Council Members

When it comes to the change needed in our food system, Crystal would like to see more diversity in leadership. She says, "Representation is key to building awareness around food issues."

Her favorite food is tacos.

Eric joined the Kent County Food Policy Council because it advocates for and promotes a local, good food system and to learn from other brilliant folks/institutions and add value to our community.

His favorite food includes Caribbean and Soul Food.

Eric is passionate about serving his community and the students/families in it. He has dedicated his career to working with young people and witnesses first-hand how food insecurity and inequity affects our community.
Eric loves all things breakfast food: pancakes, waffles, bacon sausage.

Melanie wanted to join the council to be a part of food systems change right here in her own community!

What is Melanie's favorite food?
"Such a hard question, I really love food! But my favorite food would probably be yellowtail or salmon sashimi"

Jaci joined the Kent County Food Policy Council because she sees a natural overlap between food systems and libraries. Both center on access, but profound impact comes from coupling access with quality, education, and equity. With her professional background in project management and strategic planning, and academic training in public policy and information science, she brings both practical experience and a systems-thinking lens to this work. She believes that libraries, one of the last truly civic spaces where all are free to gather, are uniquely positioned to advance a more sustainable and just food system. With an interest in square foot gardening, supporting local restaurants and experimenting in the kitchen with new foods and recipes, her passion for food makes this work feel like a seamless alignment of personal values and community impact.
Leaving her hometown in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula made her realize how many foods were unique to the region and deeply tied to a sense of home—rutabaga, pasties, whitefish, meat pies, porchetta roast, venison, and homegrown pole beans. She loves food that reminds her of home, especially her dad's potato cheese soup, but more than anything she loves spicy food, and often jokes that she has no sweet tooth; all of her teeth are spicy.

Gratia joined the KCFPC because she believes in an equitable food system that centers community and local producers. She wants to help make sure that everyone has access to safe, affordable, nourishing food and that voices are heard from every part of the food system.

Her favorite food is fresh, Michigan-grown corn on the cob.

Kyle joined the food policy council because he believes that the local food movement is foundational to building a resilient community where all people can have access to fresh, nutrient dense food. He is particularly interested in supporting local farmers and looking for ways to create opportunities for more people to be able to start their own small farms.

Kyle’s favorite food is a Thai green curry.

Anne volunteered for this role because she wants to see more equity
in food distribution in the county and she especially want to work toward
the elimination of food deserts.
Anne has a special appreciation for eggs.

Julie believes that through working together, we can help local food systems empower individuals to grow healthy food for themselves and their neighbors. "I believe change can start with a bit of knowledge and a small seed in the hands of a child," she says.

Julie's favorite food is heirloom tomatoes, straight from the vine. "My advice," she says, "always bring the salt shaker with you to the garden."

Samika would like to see equality in our community around food.
"So many families are in a state of turmoil due to the lack of quality
healthy foods," she says. "Now with the pandemic, it's an even harder
task to acquire healthy food. I want to assist with mapping and
publicizing local food resources, getting government officials to buy
locally and support community members."
Her favorite food is pizza, no particular kind, just pizza.

Bree joined the KCFPC to participate in an opportunity to listen and act on solutions alongside neighbors that want equitable opportunities for advancing their health and well-being. She says, "I would like to see culturally relevant nutrition marketing that promotes healthier food and beverage options."

A sweet potato/black bean burger with avocado on top or a toasted bagel with butter coupled with dark hot chocolate are some foods that bring Bree joy!

Terra joined the council because she loves growing food, helping people grow food, and connecting growers with their communities. She believes that strong local food systems are becoming more important every day and she is excited to work with other council members to strengthen ours in Kent County.

Her favorite food to eat and grow is sweet peppers!

Annabelle believes food provides an innate sense of connection and has an incredible power to bring people together. She believes that everyone deserves to have a relationship to food that feels nourishing and meaningful and that relationship is often threatened by systemic inequities. Annabelle wanted to join the KCFPC as a council member to address the inequities in the system and understand how cross-sector collaborations can allow those relationships to flourish.
There are too many great foods to pick a favorite! Fresh seafood, fresh veggies from the garden, any coconut curry!

Mick joined the council to continue to help support our local food systems as an end user of many of the products that are grown and produced in our communities. Mick believes that knowing the impact of our food system on local communities and supporting equitable sourcing is important for the future health of our communities we serve along with ensuring everyone has access to fresh, affordable, and nourishing food.

Mick loves almost all foods.

Janelle has been involved with the food policy council formation team since 2018 when she moved here from Ontario, Canada. She started as a volunteer and the moved into a staff role in late 2020. She is particularly excited about how groups can come together to influence change and believes in the power of food to bring us together. She loves gardening and is on a mission to make as much of her yard edible as possible.

Her favorite foods are whipped cream and kale salad.

Emily is excited to work with the KCFPC because she loves our local food system and want her neighbors, friends, and colleagues to be aware of and able to access all it has to offer. “I want to support and strengthen it so that my community is more self-reliant and less dependent on big corporations and charity to meet our food needs,” she says. “For me professionally, that means conducting research to help the KCFPC understand the community’s experiences with the local food system. For me personally, that means learning to garden and preserve my own food and sharing my knowledge (and food) with friends and family.”

For her birthday, Emily’s mom makes her a lemon cake with lemon icing, lemon curd between the layers, and toasted coconut covering the exterior. And when she’s sick, she makes me matzo ball soup. She loves sweet things and trying anything new.

Wende is the Director of the Essential Needs Task Force, which also houses the Food and Nutrition Coalition.

More to come for Wende!

Rick Muschiana is a restaurateur, chef, designer and artist. His interest in food goes all the way back to childhood. From picking raspberries in the backyard as a young boy, cooking with his mother and grandmother, to helping tend the family garden, food has always been an important part of his life. His foray into hospitality started at sixteen, when he began in the kitchens and then front of house at Zehnder's of Frankenmuth. He moved to Grand Rapids to attend and graduate from Kendall College of Art and Design. During his studies, Rick continued working in the local restaurant industry, and of special note spent an influential year waiting tables at the beloved Marie Catrib's. Upon graduation, he moved with his wife Kelly to Los Angeles and was exposed to a huge variety of culture, food and hospitality. There he participated in the opening of two establishments, earned a front of house stage at two Michelin star Providence, and scooped farm-to-table gelato on Sunset Boulevard. After a two year stint in Chicago, Rick returned to Grand Rapids and was eventually hired to help open and run Brewery Vivant as their AGM. His nearly three years there saw him move into the role of Abbot of Beer, doing sales, marketing and design work for the brewery end of the business. His time and mentorship from owners Jason and Kris Spaulding was formative, and in 2016 he and his family opened their own restaurant, The Sovengard, in Grand Rapids' west side neighborhood. They founded their new business on the principles of the New Nordic Movement, and continue to build the foundations of their business around mending our broken food system through sustainable and seasonal local sourcing, community, and progressive company culture. After a two year hiatus, they moved a short distance away and reopened in July of 2024 at 1232 Bridge Street. Rick lives with his lovely wife, three wild sons, and one dog on the west side of Grand Rapids.

Megan is the Administrative Coordinator for ENTF and the Food Policy Council. She is passionate about sustainability, with a background in Environmental Science and related work including invasive species management, science summer camp educator, and research on the environmental history of Grand Rapids. Megan knows that by connecting sustainability with equity, policy, and community, we can build resilient systems for the future.
Megan's favorite food is spicy peanut curry with extra green beans!

Garrett Ziegler is a Community Food Systems Educator with MSU Extension. As a community food systems educator with MSU Extension, Garrett works to connect local eaters with locally produced food. His work focuses on building local supply chains and farm to institution programs, connecting local growers to new markets and assisting in the development of local farm networks. He currently serves as a board member of the West Michigan Growers Group, a local nonprofit that supports small, sustainably minded farmers in West Michigan. He also has worked on the development of agritourism and farm diversification programs that help ensure farmers can sustainably grow food and market it to their customers. When not working you can find Garrett paddling his canoe on one of the many beautiful West Michigan rivers or hiking with his wife Kristy and dog Sunny.