People

Andrew Crispin brings personal experience and professional expertise to the fight against food insecurity. Originally from New Hampshire, Andrew brings a diverse background in research, education, hospitality, and public health to his role as Executive Director at Berkeley Food Network. Andrew graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a Bachelor's in Biochemistry and from Boston University with a Master's in Nutrition. He is committed to building partnerships and using a data-informed approach to strengthen the social support network within Berkeley, ensuring all who need food are able to access it.

Katie brings a community-centered and equity-driven approach to her role as Senior Development Manager at Berkeley Food Network. Her career spans marketing agency, Corporate America, nonprofit and higher education philanthropy, always grounded in advancing social justice and strengthening community well-being. Katie is committed to a food justice framework that centers wholeness, dignity and belonging for all Berkeley residents. She leads BFN’s development and advancement efforts and serves as a visible partner in the community. Born and raised in Akron, Ohio, Katie now calls Berkeley home. If you see her out in the community, please say hello – she’d love to meet you!

Perry Hall (she/her) has worked for over 12 years coordinating volunteers at non-profits engaged in environmental education. She is passionate about the difference that volunteers can make and works to match each volunteer’s abilities and motivation with the needs of the organization. Perry is excited to be a part of making good nutrition more accessible to members of the Berkeley community that she calls home. She looks forward to collaborating with staff and volunteers to expand BFN’s partnerships with local businesses and organizations.

While studying environmental science at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Elle developed a love for regenerative farming and the use of farming as a tool for food justice. After graduating, she worked for a food redistribution non-profit, and later on a small regenerative farm, both in Sonoma County. Elle brings to Berkeley Food Network her passion for farming, food, and community, as well as a deep desire for creating a more equitable world where everyone has access to nutritious food. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, hiking, and eating at local restaurants.

James (he/him) is a Northern California native with a family history of giving back to food insecure communities, from his mother volunteering in food pantries to his grandmother leading canned food drives at her church. James is an alumnus of San Francisco State University with a Bachelor’s in Film and Screenwriting and enjoys losing himself in a good movie or book. And during his time off, James can be found with his wife walking around the lake and redwoods of Oakland or writing his next screenplay at a local coffee shop. He has an extensive background in customer service and is excited to help his local East Bay communities through his work at BFN.

Ben is a second generation Berkeley resident and is fortunate to return home and work in the community he grew up in. He brings with him a background in farming, cooking, and organic produce sales and distribution. Ben is excited to work for an organization that is focused on improving access to healthy, high quality food for the Bay Area community.

Steve Robles Ramirez brings a deep commitment to food sovereignty and systemic equity to his role as the Home Delivery Program Coordinator. As the child of immigrant parents, his commitment to community led mutual aid is backed by a foundation in public policy, grassroots organizing, and collective resource mobilization. Now rooted in the East Bay, Steve leverages his bilingual skills to break down institutional barriers, ensuring homebound neighbors access nutritious food as a fundamental human right. Outside of work, he can usually be found cooking, hiking regional trails, or spending time planting and gardening.

Keli’i (Key) is a first-generation college graduate, born and raised in the East Bay by his grandparents, who instilled in him values of pride, purpose, and community. Forged from his values and life’s humble beginnings was a passion for investing in people. Throughout his personal and professional life, Keli’i has joined efforts supporting educators, students, athletes, the unhoused, immigrants, single parents, and low-income individuals because he loves seeing others thrive. He's excited to join BFN in the everyday fight to help the community weather the rising cost of living in the Bay. He looks forward to spreading awareness and helping community members obtain essential resources to achieve a higher quality of life. When he’s not at BFN chasing his dreams, you can catch him coaching football at Pinole Valley High School, or embarking on an outdoor adventure with his wife, and dog Nala.

Fruhar brings over seven years of experience in international development and humanitarian assistance, having worked on programs focused on crisis response, food security, global health, and community resilience. Through partnerships with governments, nonprofits, and multilateral organizations, she supported initiatives that improved access to essential services for vulnerable communities globally. Originally from the Bay Area, Fruhar is excited to bring her global experience home and contribute to strengthening community-driven solutions to food insecurity and support Berkeley Food Network’s mission to ensure equitable access to nutritious food.

Julia Sheng has always been interested in feeding people. After attending UC Santa Cruz for college, she moved to a New England farm and learned the deep satisfaction of turning hard work into food. Since returning home to Berkeley, she's worked in restaurants, wholesalers and industrial ecoyards, always thinking about what it means to live in community and how the system can support the individual. She's excited to find a professional home at Berkeley Food Network, where she can use her logistical background to support community food security. When not wrangling a forklift or making a kickass spreadsheet, Julia can be found crushing library books, baking cookies, or paddling her canoe on an alpine lake.

Younng-Joo Tanaka has long been rooted in community care. As the eldest of eight children, she developed a deep sense of responsibility and care for people early in life. After high school, she spent several years volunteering in a youth service program across the country, further shaping her commitment to building meaningful, sustainable communities. As Development & Communications Coordinator, she brings together her experience in nonprofit fundraising, user experience design and research, and storytelling to expand access to healthy, high-quality food for the Bay Area community. She approaches her work with gratitude for the abundance provided by the land and all living beings on this planet we call home.

In her free time, she enjoys nature walks, exploring local cafés and bookstores, and supporting community events.

During the pandemic, Audrey began volunteering at the UC Berkeley Food Pantry and became passionate about supporting food access, sustainability, and food recovery in her community. Originally from San Diego, she’s excited to return to the East Bay to serve as Berkeley Food Network’s Food Sourcing Coordinator, building and maintaining relationships with local organizations to reduce food waste and ensure that BFN has enough food to support the community. When she’s not at work, she loves spending time outside running, hiking, and swimming and exploring the Bay.

Anmol (she/her)
I am an MPH student at UC Berkeley, studying food, nutrition, and population health. I have a
culinary background which has strengthened my interest in the intersection between nutrition
and health and finding ways to increase food access. I have been passionate about helping my
community since I first started volunteering my time at hospitals and community centers serving
as a pantry. I look forward to learning the ins and outs of how a food pantry at this scale
operates and helps increase food security for the Berkeley community. In my free time, I enjoy
baking, hiking, and playing tennis.

Jeffrey is a first-generation UC Berkeley alum, and President & CEO of Visit Berkeley, the cities Destination Marketing Organization. With the mission to promote Berkeley as a desirable destination for visitors and locals alike, Jeffrey brings his energy and passion for connecting people together, and is excited for collaborations that will help all of BFN's marketing efforts.

Pam (she/her) has worked in the public, private and nonprofit sectors and has been a longtime community volunteer in the Bay Area. She served as Chair of the City of Berkeley Parks and Recreation Commission and was a board member and sea kayak guide at Environmental Traveling Companions, a non-profit serving people with disabilities and under-resourced youth. Her professional experience includes directing operations at Goodwill Industries, San Francisco and working in the office of Berkeley City Councilmember Laurie Capitelli. Currently, she is the Employer Engagement Manager for BroadFutures, a non-profit that prepares young adults with learning disabilities to successfully enter the workplace. Pam received her B.A. from Tufts University, her MBA from Dominican University and holds professional certificates in Process Improvement and Sustainable Operations from Portland State University.

Mirna (she/her) is a first-generation Latina with a demonstrated history of 10 years working in the nonprofit sector. She is currently the Executive Director of The Multicultural Institute, a community-based nonprofit organization addressing Latinx Immigrant community's issues in three counties of the California Bay Area. Her personal and first-hand experience shape her career and passion for programs and initiatives tailored towards the immigrant community. Mirna's work experience centers around Community Outreach to the day laborer and domestic worker community, Direct Service to monolingual Spanish speaking immigrant adults, Nonprofit Administration and Development, Donor Cultivation, and Grant Writing and Contract Management. With a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology from University of California Berkeley Mirna is pursuing a Masters of Nonprofit Administration at the University of San Francisco.

Lynnette Orme is a CPA and MBA and currently works as a Senior Finance Director at MHN, a behavioral insurance company. Previously, she worked as the Chief Financial Officer of Lifelong Medical Care, a non-profit Health Center based in Berkeley. She also volunteered as Treasurer for Berkeley High School Development Group for close to four years. She was born and raised in Berkeley and her family spent all of their vacations in the Sierra Nevadas so she calls Yosemite her second home.

For higher education, she attended UC Santa Barbara and UC Berkeley – ultimately receiving a BA in Classical Languages. For post-graduate work she attended California State East Bay (Hayward), receiving a Master in Business Administration, Taxation. She hopes that her background running finance and operations teams will be of help in preparing BFN for the next big administrative leap.

She is a big proponent of people having access to healthy, nutritious food – one of dad’s life lessons was “food is love”.

Ian was raised in Berkeley and worked in the financial services sector for over 30 years in California, New York Philadelphia and London before retiring back in California in 2022. He managed a wide variety of investment portfolios for clients ranging from endowments to mutual funds, pension plans and sovereign wealth funds. He worked for the City of Berkeley Parks & Recreation department from 1984-1989 and has volunteered at food security programs in London, Alameda and at BFN since 2022. Ian earned his BA in economics from UC Davis, MBA from UC Berkeley and is a CFA Charterholder.

Janice (she/her) has over 20 years of experience researching community-based nutrition and physical activity related programs and policies. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from UC Berkeley and an MPH in Public Health Nutrition from the University of Washington, Seattle. She is currently a senior program evaluator at the University of California Nutrition Policy Institute and specializes in policies, systems, and environmental change interventions that improve access to healthy food and opportunities for physical activity. Additionally, she serves on the City of Berkeley’s Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Product Panel of Experts (i.e., the commission on the sugary drink distributor tax). Janice got her start in public health nutrition through an internship with the Alameda County Community Food Bank and she is excited to come full-circle by working with BFN and giving back to the community she loves. Janice was born and raised here in Berkeley and lives a few blocks from the 9th Street Pantry, where she is raising two kids with her partner, Mohan.

Priya is a marketing and brand strategy executive with over a decade of experience in consumer insights, communications, and strategic planning at food and beverage companies from legacy brands to startups. She is known for keeping people and communities at the center of business strategy.

Carlos Montes is the People Operations Manager at Heath Ceramics, where he leads human resources strategy and helps cultivate a supportive, values-driven workplace. Originally from Riverside, California, Carlos studied Global Studies at UC Santa Barbara and brings experience across HR and people operations in the Bay Area. He is passionate about building inclusive systems that help teams thrive, and takes a collaborative approach to supporting both organizational growth and employee well-being.

Regular BFN volunteer for 5+ years. Joined BFN’s Finance Committee in August 2024. Business degree with an accounting concentration from the University of Washington. Retired from Chevron after a 32-year career (mostly in the Bay Area, with time in Houston, Miami and Cape Town, South Africa). Experience in business planning, strategic studies, project management, investment analysis, corporate reorganizations, communications and energy economics.

Corporate Claim to Fame: Last 4 years at Chevron were working as the Advisor to the current CEO of Chevron, running leadership team meetings, reviewing approvals on his behalf, preparing materials for "ExCom" and Chevron's Board, and organizing multi-day off-site meetings. Grew up in Seattle. Married to Kate, no children. Live in the Elmwood area of Berkeley. Like to
travel (Spain, Portugal & Mexico this year.) Enjoy biking and hiking.

Rossana (she/her) brings over 15 years of experience in international development, with work across Africa and Latin America to strengthen financial inclusion and food security for women and young people. For the past decade, her work has centered on evaluation and learning partnerships with leading foundations and international agencies. She currently serves as a Commissioner on the City of Albany’s Housing Advisory Commission and as Board President of SchoolCARE, a nonprofit supporting Albany’s public schools. Rossana holds a B.A. in Economics and French from Rice University and an M.P.A. from Harvard University.

Billi has focused on developing policies and implementing programs to improve people's lives, protect the environment and enhance community resilience. She has over 30 years of experience in public service, most recently as Office of Energy and Sustainable Development Manager for the City of Berkeley. Currently she volunteers in the Tenderloin with the Zen Caregiving Project, is a docent at the Berkeley Marina Shorebird Nature Center and works to enhance resilience and emergency response training in her West Berkeley neighborhood. She has conducted research on community food security and advocated for food justice and sustainable food systems.

Locke grew up in Berkeley. Shortly after her family arrived in 1969 she was part of the church congregation that started the Berkeley Emergency Food Project (now Insight Housing) to feed the hungry newly populating the streets of Berkeley. With years of experience working in non-profits globally and locally in areas of grassroots organizing and fundraising, Locke moved into leadership positions as President of the Board of the SHARE foundation (current) (working in El Salvador and Honduras), she is an alumni board member of the Berkeley Public School Fund (currently Advisory Board). She appreciates working collaboratively within the community, including the 5 years she worked in the Athletic Department at Berkeley High School. Locke has a BA in Sociology from California Lutheran University and while no longer as fluent as she was in the 1980’s, can participate in a meeting and a pretty good conversation in Spanish.

Tenny (she/her) recently retired after more than 30 years of leadership at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, where she served as Executive Director of Development & Alumni Relations. She led alumni engagement strategy for a global network of 45,000+ graduates, oversaw programs, events, and communications, and partnered on fundraising initiatives while personally stewarding major donors.

Tenny has served on the boards of Albany SchoolCARE and Downtown Berkeley YMCA, and previously led the Haas School Alumni Council, guiding volunteer leaders in advancing institutional priorities.

Earlier in her career, she worked in international cultural and educational exchange in Washington, DC and San Francisco, including roles with the National Council for International Visitors and The Asia Foundation. She also taught English in Kyoto, Japan, and traveled extensively throughout Southeast Asia.

A graduate of Boston College, Tenny is recognized for her collaborative leadership and strategic vision, including receiving the UC Berkeley Chancellor’s Outstanding Staff Award and the Berkeley Citation (2025). She brings expertise in philanthropy, stakeholder engagement, and mission-driven leadership as a new volunteer with Berkeley Food Network. She is married and the proud mother of two grown children, enjoys hiking, travel, food, wine, and music, and her experience in building communities aligns closely with BFN’s mission to advance access, equity, and engagement in the local food ecosystem.