FONDY MARKET - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Lead Farmers Market Assistant
Abdul is a well rounded individual who takes pride in what he does. He has some background in music and engineer designing. In addition he is developing his skills in agriculture as a Young Farmer in the Alice's Garden Urban Farm Farmers Training Project. His favorite food is a well made Sombusa, preferably from his mother.
Job Titles:
- Board President, Ellenbecker Investment Group
I am passionate for Fondy's mission for food access, cultural connection, farming and community because I believe everyone deserves a healthy body, mind and spirit. Through Fondy, my relationships with farmers, producers, the land and the Milwaukee community have deepened. I am grateful and humbled to serve Fondy. I am a wealth advisor at Ellenbecker Investment Group, working with individuals, families and small businesses to navigate their financial journey, goals and dreams with confidence and conviction. I enjoy hiking, gardening and farmers markets.
Job Titles:
- Milwaukee Market Match Coordinator
Jazmin has a deep-rooted passion for making healthy and affordable foods accessible as she believes everyone has a right to purchase farm fresh foods. She has spent time working in Duluth, Minnesota, supporting BIPOC entrepreneurs, farmers, and artists through the American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO). At AICHO, she helped partner with farmers to provide culturally specific foods to community members through emergency food distributions, CSA shares, and farmer market events. Jazmin is excited to work in her hometown of Milwaukee and excited to be a part of making a difference her family members and friends can enjoy. In the evenings, Jazmin teaches piano to adults and children through Jazmin Wong's Piano Studio.
Job Titles:
- Economic Development Manager, City of Wauwatosa
My connection with the Fondy Food Center began years ago with a tour of the historic Fondy Farmers Market. I was immediately captivated by the energy and beauty on display and became a long-term volunteer. My passion for local food systems started with a college course in sustainable agriculture, working on a farm. Further experience managing an urban community garden in Seattle as an AmeriCorps volunteer solidified my understanding of the profound impact of the built environment on local food access and community well-being. My career in urban planning, including my current work with the City of Wauwatosa supporting small business owners through financial and technical assistance programs, stems from a deep understanding of how community design and investment impact the challenges facing urban areas. The Fondy Food Center's mission and work align perfectly with my professional and personal values. In addition to wandering the globe, I enjoy reading, gardening at Alice's Garden, and absorbing the abundance of the Fondy Farmers Market on a summer Saturday. Nothing beats supporting local entrepreneurs and savoring tomatoes recently plucked from the vine.
I am known for creating memorable consumer experiences that drive change in my media and advertising work at The Oprah Winfrey Show, E! Television, Nickelodeon, and Northwestern Mutual. Recently, I became a stay-at-home mom of twins and learned that hard work comes in all shapes and sizes. As a UW Madison graduate, Milwaukee native and proud daughter of a farmer, I was drawn to Fondy's mission of making fresh food accessible to everyone. I diligently lead various initiatives to help the Fondy community. You can find me spending time with my family, traveling, organizing (for her family and others!), walking my dog or playing my favorite board game (Catan!).
Job Titles:
- Fondy Treasurer, Director of Operations, Hmong Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce
I am a seasoned non-profit finance professional with extensive experience in operations, financial management, and strategic leadership. I earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and am currently pursuing a Master of Science in Non-profit Management and Leadership, also from the same institution. In addition, I am a Certified Non-profit Accounting Professional (CNAP) and I hold a Lean Six Sigma White Belt certification.
Job Titles:
- Fondy Vice - President, Retired Community Food System Organizer
I was eight years old, in a big family of all girls in East Texas, when I first started cooking with a passion. Making good food has been the legacy, survival strategy and the golden thread of my lifetime, including the last twenty-plus years in Milwaukee cooking, making, organizing, leading, advocating, facilitating, strategizing and just plain enjoying good food, well-made in community. After years of working as a Community Food System Organizer, I stepped into a new lane as an artisan food entrepreneur, bringing Martha's Pimento Cheese to the marketplace. Martha's Pimento Cheese is no longer sold in stores, but is still made in my home kitchen in regular rotation.
Retirement has many benefits. I get to serve as the Vice President of the Fondy Food Center, I am a faithful shopper at Fondy's markets, I volunteer with the League of Women Voters, I am a Milwaukee poll worker, a proud founding member of the Hatpin Society, a traveler, a dedicated runner, reader, maker, cook, and mother & grandmother to children in far-flung places.
Job Titles:
- Chief Medical Officer, Network Health
I have spent more than two decades in primary care and internal medicine in Brookfield. During this time, I held progressive leadership roles at the hospital culminating with work as the Vice President of Medical Affairs. This background gives me the unique insight to demonstrate a truly holistic member advocacy approach to my role leading Network Health's clinical teams. I use self-reflection, integrity, and transparency for an objective approach to leadership. I have a deep history of community evolvement, with a particular interest in education, including four years of service on a local public school board, along with mentoring and guest lecturing for the district. I am a Northwestern University-Feinberg School of Medicine graduate. I am grateful to be on the Fondy board, given the commitment to healthy food advocacy, access and education surrounding healthy food options. As more emphasis is placed on food as medicine, Fondy serves an important role in ensuring healthy food for all is central to the discussion.
Born and raised in Milwaukee, I became familiar with the Fondy Farmers Market, which is a few blocks away from my grandmother's house. More recently, I was drawn to Fondy Food Center's mission of improving community access to healthy local food and supporting local farmers in operating successful businesses. I am excited and grateful to serve as a board member of this organization. As an attorney, I assist businesses and local governments with employment and benefits matters. I spend my free time cooking and exploring new places to eat in the city with my husband and son.
Job Titles:
- Farm Director & Chief Operating Officer
Nyob zoo! Food is a universal experience; an act that unites everyone. This realization profoundly influenced Stephen's decision to farm. He spent five years learning about soil in glaciated Wisconsin loam, Maine silt loam, and Georgia clay. Participating in these ecosystems instilled a strong sense of community, respect for the land and its inhabitants, and the knowledge needed to steward a farm. Stephen continued his farm odyssey by joining Fondy in 2010. Since then, he has spent much of his time humbled by the depth and breadth of knowledge that Fondy Farmers, the land, and the Fondy community at large have shared with him; it is staggering. Stephen loves puzzles, learning language, reading land, and ensuring that farming is a viable and accessible vocation and avocation. Walking with his multi-species family is the honor of a lifetime.
Venice comes from an extensive family legacy of working with food and soil. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Venice's mother made her living managing a large grocery store, part of the Giant Eagle family of stores. Her father was a chef, caterer, baker, and a regional manager for the same grocery store chain. Almost everyone in her extended family has always had gardens or farms. She often says, "I come from a family whose grounding ethics are food, family, and faith." She continues, "Growing up, we fed everyone." Venice is passionate about growing food and cultivating community. She is also the Executive Director of Alice's Garden Urban Farm. Venice has been living in Milwaukee for 35 years. She is excited about guiding the transitions at Fondy and helping to strengthen the organization.