Regional Governor Bios

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) has been a member of Slow Food for over 10 years.  She describes herself as “bi-mountain”, living in both Denver and Park City, Utah.  For many years she was a leader of Slow Food Utah before she and her husband decided to spend more time in Denver. She now works with Slow Food Denver on gleaning and canning projects. Jane recently left corporate America and now works as the education and outreach manager for the American Cheese Society, which promotes Artisan and Farmstead cheese in North America.
Area: Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) is a member of the Slow Food Pittsburgh steering committee who attended Terra Madre and Slow Food Nation in 2008.  He serves as the Western Regional Director for the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA), where he helps to build infrastructure for local food distribution, develops collaborative social enterprises, and forms partnerships with foundations and food enterprises, among other responsibilities.  Greg is a graduate of Slippery Rock’s Sustainable Systems Masters Program and Leadership Pittsburgh.  He is a Board member of the Rotary Club of Pittsburgh and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.  He and his wife operate an organic CSA farm, Blackberry Meadows, outside of Pittsburgh.
Area: Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, District of Columbia

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) lives in Eugene, Oregon.  In 2003, he stopped in at a meeting of the local Slow Food chapter and left as the chapter leader.  The job was so much fun that he stayed until 2010, when he was named Regional Governor for Oregon and Idaho.  As chapter leader, Tom attended Terra Madre in 2006 and Slow Food Nation in 2008.  In 2009, Tom worked on sustainable agriculture projects in Kenya, including a joint project with Slow Food International, the Network for Eco Farming in Africa, and Friends of Kenya Schools and Wildlife.  Tom’s articles on food and cooking have appeared in the Register-Guard newspaper and Northwest Palate magazine.  Tom graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School.  His professional career focused on utility regulation and alternative dispute resolution.
Area: Oregon, Idaho

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) grew up spending time between Southern California and Hamburg, Germany in a household where cooking and baking were at the center of life.  Her mother produced lavish meals, as well as baked a daily array of confections for afternoon “Kafee and Kuchen” to host her German in laws. Anna learned early that community building happens when the practice of winning the warmth of hearts is connected to the appreciation of the stomachs.  When Anna started to raise a family, some seventeen years ago, the idea of creating an urban oasis for her children became very important to her. She ripped out her conventional garden and replaced it with an assortment of fruits and vegetables, from concord grapes and bananas to mustard greens and broccoli, and even a few rabbits.  This gave her children a place to learn, touch, taste and experience nature and from there bring it to the table.  Anna has professionally worked in and around the restaurant and food industry since she was fifteen, doing everything from creating pastry to catering large scale events.  She led Slow-Food East-Bay’s “Time for Lunch” campaign and organized the Eat-In in Berkeley, CA.  Anna currently works for the non-profit, Marin Organic as the Supporting Business Program Manager. She is also working on a book, International Lunchbox, an international collection of images of children’s lunches and the narratives of the individuals creating them. Anna’s position on the Slow Food Berkeley’s steering committee is to work and connect with local organizations, to work on various initiatives and bring Slow Food’s goals to the roots of our communities.
Area: Bay Area, CA

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) was raised in a “better living through chemicals” household.  He discovered upon leaving for college that garlic was, in fact, not a type of salt but the bulbous relative of the onion, which, it turned out, was not a salt.  Thus began decades of self-discovery with a short bout of quiet desperation thrown in for good measure.  Thom started Slow Food Charlotte in 2004 and with the help of many has seen their numbers grow and their local food economies begin to take shape.  Slow Food Charlotte is active in school gardens, community & demonstration gardens, education and awareness of local farms, food & culture. Thom holds a B.S. B.A. and an M.F.A. in poetry making him uniquely qualified to organize, empathize and get beyond his personal angst to the issues at hand.
Area: North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) grew up in Alabama with a taste for gumbo and red beans and rice.  After graduating from law school in 1975, she moved to Hawaii where she has practiced law for over 30 years.  Shelby joined Slow Food Hawaii in 2004, went to Terra Madre in 2006 with Hawaii’s delegates, and has led the Hawaii chapter for the last three years.  When not practicing law, Shelby harvests and processes her macadamia nuts, avocados, citrus, and figs, and works in her vegetable garden.  She is also on the boards of several non-profits.
Area: Hawaii

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) was born in Berkeley, California and grew up in the East Bay. Her parents had black thumbs but embraced Julia Child’s French Cooking and fine wine. A stint in Denmark as an exchange student followed by gardening classes under Alan Chadwick at UC Santa Cruz and meeting her (future) husband, Mike Eaton, underlie abiding interests in environmental protection and gardening. Fortunately, Mike is a great cook. Charity joined Slow Food in 2003 and was part of a group that revived Slow Food Sacramento in 2005. She has served as Event Committee Chair and is the Membership Director. She and Mike own Kingbird Farms, a 5-acre farm in Southern Sacramento County where they grow fruits and vegetables plus hops, the former largely for themselves and the local food bank, the latter for home brewers. They are a WWOOF site, hosting young people from around the world eager to learn more about organic growing techniques. Charity recently retired from her law practice, which emphasized First Amendment litigation and appeals.
Area: Central Valley, CA

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) was born and raised in Tyler, Texas in a family devoted to the fine art of the kitchen and the table, which has been lovingly passed through the generations like an heirloom treasure.  She graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in Tyler, Texas in 1974, and being in that place at that time during tumultuous circumstances helped to shape and inform her passion for food justice today.  Martha has been a resident of Wisconsin for 11 years, and at the helm of Slow Food Wisconsin Southeast since 2006.  She serves on the Board of Growing Power, is a founding member of the Milwaukee Food Council, and a member of the Shorewood Nutritional Advisory Committee. 
Area: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)—bio coming soon!
Area: Texas, Oklahoma

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) came to Slow Food via an interest in food and regional culture, cultivated in the kitchens and gardens of a family with roots spreading from Texas to Providence, Ireland to Italy. A lifelong educator, she develops cultural programming for museums, currently overseeing adult programs at Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA. A co-founder and co-leader of Slow Food Seacoast from 2006 to 2009, she enjoys shaping educational events that bring New England food traditions into the 21st century. She attended Slow Food Nation, helped pioneer a Seacoast Local Food Networking Group to collborate on strategies for building a local, sustainable food system, and served as Education Coordinator for the first NH Fish & Lobster Festival in September 2009.  At the rare times when she is not thinking about food, Michelle’s vision for a nation and region built of interconnected, vibrant local cultures finds her involved across the community, in projects as diverse as shoreline protection, local media, and local music.
Area: Maine, New Hampshire

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) was raised on a family orchard in eastern Pennsylvania. While she left the farm after college, her commitment to preserving our agricultural land and connecting with our food has only strengthened. Christine has been a member of Slow Food since 2009, and was instrumental in reviving the Marin-Petaluma chapter over the past 15 months.  In addition to her work with Slow Food, she is a member of the Marin Agricultural Land Trust and Slow Money, as well as a current student with the Environmental Forum of Marin, dedicated to environmental education and advocacy. She advises the student-run Environmental Action Committee at The Branson School on food system-related issues.  Christine resides in San Anselmo, California with her two daughters, and returns frequently to the family farm in Pennsylvania.
Area: Sonoma, Napa, Solano, Mendocino, and Humboldt Counties in Northern California

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), M.S. Ed.S., was a public high school teacher for thirty years, and is now in her second career as Sustainable Food Service Education Coordinator at Emory University.  She founded Slow Food Atlanta in 2000, and since then, she has galvanized the area in supporting the local, sustainable food producer community.  Julie has created alliances with many like-minded non-profit organizations, including Georgia Organics, Southern Foodways Alliance, American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, the Atlanta Community Food Bank, and the CDC’s Department of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity. She serves on the steering committee of the Atlanta Local Food Initiative, and is a founding member of the Green Foodservice Alliance.  She has also spoken about Slow Food at numerous universities and civic organizations.
Area: Georgia, Florida

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) attended his first Slow Food meeting in Chicago in the fall of 1998 and, with the 10 other people at the meeting, formed one of the first chapters in the country. He has been involved with Slow Food for 13 years and has served as Regional Governor for 4. Since that unremarkable meal 13 years ago, the reach of good, clean, and fair food has expanded remarkably, especially in the Midwest region. It coincides with the remarkable work we’ve all done regionally, nationally, and internationally in that same period of time.
Area: Indiana, Illinois, Iowa

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) is an attorney and advisor who has helped guide Slow Food Los Angeles since 2005, first as a member of its steering committee and since 2008 as its coleader. A member of Slow Food since 1996, Lisa’s interest in sustainable food production and consumption began with backyard farming in Chicago and has blossomed since her relocation to the warmer climes of California. Along with her Slow Food Los Angeles colleagues, Lisa continues to work to increase awareness of Slow Food’s good/clean/fair philosophy in communities across Los Angeles and is establishing partnerships with others who support urban farming and community gardening, “greening” of urban food deserts, the promotion of local food markets, and farm-to-school and school garden-based educational programs. As the snailwrangler, Lisa serves as a conduit for information about food news and issues through Slow Food Los Angeles’s popular website, its email list, and the @snailwrangler Twitter feed. Bridging her interest in food and law, Lisa writes on the intersection of food, law, and public policy and is developing a graduate-level course to help shape future debate on these subjects.
Area: Southern CA

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) is a retired Clinical Professor in Rehabilitation Medicine and Bioengineering at the University of Washington Medical School. He is a past president of the Enological Society of the Pacific Northwest, chair of its judging of Northwest wines and founding chair of the Auction of Northwest Wines.  He and his wife Diane have an organic garden and enjoy cooking and wine making.  He is founder and now co-leader of the Slow Food Seattle.  He is involved in their Northwest Ark, Presidia and RAFT projects.
Area: Washington, Alaska

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)—bio coming soon!
Area: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) grew up in the South in a family whose background includes restaurateurs and farmers. A chef by trade, Mark co-founded Slow Food Bluegrass in 2005 in hopes of bringing together members of Kentucky’s sustainable agriculture and culinary communities in order to promote local and organic food. Through free or low cost events, the chapter has reached out to a diverse group of partners on school garden, childhood nutrition, food justice and other food education projects. He has a passion for organic and heirloom gardening, traditional southern cuisine, and sharing what he has learned with others.  Mark is currently the Executive Chef at Brown- Forman, an American-owned wine and spirits company which owns Jack Daniel’s and Southern Comfort.  He has worked as a chef in some of the world’s greatest culinary destinations.  Mark is on the Board of Advisors for Sullivan University National Center for Hospitality, a founding member of the Napa Valley Culinary Alliance, and is a member of the Southern Foodways Alliance and the International Association of Culinary Professionals.
Area: KY, TN, AL, LA, MS

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) quit his day job four years ago (he is a retired City of New York executive) and now spends much of his time in the fight for a good, clean, and fair food system. He has been a member the Slow Food New York City Leadership Committee since 1999.  Ed serves on many boards and committees, including: Greenmarket Farmer and Community Advisory Committee (NYC’s farmers markets); the Governing Board of the Food Systems Network NYC; and the Food Policy Steering Committee of the Manhattan Borough President, where he participated in drafting the NYC Sustainable Food Charter.  He also participates in the activities of the New York City Alliance for the Child Nutrition Reauthorization.  As a member of Slow Food NYC, Ed is active in the Harvest Time Network, a network of members and friends involved in the movement for good food in schools.  In 2003, Ed combined his love of history and apples to start a Slow Food NYC effort to help bring the Green Newtown Pippin apple, the only American heirloom apple native to the Big Apple, back to New York City tables.
Area: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut

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Slow Food International

You can find the most up to date contact information for Slow Food International here on their website.

Slow Food Chapter Leaders

Slow Food chapters form the foundation of conviviality and provide the grassroots fuel for the movement. More than 225 chapters all over the U.S. – and 1,300 around the world – invite members to taste, celebrate, and champion the foods and food traditions important to their communities. Chapters are led by volunteer leaders, and each chapter is distinct in its approach and local initiatives.

Visit Local Chapters for more information and to find the local chapter nearest to you.

Slow Food USA Regional Governors

The Slow Food USA Regional Governors are a team of 19 former chapter leaders who work to build up Slow Food’s presence in a geographic region, primarily by supporting the region’s chapter leaders. A region is typically made up of ten or more chapters in a geographic area, and governors serve a 4-year term. Read their bios here.

Regional Governors Contact List

Please note: regions and states subject to change.

NEW ENGLAND
Mara Welton, Slow Food Vermont (VT, NH, ME)
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Michelle Moon, Slow Food Seacoast (MA, RI)
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NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY & CONNECTICUT
Edwin Yowell, Slow Food New York City
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MID-ATLANTIC
Greg Boulos, Slow Food Pittsburgh (OH, PA, MD, WV, DC)
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SOUTHERN
Jan Wesley, Slow Food Upstate Greenville (NC, SC, VA)
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Judith Winfrey, Slow Food Atlanta (GA, FL)
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Mark Williams, Slow Food Bluegrass (KY, TN, AL, LA, MS)
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MIDWEST
Joel Smith, Slow Food Chicago (IL, IN, IA)
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Martha Davis Kipcak, Slow Food Wisconsin Southeast (WI, MN, MI)
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*The governor position for the Lower Midwest (KS, MO, NE, AR) is vacant. In the meantime, please contact Joel Smith.

TEXAS, OKLAHOMA
Claudine Martyn, Slow Food Dallas
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ROCKY MOUNTAINS (CO, UT, WY, MT)
Election in progress

CALIFORNIA
Anna Hillgruber Smith Clark, Slow Food Berkeley (Bay Area)
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Christine Schantz, Slow Food Marin-Petaluma (Northern California)
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Charity Kenyon, Slow Food Sacramento (Central Valley)
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Election in Progress for Southern California

HAWAII
Shelby Floyd, Slow Food Hawaii
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WASHINGTON, ALASKA
Gerry Warren, Slow Food Seattle
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OREGON, IDAHO
Tom Barkin, Slow Food Eugene
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SOUTHWEST
Pamela Hamilton (AZ, NM)
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Slow Food USA Board of Directors

As a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, Slow Food USA is governed by a Board of Directors, which meets on a regular basis and keeps minutes of their meetings. For copies of any board minutes, contact the Slow Food USA offices at 718-260-8000.

Katherine Deumling (Board Chair)

Cooking Instructor

Owner, Cook With What You Have

Slow Food Portland chapter member

Lynne Frame (Board Development Chair)

Educator, Mill Valley, CA

Slow Food Marin chapter member

Robert Shaver (Finance Committee Chair)

Slow Food Indy chapter member

Nazli Parvizi (Secretary)

Commissioner, NYC Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit

Slow Food New York City chapter member

Paolo Di Croce

International Secretary, Slow Food

Curt Ellis

Co-Founder & Executive Director, FoodCorps

Slow Food New York City chapter member

Matt Jones

Food Activist and Investor

Slow Food Denver chapter member

John W. Stewart, III

Slow Food San Francisco chapter member

Thom Duncan

Slow Food USA National Office

Slow Food USA National Office

68 Summit Street, 2B
Brooklyn, NY 11231
Tel: 718-260-8000 or 877-SlowFoo(d)
Fax: 718-260-8068
Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 9:30 am - 5:30 pm
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Promotions, Marketing, & Partnerships: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Membership: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Executive Office: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Programmatic Initiatives, including Ark of Taste: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)