Meet the Team

We are a nonprofit organization and as such are owned by no one in particular, but rather governed by a dedicated board of directors while the day-to-day operations are carried out by a growing team of founding members and staff members. We are excited and grateful to be creating jobs in our community and welcoming new folks into the fold!

“We envision a resilient and connected community where everyone is empowered to access healthy food, where local farmers are supported and the land is nourished, and where all people share a common sense of place.
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Board of directors

Board Chair

Charlie Kelsey

“I spent my 45 year professional life in various healthcare management and executive positions in support services (non-clinical). My career goal was improving the working conditions and lives of hourly service workers who in turn cared for patients, residents and customers. Much of my volunteer board work was at Kurn Hattin Homes in Westminster, VT, a residence and school serving at-risk children from around the country. Now my efforts are directed at the Kearsage Food Hub helping to further food access, education and building a welcoming and inter-connected community supporting local NH businesses and its people.”

Treasurer

Amanda Brendell
Manager, Nathan Wechsler

“I am the Manager at Nathan Wechsler & Company, PA, an accounting and business advisor firm in Concord, NH. I am a certified public accountant and hold additional certifications. My strengths are in finance, budgeting, and taxation. I believe strongly in giving back to the community and truly support the mission for Kearsarge Food Hub. I live in Sutton, NH with my significant other Jim and our dog, Winston. When not at work, you will find me gardening or hoping over New England to attend a variety of concerts.


Secretary

Kathleen Bigford
KFH Co-founder, Volunteer, Community Member, Educator

“Since joining the team of co-founders in 2015, I have been involved in every Sweet Beet activity and have enjoyed every minute. I come from an educational background having taught 10 to 14-year-olds for twenty-five years. Learning is my jam. So, it was with learning in mind that for three years I grew flowers on Sweet Beet Farm. I learned about commercial baking in the Café kitchen. The Secretary position on the KFH Board keeps me involved in overall operations. As always I enjoy time with kids in KFH education programs.” 

Director

Leon-C Malan
Professor, Colby-Sawyer College

“I am a member of faculty at Colby-Sawyer College, teaching subjects in environmental studies and sciences. I am committed to supporting a local food system where food is produced in a regenerative way and where everyone has access to healthy and culturally appropriate food. At Colby-Sawyer College we introduced a permaculture garden and food forest and also a small farm as examples of regenerative food production and as a place where  we  can constantly learn. All the food we produce is donated to food pantries. I live in Sutton and love to hang out in Sweet  Beet Market or at Sweet Beet Farm.”

Director

Peter Arnold
CEO @ Entroprise
CTO @ Water Stories
UI/UX Designer @ Retrieve Technologies

“My goal is to help others solve their complex problems with simple solutions. I design, develop and ship cutting edge software based around machine learning. This starts with an empathic user experience design process. After which development takes place in an expedient yet sophisticated manner. Steering away from reinventing the wheel, I stand on the shoulders of the open source community. Integrating the best tooling available, while generating new intellectual property. This ethos allows me to succeed where others get lost in complexity and scale. At the Kearsarge Food Hub I hope to bring a uniquely deep perspective, mapping modern technological solutions onto the needs of our local community.”

Director

Ellen Brownson
Healthcare worker, Armistead Senior Center

“I am a Behavioral Health Resource Specialist in a medical setting, helping people to connect their physical and emotional lives and to be well as a whole. I love solving complex problems that help people to live more fully and with ease,and I am also a trained Yogi. My connection to and love of the Food Hub stems from a unique summer childhood on Lake Massasecum and I'm committed to helping others have that experience. I am also a lifelong cook and lover of good food and treasure the food that the Food Hub sources.”

Director

Leah Cummings
Owner, Evergreen Healing Arts

“I grew up in Bradford and I’m now raising my own little family here. I appreciate the close-knit community and natural beauty of our town. She's an active participant in organizing local happenings in our historic town center, she's the owner of a small yoga studio downtown, and she helps keep people in the know by working for our town newspaper. These connections have given her a sense of well-being that she likes to share with her beloved community.”

Director

Andy Jeffrey
Kearsarge Neighborhood Partners, Nature’s Way, Holistic Health Coach

“I am a Holistic Health Coach and board member of Kearsarge Neighborhood Partners and developer of Nature’s Way: A Place to Connect, Nourish and Grow at the Sunset Hill Educational Institute in Bradford, NH.  My mission is to address public health from a holistic “systems” perspective, whereby every element within the ecosystem is both connected to and effected by every other element within the ecosystem.  The work of the Kearsarge Food Hub addresses health at the cellular level by providing healthy, locally grown food; at the individual level through education, employment and volunteerism; and at the community level through promoting awareness, celebration and engagement.  What inspires me about KFH is they believe the impossible is possible, and all growth begins with the seeds of beliefs!”

Director

Steve Forde
Owner, Hop n Hen Farm

“I started Hop 'n' Hen Farm with my wife Dawn after careers in tech. Hop 'n' Hen is a solar-powered family farm producing a wide variety of certified organic fruits and vegetables, rotationally-pastured and organically-fed poultry for meat and eggs, and other goodies. I believe that healthy foods depend on healthy soils, and in the importance of vibrant and robust local food systems. I have also been a board member with our friends over at NOFA-NH and strongly advocate for organic, local foods and regenerative practices.”

Director

Courtney Perron
Director of the Center for New Americans

“I am the Director of the Center for New Americans, an educational community center for refugees and immigrants in downtown Manchester. My strengths are in program development and management, community listening and education, and cross cultural liaising. I have a shared passion for food access, and recently launched a produce delivery program that brings fresh fruits and vegetables grown by New American farmers into the homes of resettled refugees. I now call Bradford home, and live on Lake Massasecum with my husband, Ethan, and toddler, Leon. The porch at Sweet Beet is easily one of my favorite places to be.”

Director

Mary Saritelli

“I am the Director of Human Resources for the Co-op Food Stores in the Upper Valley area of NH and VT. I found my ‘home’ when I joined the Co-op. I bring expertise in employee relations and development, strategic workforce development, benefits administration, and culture work. I strongly believe that all should have access to healthy, nourishing food, as it is the life line that courses through all aspects of life and experience. I also believe it is important to share the knowledge of sustainable farming and growing practices on to each new generation. These passions led me to join the KFH Board and the Co-op Food Stores.”

Members

France Hahn
Co-Founder, Co-Executive Director
Lauren Howard
Co-founder, Co-Executive Director

As Co-Executive Directors and non-voting members of the board, France and Lauren build and maintain critical bridges between the KFH board and staff.

Staff

We are grateful to have grown from a team of 6 volunteer co-founders to a team of over 20 employees throughout our various programs here at KFH. If you’re interested in joining our team, learn more here!

Volunteers

It’s always wonderful to have volunteers from the community join us and we are so grateful for them! In 2022, we had 80 folks volunteer with us in various aspects of KFH!

Founders

from left to right:

Pierre Hahn

Kathleen Bigford

Lauren Howard

Hanna Flanders

Garrett Bauer

France Hahn