Expert Resource Directory

at the Michigan Department of Community Health. In this role, she is responsible for administering the more than 50 state programs and policies that support the health of women and children in the state through Michigan's public health infrastructure. She has been in state government for the past 20 years in various public health administrative capacities. Carr was also a member of the 2009-2010 class of IATP Food and Society Fellows.

Health, from Warner Wellness. Collier has been writing and speaking about health and health policy issues for the past 20 years. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the New York Times, The Lansing State Journal and the Post-Tribune. Her work appears regularly in Essence, More, Ladies Home Journal, Woman’s Day, O, the Oprah Magazine, Real Health, Healthy Living, the National Medical Association Magazine, Better Homes and Gardens, AARP Magazine,Heart Healthy Living, More, and others. She was also a member of the 2008-2009 class of IATP Food and Society Policy Fellows. Andrea has been married to Darnay Collier since 1985 (she was a child bride). She is the mother of two children, Nicole and Christopher, who are now older than she is. They live in Lansing, Michigan. Andrea is a native of Gary, Indiana.

She works with grassroots leaders to create healthier communities by integrating organizational learning and systems thinking principles. Mansfield has 30 years of experience in healthcare and facilitation utilizing process improvement, multidisciplinary teams, and systems thinking to achieve desired outcomes. Mansfield has a B.A. in nursing from Luther College and an M.S.N. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

agriculture for The Greening of Detroit. She has worked in the field of community gardening, urban greening, and vacant land reuse for over ten years - first in Flint where she co-founded The Flint Urban Gardening and Land Use Corporation, then as the director of the Detroit Agriculture Network, and currently with The Greening of Detroit where she works with community groups to plan tree plantings, community gardens, and other greenspace.

at Michigan State University, Cheryl Danley engages with communities to strengthen their access to fresh, locally grown, healthy and affordable food. Previously Cheryl served as the technical assistance liaison to the W.K. Kellogg Foundation's Food and Fitness Initiative aimed at creating healthy community environments for children, youth and families. Currently she provides outreach as part of the Food and Community Connections program. Cheryl has worked in academia, philanthropy, and the non-profit sector for more than 20 years on issues of environment and sustainable development, both in the US and abroad. Trained as an agricultural economist, Cheryl has broad international experience in community development, agricultural marketing, natural resource management and policy. She has been involved in teaching and research in a number of African countries. Prior to her current position at MSU, Cheryl served as Country Representative for Africare in Tanzania and South Africa, managing a diverse portfolio of health and agriculture programs, including projects in primary health care, HIV/AIDS, food security, natural resources, social infrastructure development, and refugee relief. Prior to that she was the Assistant Director for MSU's Partnerships for Food Industry Development (Fruits & Vegetables) -- program of the U.S. Agency for International Development designed to strengthen supply chains and improve incomes and retail linkages for farmers in developing countries. Cheryl received her B.A. from Wellesley College and her M.S. in Food and Resource Economics from the University of Florida. She is a member of the 2011-2013 class of IATP Food and Community Fellows.

specializes in commodity program reform, rural development policy, research and extension, rural revitalization, and higher education. Hassebrook has been with the Center for 30 years, developing strategies for rural revitalization, devising farm program payment limitations and enhancing federal funding for rural programs. The Center for Rural Affairs has helped nearly 5,000 small businesses get started or survive, and has assisted in the development of nearly one dozen cooperatives.

2010, he has written about his own observations of rural landscapes and communities, humorous farm stories, and resilient farm folks for a weekly column called Farm to Family, originally published in the Cedar County News in Nebraska. Arens recently discontinued his colums after accepting a position as a regional editor for Farm Progress Publications, visiting farms and ranches and interviewing agriculture professionals, writing mostly for Nebraska Farmer and Dakota Farmer magazines. He was also a member of the 2003-2005 class of Food and Society Policy Fellows.

Iowa Carmody developed a keen appreciation for central cities and Main Streets. Schooled as a city planner in the Midwest and the North of England, Carmody is a devoted urbanist with special interest in regenerating depressed local economies.Since 2007 Carmody has served as President of Detroit's Eastern Market Corporation (EMC), where he leads the non-profit entity charged with converting one of the nation's oldest and largest public markets into a healthy urban food hub.

community as well as in the agricultural sector. She is currently a USDA Advisor serving in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Previously, she co-founded the Women Food and Agriculture Network and served as its director for more than 11 years. Her past experiences include also include running for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, organizing the Women's Task Force of the Iowa Farm Unity Coalition, directing the Rural Women's Leadership Development Project of PrairieFire Rural Action Inc. and serving as president of the National Family Farm Coalition. She was a member of the 2001-2003 class of Food and Society Policy Fellows.

assuming his current role, Wells was vice president of program services and development at Gleaners. He also has served as the executive director of Capuchin Soup Kitchen, where he was the first non-Capuchin given that responsibility. Wells earned his MBA from Wayne State University and BBA from Western Michigan University and is active in community service. Prior to joining Gleaners in November 2006,  DeWayne also served as Chief Operating Officer at Starfish Family Services. DeWayne was also employed at Mercy Health Services (now Trinity Health) in a variety of positions including six years as Vice President of Finance and Administration for Mercy’s information technology subsidiary. DeWayne is a certified public accountant, a Eureka Communities Fellow, and a lifelong Detroiter.