass and two contiguous states. She now works as a staff advisor focused on strategy, and is especially passionate about finding innovative solutions that build equity into our food system by bringing more value to farmers and family food enterprises outside of the charitable food system. Duck's work in the nonprofit sector since 1995 includes program and project management, program and curriculum development, and consulting. She is a carpenter by trade, has been a business owner, and has worked with farmers in VT and NH as a produce buyer for natural foods cooperatives across the northeast. She holds an MBA in Organizational Management and Sustainability from Antioch University New England. When she is not working with the Gleaners, Duck likes to draw, paint, garden, and walk, sometimes all at once. She and her wife live in their empty nest in Arlington. |
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Alyssa Ciolfi, Development Manager
Alyssa is excited to contribute her passion for sustainable, equitable food systems as well as her background in communications to the Gleaners' mission. She is currently pursuing a graduate certificate in Sustainable Food Systems from the Harvard Extension School and is looking forward to learning even more from the Gleaners team. In her free time Alyssa enjoys being outside in nature, testing new recipes, and spending time with her friends and family. |
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Lisa K. Johnson, Ph.D., Consultant
After fumbling around in college awhile, Lisa decided to become a farmer, but didn’t have any land or any money. Way back in the late 90’s, there weren’t any incubator farms or beginning farmer programs, and Lisa was actually laughed out of a loan office. With a degree in Horticulture, but no farm in her future, Lisa shifted focus to support farmers and hasn’t looked back. Lisa has since worked with fruit, nut, and vegetable farmers in California, Oregon, Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida, along the way studying and absorbing production practices, marketing successes, technological advances, and generally eating very well. Needing to know more and more about fruit and vegetable production, and now suddenly hooked on the study of postharvest loss, Lisa went back to college and stuck around until being somewhat kindly asked to leave in 2018, at least taking with her a Doctorate in Horticulture. These days, Dr. Johnson collaborates across disciplines and boundaries to achieve a reduction in food loss of 50% by 2030. Her focus sits squarely on finding strategies to reduce food loss that incentivize, benefit, or at the very least, do not harm farmers. Current projects focus on in-field measurement, estimation and analysis of food loss, and they find her partnering with World Wildlife Fund, US Environmental Protection Agency, Society of St. Andrew, Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation, and the Consortium for Innovation in Postharvest Loss and Food Waste Reduction. Lisa is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at North Carolina State University, in the Department of Horticultural Science, and she is based in Raleigh, NC. Lisa is a small part of the incredible and very talented development team at Boston Area Gleaners. Lisa has little kids, and works, so doesn’t have too much spare time. She occasionally runs and routinely tries hard to avoid chocolate. If she is in the office rather than working on a farm, she often sprints outside to garden or just look at the sky and soak up the sun. |
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Jess Benjamin, Grant Writer
Jess has more than a decade of experience in the non-profit sector, beginning with their time at The Greater Boston Food Bank, where they managed a national portfolio of foundation partnerships. As a consultant, Jess works with nonprofits across the country to raise money and awareness in areas including food security, community health, housing access, and workforce development. They joined Boston Area Gleaners in 2017. Jess is also a photographer, filmmaker, and mindfulness meditation teacher based in Philadelphia, and they serve on the Board of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship - a nonprofit that catalyzes partnerships between social justice movements and Buddhist practitioners. Jess can often be found wandering around urban and natural landscapes alike with some combination of their partner, pup, and camera. |
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Jalila Waller, Communications & Outreach Coordinator
Jalila has a degree in Communication Studies from Bridgewater State University. While she is new to the non-profit setting, she is excited to work with the Gleaners team and learn more about equitable and sustainable local food systems. Jalila has a passion for storytelling and cannot wait to share the Gleaners’ mission with audiences. In her spare time, Jalila loves trying new food, laughing with her family and friends, and playing with her cats. |
OPERATIONS TEAM
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Jared Sheehan, Transportation & Logistics Manager
Jared has a background supporting inventory and operations for both small businesses and the nonprofit sector. He's excited to return to the nonprofit world to help the Gleaners with food distribution! In his spare time, Jared enjoys watching movies, composing music, and playing the piano and guitar. |
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Jess Rivers, Agency Manager
Jess is a native of Massachusetts and is shifting her career in event production to supporting the rapidly growing needs of food recovery and distribution. She is an avid fermenter of all types of produce and enjoys wild edible food foraging, eagerly sharing her knowledge with any curious listener. As Agency Manager, Jess helps support the distribution of food to pantries and frontline agencies serving food-insecure residents across Massachusetts. |
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Tim Offei-Addo, Operations Coordinator
Tim has a background in agricultural development, specifically conducting research in Ghana evaluating the efficacy of climate change policies in subsistence food systems. He lives on a homestead with his parents and sister, where they grow most of their own food for their Ghanaian diet. Through growing his own food, Tim developed a passion for agriculture and food justice. After a season as an Apprentice and Operations Assistant, Tim now supports the Gleaners as Compost Coordinator. In his free time, Tim enjoys cooking, gardening, and watching futbol: the beautiful game! |
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Chris Bischoff, Food Access Manager
Originally from Connecticut, Chris grew up working on an orchard in their hometown, and has been working with food - in kitchens, gardens, and grocery stores - ever since. They started at the Gleaners in 2021 as an apprentice, and can't get enough of the summer sun and quality time with volunteers. In their free time, they enjoy tubing down a river, running through the woods, or laying on the beach—and might try their hand at triathlons this year. They are excited to be farming again, and making a difference in the greater Boston community. |
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Deb Hicks, Gleaning Manager
Deb grew up in South Central PA where her childhood adventures included dying t-shirts with pokeweed, and seeing how many baby toads she could catch and hold at once. Fast forward a dozen years, and as a freshman at Dickinson College, Deb found new ways to get her hands dirty, this time working at the school's garden, turned farm. Her tenure on the farm steered her life in an unforeseen direction, leading her to farm and work in Italy--where she learned to really appreciate food--before moving to Massachusetts. Deb has worked in a variety of fields including education, fitness, and renovation; and is happy to be back in actual farm fields! Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, kayaking, and yoga. |
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Claire Tylke, Senior Boston Food Hub Coordinator
After growing up in Illinois, Claire made the move out east to attend the University of Vermont. It was there she discovered her interest in creating sustainable food systems. Claire has a background in outdoor recreation, and she is excited to continue to be outside with the Gleaners and learn more about agriculture and food access in Massachusetts. In her free time, Claire enjoys board games and anything that involves being active outdoors. |
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Dan Niven, Packing & Food Safety Manager
Growing up in California, Dan was surrounded by avocado and orange groves, and he enjoyed annual visits to the Gilroy Garlic Festival, Castroville Artichoke Festival, and Dixon May Fair. But his farming knowledge was limited to what he learned from reading John Steinbeck novels, Walden, and poetry by Robert Frost and Mary Oliver. After a long career as a high school English teacher, Dan combined his passion for the outdoors and his interest in environmental issues with his desire to work toward ending food insecurity by volunteering as a gleaner with BAG. He discovered he had a real knack for the work, and he loved being around his fellow volunteers and the Gleaner staff so much that he decided he had to become a full-time member of the organization. Dan lives in Acton with his wife and two sons, and he enjoys biking, cooking, reading, and learning about sustainable farming. |
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Max Porten, Shop Manager
Born and raised in Massachusetts, Max is the 5th generation farmer at Cucurbit Farm in Acton, and loves everything about agricultural work. He went to Minuteman High School for horticulture and greenhouse management, and likes being outside, getting his hands dirty, and working on tractors and equipment. |
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Josh Brunetti, Driver
Much of Josh's professional experience has been in transportation and food service. During his career as a long-haul trucker, Josh has visited 47 of the 50 US states, over 450 cities, traveled hundreds of thousands of miles, and delivered vast quantities of food and other goods. Josh is excited to work with the Boston Area Gleaners to deliver even more to people in need—and to see more of the great Commonwealth of Massachusetts! |
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Danny Mahoney, Driver
Danny is one of the Gleaners' Class-A drivers, moving fresh food between farms, our facility in Acton, and community agencies across eastern Massachusetts. A haiku from Danny: Wife, 3 sons, three dogs Butcher, Driver did retire Now has GLEAN in eye |
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Greg Johnson, Driver
Greg is one of our Class-A drivers helping to deliver and transport fresh produce to and from our food access partners throughout Massachusetts. |
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Shachar Berkowitz-Regosin, Boston Food Hub Coordinator
After spending two years living in the middle east, studying desert agriculture, working as a line cook, and researching ESG metrics, Shachar is excited to be back home in Boston to continue exploring sustainable food systems at BAG! In her free time Shachar enjoys working in her parents garden, playing frisbee, and cooking. |
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Anna Crisci, Operations Assistant
Anna has a background in customer service and big pharma. Recently, she has decided to switch gears and start anew in the agriculture industry. Born and raised in Massachusetts, she loves everything nature and spending time with family and friends. Anna also enjoys music, movies, and playing games. With a love for food, and eating, she is excited to be a part of our Apprenticeship program for Summer and Fall, 2024. |
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Carrie Damiani, Operations Assistant
Growing up, Carrie loved to wander through the tomatoes, kale, squash, and figs that filled every possible nook of their grandparent's yard. She marveled at how her grandparents were able to coax flourishing gardens along the edges of pavement and fences, and she still finds great joy in the act of growing food. After studying at the University of Richmond, they wanted to return to New England and explore opportunities in food access and sustainable agriculture. Carrie spent the past year as an AmeriCorps VISTA member at a community garden in Western Maine and is excited to be back in their home state, working in the local food system. |
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Gio Baltodano, Driver
For the past four years, Gio has been serving the cities of Marlborough and Worcester as an EMT. He has a degree in Public Health and is currently a Nursing student. Professionally, Gio is focused on giving back to our community and helping the Gleaners assist those with food disparities. Outside of work, Gio is a gym nut – he loves exercise and combat sports. He is also a self-proclaimed geek and loves video games, anime, and board games. He even built his own PC! |
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Gus Jayes, Operations Assistant
Gus (they/them) has been a lover of good food for as long as they can remember, but first found their passion for working in the food world during their time as a field hand on a diversified produce farm in New Hampshire’s Upper Valley. They are excited to contribute to the Gleaners’ extensive distribution of fresh food in their role as Operations Assistant. Outside of work, Gus can be found playing drums in a small jazz combo, cooking a meal based around seasonal produce, or poring over the newspaper/a crossword puzzle. |
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Vinny Vullo, Driver
Vinny worked for a partner agency of BAG for 8 years and had always been impressed with the quality of the produce and the people who delivered it. When BAG moved to Acton, where Vinny has lived for over 30 years, he saw a chance to become part of the team. |
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Isaiah Thomas-Goss, Driver
Isaiah had a great experience driving for the Gleaners in 2023, so much so that he's rejoining the team! Isaiah enjoys working out, streaming online, investing in the stock market and crypto, and helping others reach their goals. He also enjoys the little things in life, like walking his dogs! |
FARM TEAM
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Dan Kamen, Farm Manager
Dan has been working in organic vegetable production in Massachusetts for over a decade. Born and raised in Sudbury, he comes to us by route of Ohio and South Africa. His interests include nature’s majesty, sustainable agricultural methods, and leftist politics. |
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Scott Caouette, Greenhouse Manager
Scott has done a little bit of everything in the farm world, including working his own farm across the street in Acton for many years before joining the Stonefield crew as Greenhouse Manager. Scott is continuing this work with the Gleaners, helping to make sure all our crops make it from the seed to the soil. When he's not hovering over his seeds in the greenhouse, Scott enjoys walking his dog Sammi and playing guitar. |
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Glenroy Malcolm, Farmer
Glenroy is a veteran farmer here Stonefield Farm, having worked here for 34 years. He’s an irrigation specialist and a mentor to everyone in the field here at Stonefield. Glenroy is also a skilled chef as well as a farmer and painter at home in Jamaica, where he has three children. |
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Colin Reid, Farmer
Colin, the so-called ‘rookie’ of the Stonefield farmers, has been working at Stonefield for 15 years. He farms in Jamaica during the MA offseason, where he grows yellow yam among other crops. Colin also loves to sing! |
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Bill Russell, Farmer
Bill started with Stonefield 32 years ago and spent much of his time growing flowers while that was a focus of the farm. Now, growing vegetables, he likes keeping active and keeping himself occupied in anything he can do. In the offseason, he spends time with his wife and grandchildren down in Connecticut. |
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Donovan Young, Farmer
Donovan has been with Stonefield Farm for over 20 years and can often be found working the tractors all over the fields, tilling the soil and preparing beds for new crops. He's into reggae and R&B and is a big fan of barbecues, especially back home in Jamaica (the eating more than the cooking!). |
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Mark Johnson, Board President, joins the board of the Boston Area Gleaners after a career in finance and a lifetime of interest in the outdoors, local agriculture and land conservation, and food security. Over the years, Mark has served as chair of the board of the North Shore United Way, an important supporter of local food pantries in the communities north of Boston, and has been a tree and trail steward and program volunteer at Appleton Farms in Ipswich, an active participant in the Gleaners farm network. Mark lives in South Hamilton with his wife Tracy and border collie mix Gretel, and is an avid trail runner, hiker, kayaker, cross country and downhill skier and backyard gardener.
Joan Blaustein, Vice President, joined the board after a career as Land Resources Planner. She has worked on issues of land use, development, natural hazards, and open space planning. Over the years, she has volunteered as a bicycle and ski trip leader for the Appalachian Mountain Club, served on Watertown's bicycle and pedestrian committee, and on the board of a start-up affordable housing non-profit. She is also active in a Watertown organization that successfully passed an ordinance banning single-use plastic bags in the town. Gleaning combines Joan's love of the outdoors and desire to play in the dirt with the opportunity to make a significant contribution to the problem of food insecurity.
Cathy Konicki, Treasurer, was introduced to the Gleaners through her involvement with The Philanthropy Connection, a women’s giving organization, who provided a grant to the Gleaners. She is very interested in helping to overcome food insecurity. Cathy spent her career in investment consulting and retired from NEPC, LLC, an independent investment consulting firm, in 2022. At NEPC, Cathy headed their Endowment and Foundation consulting practice helping non-profits invest their endowment assets while meeting spending needs for grantmaking. Cathy and her husband, Hayes Miller, relocated to the White Mountains of New Hampshire to spend more time skiing, biking and hiking.
Will Morningstar has been growing vegetables in Massachusetts for the past 12 years. He got his start at Siena farms in Sudbury as a farm hand and years later was elevated to the Head Grower. He has been working with the Gleaners ever since. Will has a passion for providing vegetables to those in need sees the Gleaners as a perfect conduit to do so. He has spent time working with adults and adolescents with psychological and developmental disorders. Will hopes to develop a farm that provides at-risk populations with fresh vegetables and employment through agriculture.
Greg Voss, a retired software engineer, was introduced to the Gleaners by a friend and dedicated volunteer. From there, he himself became a frequent gleaner, and, in 2020, was named one of the Gleaners' "volunteers of the year" for his service! He has been involved in three food cooperative startups and is currently part of The Assabet Co-Op Market. As an Acton resident, Greg is thrilled to have the Gleaners as a new neighbor and as conscientious stewards of Stonefield Farm. When Greg is not gleaning, he enjoys traveling, woodworking, camping, hiking, biking, skiing, and building stuff. Greg enjoys these activities with his wife, 3 daughters, and 4 granddaughters.
Hannah Green, Clerk, currently serves as Senior Director of Disease Center and Contact Center Operations for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. She joins the board of the Boston Area Gleaners as a seasoned healthcare administrator with previous experience in community advocacy work for an organization that provided birth control and options counseling to women in Massachusetts. She has a deep commitment to health equity and its link to food security. Hannah enjoys volunteering time and supporting her local food pantry with her children. Hannah lives in Needham with her husband Aaron, her kids Sophia and Ezra, and their cat Winnie. Hannah is passionate about hiking and horseback riding and loves every minute that she can be outdoors.
Sahana Rao-Chakravorti is a Boston native with a passion for sustainable agriculture, equitable food systems and the outdoors. She has spent her career tackling food system issues across different points in the supply chain. She attended Tufts University for college and went on to pursue a Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition and Policy. She is currently working as a Growth Lead at Lithos Carbon, a regenerative agriculture startup focused on benefitting farmers and improving crop yields by replacing lime with Basalt (which efficiently captures carbon). In her previous role she worked at Farmers Business Network with a focus on creating financial incentives and data backed claims for farmers to implement regenerative practice changes that would lower their GHG emissions and increase soil organic carbon content on their farms. She was drawn to the opportunity at BAG due to its unique value in creating an end to end systems solution which benefits the farmers, the communities receiving food and reduces the environmental impact of farming due to food waste. Her volunteer work has been focused on food waste reduction efforts at various organizations including City Harvest, Rescuing Leftover Cuisine and Food for Free. Outside of work she enjoys walking by the Charles River with her dog Goat, reading, jazz piano, cooking and hiking the Whites in New Hampshire.
Meredith Willoughby is an HR Operations and Rewards leader in the high-tech industry. She believes in giving back to her local community and recognizes the importance that healthy food plays in building healthy communities. She's been a strong supporter of both local food pantries and area farms, and is excited to bring her skills and experience to the Boston Area Gleaners. Meredith grew up in Acton and now lives with her husband and teenager around the corner from the Gleaners' farm in Maynard where she and her family keep their own vegetable garden.
Peter Thayer, has been an avid gleaner since 2021. Apple picking is a special fall favorite. Peter is inspired by the impact the Boston Area Gleaners make, from providing healthy food to those in need, to preventing on-farm food waste, to supporting local sustainable agriculture. In a previous career, Peter was a technology exec focused on product management and international business. A 3-year stint in London provided a lifelong appreciation for travel, food and wine. Peter and his wife Theresa have 3 grown daughters and live in Framingham, MA with Lulu the cat. Peter usually prefers to be outdoors. He is an active volunteer with the Trustees of Reservations and enjoys hiking, biking and almost any activity involving salt water.
Diane Remin is the Founder and President of MajorDonors.com, a training and coaching company that helps smaller nonprofits raise more money-with an eye toward major gifts. Diane first became interested in the food system after reading Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Prior to joining the board of BAG, she served on the board of Lincoln, MA’s The Food Project. In fact, it was board service—specifically the board of a child welfare agency 20+ years ago--that prompted Diane to switch careers and focus on nonprofit fundraising. When not thinking about the food system or fundraising, Diane can be found enjoying the arts, especially theater and contemporary fine craft. And although her playing days are long over, she’s always happy to “talk sports.”
Ivan Basch, a retired software development Program Manager, has been active in local organizations that address food insecurity and food waste for the past decade. He was a member of the initial Board of Directors at Food Link for 7 years and continues as a regular lead volunteer each Friday, rescuing food from Whole Foods and the Lexington school system, then delivering to the Lexington Food Pantry, where Usha was volunteering. Ivan finds ways to utilize rescued food at new organizations that provide free meals in the Lexington/Arlington area including LexEatTogether and Neighbors Eating All Together. He is especially interested in building connections between the Gleaners and its partners to provide food security, reduce waste and address climate change. Ivan and his wife have 3 grown children and 3 granddaughters. In his spare time, Ivan enjoys ushering concerts, traveling, smoking and judging BBQ, e-biking the Minuteman Trail behind his house, and rooting for the Red Sox - even when they break his heart.
Sean Ahern joins the board with nearly three decades of experience in food systems and a lifelong passion for creating equitable and sustainable solutions to food security. A curious and committed lifelong learner, Sean draws inspiration from authors like M.F.K. Fisher and Wendell Berry, whose works resonate with his belief in the profound connections between food, community, and the natural world. As a husband and father of two, Sean cherishes time spent cooking and sharing meals with family and friends, and he thrives in the great outdoors. Whether biking, hiking, or simply savoring the seasons, he finds joy in activities that connect him to nature. Through his professional and personal life, Sean seeks to foster a world where fresh, healthy food is accessible to all while preserving the environment for future generations.
Joan Blaustein, Vice President, joined the board after a career as Land Resources Planner. She has worked on issues of land use, development, natural hazards, and open space planning. Over the years, she has volunteered as a bicycle and ski trip leader for the Appalachian Mountain Club, served on Watertown's bicycle and pedestrian committee, and on the board of a start-up affordable housing non-profit. She is also active in a Watertown organization that successfully passed an ordinance banning single-use plastic bags in the town. Gleaning combines Joan's love of the outdoors and desire to play in the dirt with the opportunity to make a significant contribution to the problem of food insecurity.
Cathy Konicki, Treasurer, was introduced to the Gleaners through her involvement with The Philanthropy Connection, a women’s giving organization, who provided a grant to the Gleaners. She is very interested in helping to overcome food insecurity. Cathy spent her career in investment consulting and retired from NEPC, LLC, an independent investment consulting firm, in 2022. At NEPC, Cathy headed their Endowment and Foundation consulting practice helping non-profits invest their endowment assets while meeting spending needs for grantmaking. Cathy and her husband, Hayes Miller, relocated to the White Mountains of New Hampshire to spend more time skiing, biking and hiking.
Will Morningstar has been growing vegetables in Massachusetts for the past 12 years. He got his start at Siena farms in Sudbury as a farm hand and years later was elevated to the Head Grower. He has been working with the Gleaners ever since. Will has a passion for providing vegetables to those in need sees the Gleaners as a perfect conduit to do so. He has spent time working with adults and adolescents with psychological and developmental disorders. Will hopes to develop a farm that provides at-risk populations with fresh vegetables and employment through agriculture.
Greg Voss, a retired software engineer, was introduced to the Gleaners by a friend and dedicated volunteer. From there, he himself became a frequent gleaner, and, in 2020, was named one of the Gleaners' "volunteers of the year" for his service! He has been involved in three food cooperative startups and is currently part of The Assabet Co-Op Market. As an Acton resident, Greg is thrilled to have the Gleaners as a new neighbor and as conscientious stewards of Stonefield Farm. When Greg is not gleaning, he enjoys traveling, woodworking, camping, hiking, biking, skiing, and building stuff. Greg enjoys these activities with his wife, 3 daughters, and 4 granddaughters.
Hannah Green, Clerk, currently serves as Senior Director of Disease Center and Contact Center Operations for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. She joins the board of the Boston Area Gleaners as a seasoned healthcare administrator with previous experience in community advocacy work for an organization that provided birth control and options counseling to women in Massachusetts. She has a deep commitment to health equity and its link to food security. Hannah enjoys volunteering time and supporting her local food pantry with her children. Hannah lives in Needham with her husband Aaron, her kids Sophia and Ezra, and their cat Winnie. Hannah is passionate about hiking and horseback riding and loves every minute that she can be outdoors.
Sahana Rao-Chakravorti is a Boston native with a passion for sustainable agriculture, equitable food systems and the outdoors. She has spent her career tackling food system issues across different points in the supply chain. She attended Tufts University for college and went on to pursue a Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition and Policy. She is currently working as a Growth Lead at Lithos Carbon, a regenerative agriculture startup focused on benefitting farmers and improving crop yields by replacing lime with Basalt (which efficiently captures carbon). In her previous role she worked at Farmers Business Network with a focus on creating financial incentives and data backed claims for farmers to implement regenerative practice changes that would lower their GHG emissions and increase soil organic carbon content on their farms. She was drawn to the opportunity at BAG due to its unique value in creating an end to end systems solution which benefits the farmers, the communities receiving food and reduces the environmental impact of farming due to food waste. Her volunteer work has been focused on food waste reduction efforts at various organizations including City Harvest, Rescuing Leftover Cuisine and Food for Free. Outside of work she enjoys walking by the Charles River with her dog Goat, reading, jazz piano, cooking and hiking the Whites in New Hampshire.
Meredith Willoughby is an HR Operations and Rewards leader in the high-tech industry. She believes in giving back to her local community and recognizes the importance that healthy food plays in building healthy communities. She's been a strong supporter of both local food pantries and area farms, and is excited to bring her skills and experience to the Boston Area Gleaners. Meredith grew up in Acton and now lives with her husband and teenager around the corner from the Gleaners' farm in Maynard where she and her family keep their own vegetable garden.
Peter Thayer, has been an avid gleaner since 2021. Apple picking is a special fall favorite. Peter is inspired by the impact the Boston Area Gleaners make, from providing healthy food to those in need, to preventing on-farm food waste, to supporting local sustainable agriculture. In a previous career, Peter was a technology exec focused on product management and international business. A 3-year stint in London provided a lifelong appreciation for travel, food and wine. Peter and his wife Theresa have 3 grown daughters and live in Framingham, MA with Lulu the cat. Peter usually prefers to be outdoors. He is an active volunteer with the Trustees of Reservations and enjoys hiking, biking and almost any activity involving salt water.
Diane Remin is the Founder and President of MajorDonors.com, a training and coaching company that helps smaller nonprofits raise more money-with an eye toward major gifts. Diane first became interested in the food system after reading Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Prior to joining the board of BAG, she served on the board of Lincoln, MA’s The Food Project. In fact, it was board service—specifically the board of a child welfare agency 20+ years ago--that prompted Diane to switch careers and focus on nonprofit fundraising. When not thinking about the food system or fundraising, Diane can be found enjoying the arts, especially theater and contemporary fine craft. And although her playing days are long over, she’s always happy to “talk sports.”
Ivan Basch, a retired software development Program Manager, has been active in local organizations that address food insecurity and food waste for the past decade. He was a member of the initial Board of Directors at Food Link for 7 years and continues as a regular lead volunteer each Friday, rescuing food from Whole Foods and the Lexington school system, then delivering to the Lexington Food Pantry, where Usha was volunteering. Ivan finds ways to utilize rescued food at new organizations that provide free meals in the Lexington/Arlington area including LexEatTogether and Neighbors Eating All Together. He is especially interested in building connections between the Gleaners and its partners to provide food security, reduce waste and address climate change. Ivan and his wife have 3 grown children and 3 granddaughters. In his spare time, Ivan enjoys ushering concerts, traveling, smoking and judging BBQ, e-biking the Minuteman Trail behind his house, and rooting for the Red Sox - even when they break his heart.
Sean Ahern joins the board with nearly three decades of experience in food systems and a lifelong passion for creating equitable and sustainable solutions to food security. A curious and committed lifelong learner, Sean draws inspiration from authors like M.F.K. Fisher and Wendell Berry, whose works resonate with his belief in the profound connections between food, community, and the natural world. As a husband and father of two, Sean cherishes time spent cooking and sharing meals with family and friends, and he thrives in the great outdoors. Whether biking, hiking, or simply savoring the seasons, he finds joy in activities that connect him to nature. Through his professional and personal life, Sean seeks to foster a world where fresh, healthy food is accessible to all while preserving the environment for future generations.
For more detailed contact information and to reach out with general inquiries, please visit our Contact page.
If you are interested in learning more about opportunities to volunteer on our Board of Directors,
please email our Executive Director, Usha Thakrar, at [email protected]
please email our Executive Director, Usha Thakrar, at [email protected]
BOSTON AREA GLEANERS DIVERSITY STATEMENT
We expect that the board and staff of our organization will consist of people who are committed to addressing food insecurity. Given the diversity of people impacted by food insecurity, we aspire and make every reasonable effort to develop a board, staff, and volunteer base that reflects that diversity. We believe that such diversity will strengthen our organization, enhance our decision making and accountability to the mission, and build and broaden the community of volunteers and funders, whose participation is so essential to our shared success.
We expect that the board and staff of our organization will consist of people who are committed to addressing food insecurity. Given the diversity of people impacted by food insecurity, we aspire and make every reasonable effort to develop a board, staff, and volunteer base that reflects that diversity. We believe that such diversity will strengthen our organization, enhance our decision making and accountability to the mission, and build and broaden the community of volunteers and funders, whose participation is so essential to our shared success.