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ANNOUNCEMENT OF ACTION FELLOWSHIPS 2008

ROOTS OF CHANGE AWARDS FELLOWSHIPS TO
TWENTY-FIVE CALIFORNIA FOOD SYSTEM LEADERS

Fellows Come From Across the Entire Spectrum of California, and Reflect the Economic, Cultural, and Geographic Diversity of the State

San Francisco, CA, August 14, 2008—Roots of Change announced today the selection of 25 accomplished food system leaders who will enhance the coalition focused on implementing California’s Campaign for a New Mainstream in Food, Farms and Fisheries while honing their own knowledge and leadership skills.

The ROC Stewardship Council selected the Fellows for their demonstrated ability to strengthen four Workgroups identified as essential to successful implementation of California’s Campaign. During the period of the Fellowship, each Workgroup will develop a detailed project plan, with budget, for the period 2009-2012, and to implement the plan with their Workgroup members. The four Workgroups will focus on the following goals:
 
1.    Labor: improve the health and career satisfaction of the food system workforce
2.    Health and Access: accelerate improvement in the health of all Californians by broadening collaboration among the public health, food access and sustainable agriculture communities
3.    Agricultural Outreach: broaden participation of traditional agriculture in California’s Campaign for a New Mainstream in Food, Farms, and Fisheries
4.    Regional Food Systems: accelerate development of regional food systems based on enhanced urban-rural connections

ROC will provide Fellows a venue, communication tools, staffing, and resources in order to participate in three intensive work retreats. Following the Fellowship retreat period, ROC Staff will work with Fellows to pursue funding for the projects generated in the retreat sessions. 

The 2008 class of ROC Fellows includes:
•    Alegria De La Cruz, Directing Attorney, California Rural Legal Assistance Inc
•    Alethea Marie Harper, Project Manager, SAGE - Sustainable Agriculture Education  
•    Bill Burrows, President, Burrows Ranch Inc., Coordinator, Sunflower Coordinated Resource Mgt. Plan
•    Brett Melone, Executive Director, Agriculture & Land-Based Training Association
•    Elsa Ramirez-Brisson, CEO, Food FUNdamentals
•    Fred Olmstead, Secretary/Treasurer, General Manager, Air-Way Farms Inc.
•    Gar House, President, Building Sustainable Communities
•    Hannah Burton Laurison, Senior Associate, Planning for Healthy Places
•    Jennifer Gross, Community Health Planner, San Mateo County Health Department
•    Jennifer Hernandez, Partner, Cultivo Consulting
•    Karen Schmidt, Executive Director, Save Open-Space and Agriculture Resources - SOAR
•    Kate Magruder, Co-Founder, MendoFutures
•    Kathryn Lyddan, Executive Director, Brentwood Agricultural Land Trust
•    Lena Brook, Senior Program Associate, Physicians for Social Responsibility, San Francisco
•    Lisa Wasilewski, Program Director, The HEAL Project - Health Environment, Agriculture & Learning
•    Marissa Guggiana, President, Sonoma Direct / Sonoma County Meat Buying Club
•    Michele Laverty, Director, Ag Science Center 
•    Mily Trevino-Sauceda, Executive Director, Organizacion en California de Lideres Campesinas  
•    Natalie Gluck, Program Associate, Policy Link
•    Patricia Chang, President, Feed The Hunger
•    Ron Strochlic, Executive Director, California Institute for Rural Studies
•    Sarah Treuhaft, Senior Associate, Policy Link
•    Temra Costa, Program Director, Community Alliance with Family Farmers
•    Timothy Galarneau, Statewide Foods Initiative Advisor, California Student Sustainability Coalition
•    Vanessa Zajfen, Farm to Institution Program Coordinator, Center for Food & Justice

The ROC Fellows will convene at three retreats later this year.  Retreats will be held in Winters and in San Francisco on the following dates:
•    October 14-16, 2008, Center for Land Based Learning, Winters
•    November 19-20, 2008, Center for Land Based Learning, Winters
•    December 17-18, 2008, Fort Mason, San Francisco

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About Roots of Change
Roots of Change is a collaborative of diverse leaders and institutions unified in common pursuit of achieving a sustainable food system in California by 2030. As the coordinating entity across government, non-profit and business sectors, ROC helps synchronize the transformation of the state’s food system. To learn more about ROC’s work and programs, please visit: http://www.rocfund.org/campaign/roots-of-change-press-information-and-contact.html


Press contact
Daniel Kramer
Roots of Change
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
415.391.0545
221 Kearny Street, 3rd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94108
 
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