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Board of Directors

DEBBIE LOWN, RDN, CHAIR | RETIRED, GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY
Debbie is a retired Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences at GVSU as well as a registered dietitian/nutritionist. Her focus is on food insecurity and community nutrition. She brings data collection and analysis experience as well as enthusiasm and a regular volunteer presence to Heartside Gleaning.

LISA SISSON, RDN, TREASURER | RETIRED, GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY
Lisa is a registered dietitian/nutritionist and former Assistant Professor in the Hospitality and Tourism Management Department at Grand Valley State University. Her areas of interest include access to healthy food, and food policy that supports and enhances a just and sustainable food system. Lisa is the founder of Heartside Gleaning and wishes that everyone would spend time getting to know the faces of hunger.

RORI WESTON, SECRETARY | PACK ELEPHANT
Rori has a background in Hospitality + Tourism Management, farming and has been a part of the Grand Rapids food scene for years. She loves building relationships with the vendors + patrons and enjoys working closely with community partners to help create a fruitful food system for all. Rori was formally the Executive Director + Market Manger of the Fulton Street Farmers Market. Rori has served on the HGI board since 2015.

KRISTIN MORETTO | COMMUNITY MEMBER
Kristin Moretto, Ph.D. was the inaugural Director of the Office for Community Partnerships and Student Professional Development in the Brooks College at Grand Valley State University. Kristin previously served as the the Director of Experiential Learning in the College of Public Health at the University of South Florida. Prior to that, she was the Assistant Director for Service-Learning at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she oversaw the growth of academic service-learning, directed a community-based research grant program, and led the NASPA CLDE initiative. Moretto also directed the Michigan State University Student Food Bank and worked in the Office of Faculty and Organizational Development.

DANA EARDLEY | FULTON STREET FARMERS MARKET
Dana is passionate about finding community based solutions towards creating equitable food systems. Dana believes that together our farms, restaurants, grocers, and food entrepreneurs provide the foundation for a strong local economy that celebrates a connection to our planet and our people. Dana is the Executive Director of Fulton Street Farmers Market.

KELLY GLAS | FLAT RIVER OUTREACH INDUSTRIES
Kelly has been a member of the Board of Directors of Heartside Gleaning Initiative since 2019. She currently works as a Food Pantry Program Manager and is passionate about getting healthy food to those in need. Kelly has followed this passion by working in numerous food allocation positions and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from Cornerstone University. ​

TOMMIE C. WALLACE | COMMUNITY MEMBER
Tommie graduated from Wilberforce University with a major in Fine Arts and a minor in History. He lived in the Heartside neighborhood for almost 20 years and continues to volunteer and create works of art there. Several of his murals can be seen in Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids.  

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