Board of Directors

Board of Directors

Jim smiling in front of foliage

Jim Berliner

Co-Founder, Chairman, Westmount Partners
Jason smiling in checkered shirt

Jason Crayne

Chief Financial Officer, Criteria
Jedd standing in front of boxes with arms crossed

Jedd Gold

Jedd Gold, CEO & Co-Founder, Artkive
Jeff Harris smiling in front of grey background

Jeff Harris

Board Chair, Principal, JB Harris Consulting

David Lake

President/CEO, 4Earth Farms
Brian smiling in front of tree and building

Brian Lazarus

Partner at Ziffren Brittenham, LLP
Cindy Lee smiling in front of grey/beige background

Cindy Lee

Senior Manager, State Government & External Affairs at Takeda Pharmaceuticals
Shari smiling in front of greenery

Shari Leinwand

Foundation Trustee, Retired Partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
Rick smiling in front of orange background

Rick Nahmias

Founder and CEO of Food Forward
Pam smiling in front of a city backdrop

Pam Schwartz

Community Health and Food is Medicine leader, Kaiser Permanente
Rob smiling in front of grey background

Rob Valencia

Nonprofit Attorney and Advisor
Donella Wilson smiling in front of greenery

Donella Wilson

Board Treasurer, CPA, nonprofit practice leader at GHJ
Betty smiling in front of orange background

Betty Zamorano-Pedregon

Board Secretary, Early Care and Learning Division Director, Child Care Resource Center
Scott Jarus at Spring Melt

“I believe that I have a duty and moral obligation to my community, which is much larger than the small bubble I live in. My involvement with Food Forward enables me to contribute to the health, vitality, success, and opportunity of the greater whole. All boats rise in a high tide.

Scott Jarus, former Food Forward Board Chair

Panel of Advisors

Carl Buratti

Empowered Engineering Group, Inc

Carrie La Londe

Valley Fruit & Produce

Diana Rodgers

Mar Vista Farmers Market

Evan Schlessinger

Consultant, food and beverage industry

Jim Churchill

Churchill Orchard

Laura Avery

Former Farmers Market Supervisor

Lisa Brenneis

Churchill Orchard

Lisa K Johnson

Independent Consultant

Mark Rhein

Former Board Secretary

Neil Newman

Consumer Products Marketing & Brand Executive

Nike Irvin

Civil Society Fellowship of the Aspen Institute

Stevie Shandler Maier

Business Development and Sustainability Director, Shapiro-Gilman-Shandler Co. and General Manager of SoCal Grubmarket

Chris Sayer  

Petty Ranch

Erica Kenner Kopmar

Former Harvest Coordinator and Founding Board Member, Food Forward

Jesse Gilbert

Founder, Dark Matter Media LLC

Joan Hanawi

Social Impact Manager, Lyft

Margaret Bach

Founding President, Los Angeles Conservancy

Mary MacVean

Journalist

Sarah Spitz

Former Publicity Director KCRW, Master Gardener, & Master Food Preserver


Council of Advisors

Ventura County

Rod Cordova smiling in suit in front of plants

Rod Cordova

Public Works Department, Sustainability Division
Tobie Mitchell smiling in suit

Tobie Mitchell

County of Ventura Public Works Agency, Integrated Waste Management Division
Chris Sayer in plaid shirt

Chris Sayer

Petty Ranch
Suki Sir Smiling in front of framed records

Suki Sir

The Turning Point Foundation
Sarene Wallace in blue shirt in front of white background

Sarene Wallace

Food Journalist and Marketing Professional

“From the outset, this simple yet brilliant idea—to rescue and donate produce—struck me as both obvious and achievable. Millions and millions of pounds and thousands of volunteers later, Food Forward has far exceeded expectations, efficiently and exponentially. It’s the organization I’m proudest to be associated with.

Sarah Spitz, Kitchen Cabinet

Sarah Spitz in front of green background

Culinary Advisory Board

Matthew Biancaniello

Eat Your Drink

Clemence de Lutz

The Gourmandise School

Evan Kleiman 

Good Food on KCRW

Roxana Jullapat and Daniel Mattern

Friends and Family

Michelle Lainez

Chef Michelle & Company

Minh Phan

porridge & puffs

Laurie Porter 

Smog City Brewing

Jocelyn Ramirez

Todo Verde

Henry Tarmy and Anthony Caspary

Ventura Spirits Company

David Thorne

Elysian


Board Emeriti

SuzAnn Brantner

David Broering

Carl Buratti

Crystal Frierson

Carol Goldstein

Courtney Gross

Carla Heer

Erica Kopmar

Nancy Volpert


Board Chair Emeriti

Neil Haltrecht

(2015-2017)