Denver Sustainable Food Policy Council

With a master’s in counseling and years of experience in the nonprofit world, opening and operating a restaurant was nowhere on Holly’s radar. Over the years, Holly has become an integral part of the TBD Foods family. Holly is the lead event planner TBD Foods and is the General Manager for Sullivan Scrap Kitchen.

Holly has supported changing the local landscape of sustainability as a member of Good Business Colorado’s Climate Change Task Force and the Waste No More Task Force. She is looking forward to starting her new role as a member of Denver’s Sustainability Food Policy Council and sharing the knowledge she gained from attending MAD Academy in Copenhagen with her community.

Jamie Anderson - Jamie (they/she) has worked for Denver Food Rescue for four years, collaborating with community groups to operate twenty No Cost Grocery Programs all around the city and helping to create a home delivery program that brings fresh produce to 600 families per month. Jamie also served on the first CIty of Denver Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency Sustainability Advisory Council for several years. Jamie has an academic background in the science of climate change and its impact on food production and graduated with a PhD in 2018. Jamie was born and raised in southwest Denver. 

Kayla Birdsong - Kayla has dedicated her career to innovative solutions to improving Denver's food access and security from within the nonprofit sector. As CEO of Fresh Food Connect, she aims to "bring homegrown food within reach" across Colorado and the country by engaging gardeners in sharing their homegrown produce with communities facing food insecurity, all with the help of tech. She previously spent eight years at local food access nonprofit The GrowHaus, serving in multiple roles including four years as Executive Director. Kayla studied business management, has a Permaculture Design certificate, speaks Spanish, and is a recipient of the "Top 10 Emerging Leaders in Food and Ag" award in 2021. She is an avid gardener and dog lover.

Elise Bupp - Elise currently serves as Chief of Staff for Councilman Paul Kashmann. With an in-depth knowledge of city processes and government affairs she is a skilled legislative analyst. She holds a Master of Social Science degree, having focused her research on urban agriculture and power dynamics. Elise believes we can accomplish a lot at the local level and engages sustainability and equity as guiding forces for new policy initiatives. 

Patrick Cheetham - Patrick (he/him) grew up in Upstate NY and initially pursued an education in Chemical Engineering. After moving to Boston, MA and a brief stint in graduate school, a part time job at a restaurant led to a nearly 15 year long career in the industry. An opportunity at a local vegetarian restaurant that focused on creating connections with local farmers and prioritizing local foods led to a renewed interest in environmental science and local foods and after moving to Colorado in 2020 he began working in farming. After 3 years working on local organic farms, he is currently starting his own urban farm in Lakewood. He hopes to put the food he grows towards restaurants that focus on local foods as well as providing CSA shares to WIC and EBT/SNAP recipients and work towards creating a more equitable and just food system. 

Lauren Cloward, past co-chair of the SFPC, is a senior policy advisor for the Western Governors' Association. She manages WGA’s Western Prosperity Roundtable, the platform for advancing Western Governors’ socioeconomic policy priorities related to improving local, state, and regional economies, and enhancing the overall quality of life of citizens and communities in the West.

Hailing from Seattle, Lauren graduated with a B.S. in Environmental Studies and Political Science from Santa Clara University. Prior to joining WGA in 2020, she served as a program coordinator with Cooking Matters, facilitating food skills education for low-income communities in the Denver metro area, and a Fulbright research fellow, studying food and water systems in Burkina Faso.

Heidi Fritz is a public health dietitian with over 20 years of experience in health promotion and nutrition security programs, as well as managing initiatives supporting organizational and public policy change to increase access to healthy foods and beverages. She is currently focused on supporting food service transformation projects at the intersection of nutrition, inclusivity, and planetary health in her role as Healthcare Program Director with Greener By Default. Heidi enjoys growing and cooking with fresh local vegetables and other plant-based foods.

Lauren Lilley is the Director of Strategic Partnerships at Plentiful, an app supporting food pantries and the people they serve. She attended University of Missouri - Columbia to study Journalism and Duke University for her MBA where she learned her love of behavioral economics. Lauren spent 20 years working in strategy, sales, and business development in the corporate sector and continually seeks to use those skills to enhance her work in the nonprofit and public policy space.  When not working or volunteering, Lauren can be found with her partner and daughters, on a bike, or attempting to up level her plant parent skills.

Mary is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) who specializes in plant-forward, vegetarian, and vegan diets. Coupled with a graduate certificate in Food Policy and Sustainability Leadership from Arizona State University, Mary’s background sets the stage for a lifelong drive to promote optimal human and environmental health for all. Mary was a Class Instructor for Slow Food Denver, the Co-Editor for the Hunger and Environmental Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group’s biannual newsletter, and has volunteered for organizations like We Don’t Waste and The Food Recovery Network. In her free time, Mary can be spotted at a farmer’s market, reading a mystery, or feverishly adjusting baked good recipes for the Colorado altitude.  

Thai Nguyen, the dedicated Founder and Executive Director of Kaizen Food Share, a BIPOC community-led non-profit organization making a meaningful impact in Colorado. With leveraging over 20 years of experience in business: marketing and design, Thai brings a wealth of expertise to the table. As a former refugee, Thai's commitment to food justice is both inspiring and heartwarming. She is actively tackling nutrition and food inequality in her community, serving on various committees and community boards. In a world where food apartheid persists, Thai is a driving force for positive change, working tirelessly to make sure everyone has access to food autonomy.

Felice Price - Felice Price is a food industry veteran with 25+ years of experience in restaurants and food retail spaces, primarily in Denver. She holds a Culinary Arts Degree and a bachelor’s degree in history with a minor in nutrition. During the past 3.5 years she has worked within and managed Food Programs for organizations serving vulnerable populations. Felice works to increase food and nutritional security and accessibility through a trauma-informed, low barrier approach while striving for zero waste. She recognizes the importance and need for joy in the day to day lives of the community she serves and how having a robust food system helps create some of that joy.

Kevin is the farm manager at Ekar Farm, a two-acre nonprofit farm in Denver. While working on a Masters in Sustainability in 2020, he felt a call to the land. He has since served as the harvest manager for a 20-acre farm in Longmont and the Program Director for a nonprofit Farmer Development & Support program in Jefferson County. He is now proud to grow food for an organization that provides its entire harvest to local food access organizations across the city. He is committed to uplifting the laborers who work hard every day to provide food to people’s plates.

Bennett is a recent graduate from the University of Denver with a Master’s in Environmental Policy and Management. Though his background is in communications and political campaign organizing, he has recently narrowed his focus to the issue of food system sustainability. While in school, Bennett worked in department management at Natural Grocers where he helped the company build new food rescue partnerships and update their sustainability procedures. After writing his thesis on the environmental implications and potential of agriculture policy, he is most interested in supporting farmers’ and producers’ transitions toward more regenerative and restorative practices.

Meredith Slater is the Director of Development for ActionAid USA, an international network building a just, equitable, and sustainable world in solidarity with communities on the frontlines of poverty and injustice. Meredith holds a Master’s degree in Food Studies from NYU, and is an enthusiastic backyard beekeeper and gardener.

Paula is and experienced food professional and educator turned food anthropologist. As founder and lead educator of The Ecological Kitchen, she explores the intersection of food, culture, environment through hands-on workshops and didactic food events. Paula is an alumna of the MAD Academy Environment & Sustainability program in Copenhagen, and 2022 James Beard Foundation Legacy Network Advisor cohort.

Grace Young - Grace is a passionate, regenerative organic farmer. She has been farming in Colorado for four seasons and knows what it takes to grow food in the high desert. Her mantra “I farm to feed people real food, inspire change, and foster the environment around me” rings true in her day to day life. As the current horticulture manager at The Urban Farm in Denver, she works closely with local communities to grow culturally relevant, organic food for people in Denver.

Tyler Bortz - Tyler is a Horticulture Assistant and Educator at The Urban Farm, a nonprofit working farm focused on education and engaging youth in local food systems and agriculture. After working for a few years in vegetation ecology and conservation, Tyler completed a master’s in sustainable food systems in a pivot to combine his professional interests in plant ecology, land management, and community resilience. Tyler is committed to creating and supporting food systems that support both people and the planet.