Staff
NSAC staff on Capitol Hill, December 2011
Shavaun Evans, Grassroots Associate, holds an M.Ed. in Community Development Action from Vanderbilt University. She has organized grassroots school food reform campaigns, trained community advocates on local and federal school food policy, and provided technical assistance on farm-to-school and school garden initiatives.
Greg Fogel, Policy Associate, is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the University of California, Berkeley. He holds an M.S. in Environmental Planning and a Master of Public Policy degree. Greg has worked as a campaign coordinator, an educator, a researcher, and an advocate in the U.S. and abroad. Greg staffs NSAC’s Conservation, Energy, & Environment Committee and coordinates NSAC’s annual appropriations work.
Emily Gilbert, Organizational Management Coordinator, holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from New York University. She previously served as a legal assistant and advocate for transparent food marketing and labeling, and improved consumer access to healthy and sustainable foods. Emily has conducted research on gender equity and environmental management in Belize, Madagascar, and South Africa.
Sarah Hackney, Grassroots Director, has worked as an advocate and catalyst for sustainable food and farm efforts across the U.S. Her past work focused on improving small farm viability, increasing fresh food access, and building leadership in rural communities. She holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Dartmouth. Sarah implements NSAC’s grassroots advocacy campaigns in collaboration with NSAC staff and member organizations.
Ferd Hoefner, Policy Director, has been NSAC’s senior Washington D.C. representative since 1988. He oversees all of NSAC’s federal policy work and has been involved in nearly every federal agricultural budget and appropriations bills as well as each of the omnibus farm bills since 1977.
Ariane Lotti, Assistant Policy Director, holds a B.A. and a Master of Environmental Management from Yale University. She has served as the Policy Director for the Organic Farming Research Foundation, and Policy Associate for OFRF and NSAC. She is a published author, and has worked on and conducted research on organic and conventional farms in the US and Europe. Ariane coordinates NSAC’s policy campaigns, serves as a liaison between the grassroots and policy staff, and staffs several program areas, including organic and food safety issues.
Martha Noble, Senior Policy Associate, is a lawyer and policy specialist on agriculture and environment issues. She is a vice-chair for the Agricultural Management Committee of the American Bar Association’s Section on Environment, Energy, and Resources. She also serves on the Executive Committee of the Clean Water Network’s Board of Directors and is a member of the U.S. EPA Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Advisory Committee. Martha supports NSAC’s work on conservation, competition, and EPA regulations.
Juli Obudzinski, Policy Associate, holds an M.S. in Agriculture and Food Policy from Tufts University. She has researched regional food production capacities, coordinated federal grant programs on organic and specialty crop research, and helped develop a policy platform for expanding Iowa’s local food economy. She staffs NSAC’s Research, Extension and Education Committee and also works on federal farm program issues and beginning farmer initiatives.