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CURRENT BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Rocio Rodriguez, Chair
With a Master’s degree in Public Health and a certificate in Public Health & Humanitarian Action from Columbia University, Rocio is currently applying her education and skill set as the Health Equity Manager for the County of Sonoma. She has held volunteer positions with the U.S. Southern Border Action Group, Global Response Management in Mexico, the American Red Cross and most recently as a mentor for youth in the On the Margins Dale! Program. She’s passionate about community-based public health and health equity through housing, education, social support networks, food access and neighborhoods.
Maclan Cung
Maclan was born in Vietnam and raised in Salinas, California. She attended Sonoma State University and graduated with a BA in Environmental Science. In 2006, she relocated to Healdsburg and started working at Love Farms to learn about farming organically. She assisted in tending the land and selling what was seasonally-grown at the local farmers’ markets. This fueled a passion for eating locally and seasonally. Now, she never misses a chance to seek out a farmers’ market at home or abroad on her travels. Currently, she works at Jackson Family Wines as a Culinary & Garden Operation Specialist. Maclan has 13 years of experience in the Hospitality & Restaurant industry. She first joined Farm to Pantry as a gleaner in 2015. Inspired by the organization’s mission, she was compelled to become a board member and help expand its outreach.
Sarah Bellak, Board Member
Sarah brings a wealth of clinical knowledge and public health expertise to Farm to Pantry. A registered nurse with over a decade of experience in acute care, she earned a Master of Public Health from UC Berkeley and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with a minor in Psychology from Dominican University. She has a strong understanding of both individual patient care and broader community health initiatives and the correlation of food access and nutrition on health outcomes. Originally from Edinburgh, Scotland, Sarah now resides in Santa Rosa with her family.
Santiago Ramirez, Treasurer
Santiago is currently the VP/branch manager for Exchange Bank in Windsor. He has worked for Exchange Bank since 2016.Santiago is originally from Bogota, Colombia. He moved to the United States in 2000. He lived in both Minnesota and Florida before moving to California in 2016. He earned a double major in Economics and International Management back in 2004 and earned his MBA from Sonoma State University in 2020.
He enjoys the outdoors, is a member of the World Affairs Council of Sonoma County and has been a member of the board of Catholic Charities for 2 years.
The closing of a chapter for Farm to Pantry...Melita Love, the entrepreneur, founder & Board Chair hung up her gleaning gloves in November 2022.
"Your vision launched new farms dedicated to nourishing our community, minimized waste in farming and provided meaningful volunteerism across Sonoma County. Over gleaning, long-term friendships are made, conversations are honest, laughter is heard and TONS of nourishing food is brought to those in need. May your next chapter...be as meaningful and rewarding; we know it will. Thank you from all of us!" - Carol Beattie, Healdsburg Forever Board Member
Melita Love
Farm to Pantry founder and board member, Melita has more than 20 years' leadership experience in nonprofits and educational facilities. Melita started Farm to Pantry in 2008 with only three volunteers and has grown the organization to over 60 strong. She holds a Masters in Business Administration from New York University and an undergraduate degree in education from the College of William and Mary. Melita is a 2014 Fellow of the Leadership Institute of Ecology and the Economy. She lives in Seattle, Washington now, close to dear family.
A Wistful Send-Off Video for Melita.