Staff
Helen Dombalis, Policy Associate, holds a Master of Public Health and a Master of Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has researched the role of local and regional food systems in community economic development and advocated at the grassroots and federal levels. Helen staffs NSAC’s Marketing, Food Systems, & Rural Development Committee. She also serves as a Policy Co-Chair for the American Public Health Association’s Food and Environment Working Group.
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.
Sarah Hackney, Grassroots Director, has worked as an advocate and catalyst for sustainable food and farm efforts across the US. Her past work focused on grassroots solutions in rural communities aimed at improving small farm viability, increasing fresh food access, and building community leadership. She holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College.
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.
Julie Hudson, Director of Development, has worked on fundraising and programs with the Center for Food Safety, The Wilderness Society, Sierra Club, and the E.F. Schumacher Society. Julie has an M.A. in Environmental and Resource Policy from the George Washington University.
Ariane Lotti, Legislative Specialist, 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 speciality 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.
Susan Prolman, Executive Director, guides the organizational development and implementation of NSAC’s strategic vision. She is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and a member of the DC Bar. She has advocated for a more sustainable approach to agriculture for a decade.
