Welcome, New FMC Board Members
By: Mykalee McGowan Posted On: March 16, 2022
Spring is a time of growth and change, and every spring FMC’s Board of Directors holds elections and gets ready for the busy year to come. This year, we welcome 3 new members, 2 re-elected members, and a new slate of officers to our board of directors.
Before announcing the new board of directors, we would like to thank our previous officers who have led the board through a huge period of growth at FMC. We would also like to thank past board members Elise Ashby and Amy Crone for their time, dedication, and invaluable contribution to farmers markets nationwide.
Learn more about our upcoming board members below:
Christie Balch
Senior Evaluation Associate, Sharp Insight LLC
Christie works as a Senior Evaluation Associate at Sharp Insight, LLC, an evaluation firm. Her work includes evaluation design (e.g., logic models and evaluation plans), tool development (e.g., surveys and interviews), survey and interview implementation, and data analysis and reporting. Christie is a systems thinker and loves helping organizations increase their impact through strategic program and organizational growth. Prior to joining Sharp Insight, Christie was the Executive Director of Crossroads Community Food Network, a FMC member.
Serving as a board member of FMC from 2015 to 2018, she was elected Secretary and served as the chair of the fundraising and development committee. After taking a few years off to have two kids, she would be thrilled to rejoin the FMC team!
Christie has served as a grant reviewer for several USDA programs and in 2016 was appointed by USDA Secretary Vilsack to the Fruit And Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee where she led the healthy food consumption working group.
Christie grew up on a small farm in Wisconsin and earned her undergraduate degree from Lawrence University and her Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Christie Welch
Direct Marketing Specialist, Ohio State University South Centers
Ms. Welch serves as the Direct Food and Agricultural Marketing Team Leader for OSU Extension. She leads a team to provide research-based information and education on all aspects of marketing to Ohio’s farmers and producers. Programs include MarketReady, DeviceReady, Meet the Buyers, and best marketing practices.
Ms. Welch has worked with the Business Development Network at the Ohio State University South Centers since 2004 and has more than a decade of experience assisting Ohio’s farmers and food producers in business and marketing for the increased sustainability of their farms. She has worked extensively with Ohio’s farmers’ markets, farm markets, micro-farms, and other stakeholders to improve the economic condition of Ohio’s farmers and agritourism enterprises.
She offers training and education in business planning and development, direct marketing, and collaborative problem solving. Ms. Welch has a strong interest in the economic development of rural Ohio and is especially interested in family farms and agribusinesses within this region.
Robbi Mixon
Executive Director, Alaska Food Policy Council/ Alaska Farmers Market Association
I grew up in Macon, Georgia and I currently reside on Dena’ina and Sugpiaq lands, in Homer, Alaska. I’ve just “retired” from directing our local farmers’ market for the last decade. I’m the executive director of the Alaska Food Policy Council and the Alaska Farmers Market Association.
I am also the Local Foods Director for a regional non-profit, Cook Inletkeeper, where I started the state’s first food hub, now beginning its seventh season of operation and am working with a farmer working group on Alaskanizing “Salmon-Safe” agricultural practices. I raise chickens, ducks, and the occasional pig with my chef partner, at our micro-farm, Monkey Hollow.
I hold a BA in Environmental Anthropology from the University of Georgia and a MS in Sustainable Food Systems from Prescott College. My 2021 masters thesis, “A Market Management-Centered Approach to Building Farmers Markets in Alaska,” explored the current status of Alaska’s farmers markets and examined place-based, diverse needs, while looking at resources around the nation. I envision a food system that is operated sustainability and accessible to all.
Board members re-elected:
Our new slate of officers are:
President: Allen Moy
Vice President: Yescenia Mota
Treasurer: Garry Matteson (returning)
Secretary: Qiana Mickie
Learn more about our board on the Our Team page.
