Meet the Team
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Alba Velasquez leads the Los Angeles Food Policy Council (LAFPC) as the Executive Director, bringing a robust background in program leadership and food justice advocacy. Joining LAFPC in 2017, she has significantly contributed to the growth and impact of the Healthy Neighborhood Market Network program and has played a pivotal role in strategic partnership development. Alba served as the Interim Executive Director and led the team through a leadership shift in 2020. Prior to LAFPC, Alba managed key initiatives at the National Health Foundation and contributed to urban agriculture research at UCLA. Holding a BA in Sociology from UC Santa Barbara and a Master's in Urban Regional Planning from UCLA, her expertise is grounded in her personal experiences as a Salvadoran refugee and community advocate, driving her commitment to creating equitable and sustainable food systems.
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Ana-Alicia Carr is the Director of Policy & Coalitions at the Los Angeles Food Policy Council, with a background in public health and policy. With degrees in Health Science and Public Health, her journey from health education to community advocacy initiatives has positioned her at the forefront of food policy reform. At LAFPC, Ana-Alicia spearheads efforts in policy development, coalition-building, and partnership cultivation, focusing on expanding access to healthy food and promoting equitable, sustainable food systems. She plays a pivotal role in tracking and influencing food policy at local, state, and federal levels, ensuring that the council's initiatives align with broader legislative trends and opportunities for systemic change. Her work is marked by a collaborative, inclusive approach to policy-making, driven by a deep commitment to transforming the food landscape for the better
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Valeria Velazquez Duenas brings over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, working with organizations that increase access to fundamental human needs. Her interest in food systems was sparked by witnessing manufactured scarcity and inflated food prices in Haiti while volunteering in 2011, along with her mother’s experiences growing up around her father’s farm, and her father’s memories of food scarcity. She co-founded Across Our Kitchen Tables in 2017, and just prior to joining the Los Angeles Food Policy Council, she oversaw initiatives that support small food businesses and led efforts to increase access to fresh, locally grown foods across L.A. at Food Access Los Angeles. Valeria holds a B.A in Communications and an M.A. in Social Entrepreneurship.
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Mariette Mayerson, Operations and Administrative Manager at the Los Angeles Food Policy Council, has over a decade of experience in the food industry, including roles in cooking, catering, event coordination, and business management. As a Los Angeles native, she understands the importance of cultural representation through food and business ownership. Mariette advocates for sustainable and equitable food ecosystems, simplifying the complex journey of sustainability for local businesses and communities while preserving cultural heritage. She is pursuing a BS in Sustainable Food Systems at Arizona State University, with a concentration in improving supply chains.
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Born on the Pacific Island of Guam and raised in Hawaii, Dance Aoki brings a dedication to service and a background in strategic grants management to her role as the Development and Grants Manager for LAFPC. Previously, Dance has led teams at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, and the Kona Historical Society in Hawaii, managing robust portfolios, increasing their value and cultivating relationships with numerous donors, foundations, corporations, and government agencies. Dance earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Southern California, and her Masters Degree in Social Entrepreneurship and Change from Pepperdine University.
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Natasha Wasim is a food equity researcher with extensive experience across public and private sectors. Currently pursuing her fourth degree in public health, with a Master’s from Yale, she focuses on food insecurity solutions at USC. Natasha recently served as Program Manager of the Los Angeles County Food Equity Roundtable, where she played a key role in developing a Strategic Plan recognized at the 2022 White House Conference. She has also worked on SB 1383 as an Environmental Specialist in Riverside County and as an Environmental Data Associate at Disney, supporting sustainability goals. Natasha is committed to advancing equitable food systems and public health.
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Bio coming soon!
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Nikhita Jain leads our farm business advising for our new Cultivating Farmers Program. Before joining our team, Nikhita excelled in building relationships with farmers of all sizes while on the Sourcing team at Sweetgreen, a fast-casual salad chain. She sourced from farmers both locally and Nationally to supply produce for Sweetgreen's 200+ restaurants. Additionally, she has worked across the food value chain for startups in the CPG, Foodservice, and AgTech sectors. Nikhita holds a BA in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from the University of Richmond.
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Michelle Fausto (she/her) is a Senior Program Associate with the Healthy Neighborhood Market Network, the Los Angeles Food Policy Council’s most long-standing program. Michelle graduated cum laude from the University of California Los Angeles with a B.A. in Political Science and Labor Studies. Most recently, she was a member of the 28th class of the Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellows. As a first-generation college graduate and low-income daughter of Mexican immigrants, Michelle uses her lived experiences in poverty- and hunger-related issues to inform the work that she does. She is excited to continue working with small business owners in the city of Los Angeles to advance food access in communities facing food apartheid.
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Kelly Chavez is a business counselor for The Healthy Neighborhood Market Network Program. With a background in co-founding Nannies Latinas USA, Kelly is passionate about empowering underserved communities. Her commitment to social change led her to earn a bachelor's degree in sociology, during which she excelled as president of the Sociology Club and the Sociology Honors Society. Having faced food insecurity as an immigrant from El Salvador, Kelly recognizes the importance of public entities, and this is why she is pursuing a Master's in Public Administration. She is determined to continue positively impacting marginalized communities through her work at the LAFPC.
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Thomas Martinez (he/him) is the Program Coordinator for Cultivating Farmers. A graduate of Pitzer College, Thomas focused his studies and extracurricular activities on Food Systems. His passion for food and conservation led him to work with WWF’s Food Waste and Loss sector, where he explored farm labor and regenerative agriculture. Most recently, as a Thomas J. Watson Fellow, Thomas organized an independent study into justice-based food practice. Here, he explored how global food programs and policies—from community kitchens to urban agriculture—can best support migrant and refugee populations. Now, he’s excited to bring his experiences back to Southern California, to uplift underrepresented farmers and strengthen our regional foodshed.
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jocelyn ramirez has over a decade of experience in the food industry as a chef, published cookbook author, recipe developer, consultant and small business owner focusing on culturally-relevant Latine plant-based foods. She’s committed to advocating for justice in our food systems at the intersection of sustainability and equity to increase healthy food access for our all communities. jocelyn holds a Bachelor in Fine Art and a Masters in Business Administration with an emphasis in Social Entrepreneurship from Woodbury University.
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Déjà is seasoned program manager, researcher, and strategist on food systems policy, Black worker issues, and systems change. At LAFPC as the Manager of Strategic Partnerships and Community Initiatives she prioritizes a collaborative and participatory approach to managing and integrating LAFPC convened groups in advancing the Good Food for All Agenda via working groups, capacity building, and community initiatives. She has a Master's of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP), as well as a Food Studies Certificate from UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, with a B.S. in Environmental Studies and Communication from Santa Clara University. She is a 2023 John Mack Weingart Fellow, 2019 Switzer Environmental Fellow, 2016 Udall Scholar, and a 2016 Global Social Benefit Fellow at the Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship.
In her previous role at UCLA Labor Center's Center for the Advancement of Racial Equity (CARE) at Work she managed and oversaw programmatic priorities. This work included managing 10+ research projects including six published reports (Workforce Warriors, IE Works, Essential Stories, Dismantling Disparity, Reimagined Recovery, and Unseen Costs), and projects that supported the successful passage of SB 150, SB 1340, and AB 628. She also managed strategic partnerships with the Southern California Black Worker Hub for Regional Organizing standing up two new Black Worker Centers. Moreover, built a school to movement pathway for Black students through training, classes, and fellowships building the next generation of Black organizers, as well as managing million dollar grant renewals and funder relationships. Her other work includes project management, community partnerships, and strategy development for Prosperity Market, process evaluation of the California Transformative Climate Communities program and theory of change documentation for a rural Ugandan social enterprise.
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Bio Coming Soon!
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Ariana De La Fuente (she/her) is a Program Associate for the Healthy Markets LA Program. A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, her studies focused on Global Studies, Food Systems, and Public Policy. Ariana is passionate about the intersections of food and community, making food accessible and connecting with others through sharing culturally-relevant foods. Her interest in food entrepreneurship has led her to complete an Associate’s Degree in Sales and Promotions from Santa Monica College. With a strong background in community engagement, entrepreneurship, and combating food apartheid, Ariana is eager to leverage her skills and experiences to empower small businesses while fostering healthier food environments. She is dedicated to making a meaningful impact by helping these small, local businesses grow into even stronger pillars of engagement within their communities.
Meet the Executive Committee
CHAIR
Jill Overdorf
CEO & Founder, The Produce Ambassador
VICE CHAIR
Currently Vacant
FOUNDING CHAIR
Paula Daniels
Founder and Chair Emeritus, Los Angeles Food Policy Council; Co-Founder, Center for Good Food Purchasing
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBER
Maria Aquino
Sr. Program Officer, James Irvine Foundation
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBER
Currently Vacant
SECRETARY
Currently Vacant
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBER
Andrea Azuma
Food Advocate
FINANCIAL ADVISOR
Michael Flood
CEO, Los angeles Regional Food Bank