Executive Director

Laryssa Smith joined Local Food Hub as Executive Director in September 2023. Laryssa is a Registered Dietitian and a seasoned leadership executive with relevant experience in health and nutrition and federal grants management. Laryssa most recently served the YMCA of Memphis and Mid-South TN as Executive Director and Vice President of Nutrition Services, scaling the program from 20,000 to 41,000 meals per week within one year.

I am excited to be a part of Local Food Hub because of the passion and dedication of our team and the opportunity we have to be a conduit between local farmers and the community. Having access to fresh, nutritious, locally produced foods is a basic right and a core tenant of living a healthier life. It is an honor to serve as a resource for our community residents in this way.

Director of Community Programming and Outreach

Emily is native to central Virginia. Her past work has focused on connecting families with small children to community resources and strengthening the bond between parent and child. Emily has her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and has trained to be a postpartum doula. From her work with families and children, Emily knows firsthand the importance of a healthy start to life, and believes that access to fresh, healthy, local food should be available to all. Emily is excited to bring her skills to the food access work of Local Food Hub.

Managing Director, Eastern Food Hub Collaborative

Will is a contractor of LFH and serves as Managing Director of the EFC, a network of local food hubs creating trade routes and market opportunities throughout the Eastern United States to improve livelihoods for farmers and increase equitable access to good food for all. Local Food Hub has served as the backbone organization for the Collaborative since its inception.

Will’s professional background combines business management with on-the-ground experience in regional food production, processing, logistics, and network management. He is the founder and CEO of Back Pocket Provisions, and is on the leadership team of the Mid-Atlantic Food Resilience and Access Coalition (MAFRAC).

Will lives in Richmond, VA with his wife Jen, their daughter, and their two monstrous dogs, Smitty and Sully.

Director of Development

A resident of the Charlottesville community for almost 20 years, Lynsie’s connections to our local food system stem from founding Perfect Flavor, an artisanal ice cream and cheese making company that she operated for half a decade. Lynsie partnered with dozens of local farmers to support the agricultural community through the sale of her products throughout Virginia, DC, and Maryland.

Since Perfect Flavor, Lynsie has ignited a large following by promoting the importance of healthy eating on a budget, launching a successful meal planning service called Vie, which has transformed over time into a culinary school (both online and in person) that serves adults and children. In February of 2020 she launched a marketing firm as an offshoot of Vie, called Design by Vie.

Throughout her experience as an entrepreneur, Lynsie began volunteering with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, eventually becoming a leader in spearheading the Charlottesville Brewer's Ball as both the Chair of the event, and later recruited as the Virginia Chapter's Development Director. Over the past five years, Lynsie has contributed her time and efforts to raise over $350k for cystic fibrosis research in Charlottesville alone.

Lynsie's passions include cooking meals from scratch for her family, cultivating her garden of indigenous plants, and spending as much time at the beach as possible with her six children.

Managing Director, Morgan Stanley Research
Stephen is head of Morgan Stanley’s North American Research for the Power & Utilities, Clean Energy and Midstream industries. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Stephen was head of Corporate Strategy at NRG Energy, a Fortune 500 power generation and renewable energy development company. He has held a number of executive positions, including CEO of an energy storage company; senior vice president at PSEG, a Fortune 200 power company, where he was in charge of Treasury, Finance, Corporate Planning and Strategy; president of PSEG Energy Holdings, a business unit of PSEG; and investment banker for over 8 years in Morgan Stanley’s Power & Utilities Group.

Stephen was named #2 in Alternative Energy and Runner-Up in Utilities in the 2019 Institutional Investor surveys. He has a JD and an MBA from the University of Virginia, and a BBA from the College of William and Mary. He is a member of the New York Bar.

Associate Director of Philanthropy, The Nature Conservancy
A Charlottesville native, John earned two degrees from UVA, worked as an outdoors instructor, and founded Blue Ridge Outdoors before moving to the Shenandoah Valley where he became passionate about food and started two farm-to-table restaurants, the Red Hen and Pure Eats. There he also served on a variety of non-profit boards.

Extension Specialist, Associate Professor at VSU
Dr. Comer grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. He has a BS in agribusiness and an MS in agricultural education from Tennessee State University, and a PhD in career & technical education from the University of Missouri. He has worked as a research assistant, curriculum designer, and farm credit loan officer. He is currently an associate professor at Virginia State University, as well as a Cooperative Extension specialist.

Dr. Comer lives in Petersburg, Virginia. One of his current projects is the Harding Street Urban Agricultural Center, which is dedicated to increasing access to healthy food, improving public health and poverty mitigation. His passion is connecting farms with new markets and increasing food access and will bring these skills and passion to the Local Food Hub board.

Michele Gibson is a lifelong resident of Charlottesville, she retired from VA-DOC in 2019 and in 2020 became a recipient of local food resources. She previously served as a Community Advocate for Cultivate Charlottesville, helping the organization identify community needs around food access. She volunteers with JABA, City of Promise and Bread and Roses, while serving with the PDBA-Lord’s Kitchen food ministry. Michele, long involved in food justice, is known in her community for her avid gardening and generosity with what she receives, fondly referred as “Sharing the Harvest.”

Senior Program Manager, CACF

Alex serves as a Senior Program Manager at the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation. She led and oversaw the PB&J Fund’s transition to a community advised fund at CACF, a change inspired by PB&J’s desire to provide community support in a more equitable manner. Alex was an active participant in the Charlottesville Food Justice Network at the time and was transparent and thoughtful in engaging the group throughout PB&J’s transition process. Prior to her time at PB&J, Alex worked for the YMCA of the USA managing partnerships between YMCAs and healthcare organizations and government agencies. She has a Master’s in Public Health and is knowledgeable about community organizations and nonprofits.

Program Coordinator, City of Charlottesville

Kamisha joined the Local Food Hub board in spring of 2023. She brings extensive knowledge living and working in the human services arena with youth and their families in Charlottesville and is passionate about promoting belonging for everyone in the workplace.

Gordon Walker was the Chief Executive Officer for the Jefferson Area Board for Aging (JABA) from 1982-2012. This organization provided a continuum of services including health care, housing, nutrition security, intergenerational community centers and assisted living. During his tenure, JABA received numerous national awards for its planning and service delivery initiatives, and Gordon was instrumental in the formation of Local Food Hub.

Gordon has been an adjunct professor in the School of Nursing and the School of Education at the University of Virginia. He has served as president of several local and statewide organizations and was Chair of the Albemarle County School Board. Currently, Gordon serves on several nonprofit boards in the Charlottesville area, including the Twice is Nice Foundation and the Virginia Livable Communities Initiative. Gordon has a MS Degree from San Diego State University in City Planning and Urban Studies, a BA in Public Administration and a graduate certificate in gerontology from Georgia State University.

Sara Santa Cruz

Sarah Heid

Marcie Martinez

Amandeep Ratte