Julia Berkman Sieck is a product manager at Progressive Insurance where she has worked for over 15 years. She grew up in Cleveland Heights and then received her BA from Lawrence University and her Master’s in Applied Mathematics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She purchased a home in Ohio City in 2009 where she lives with her husband and rescue beagles.

Julia is passionate about building community and eating locally. She enjoys gardening, foraging, and preserving foods. Prior to joining Food Strong, she served on the board at the West Side Catholic Center and was the chair of her block club for over 10 years.

Ali is a hands-on seasoned entrepreneurial executive with over twenty years’ global public and private company experience in technology, manufacturing, distribution, healthcare, consumer goods/services and SaaS. Ali is a proven operational team builder and catalyst with effective communication and management skills having demonstrated business acumen and organizational skills managing complex projects and objectives often with conflicting deadlines delivering results. He builds strategic enterprise partnerships with global firms to validate product-market fit, manage multi-segment P&Ls, raise institutional capital, and enhance AI-enabled platforms and analytics.  Ali also has extensive experience in negotiating domestic and international contracts as well as negotiating turn-around situations and implementing cost cutting and containment measures and streamlining operations to ensure viability and growth moving forward.  

Ali holds an MBA in Management and Entrepreneurialism from the Weatherhead School of Management from Case Western Reserve University and has a bachelor’s in business administration with majors in Accounting and Finance from Cleveland State University.

Outside of work, Ali enjoys spending time with his two girls, son, and the rest of his family along with attempting to play golf. In his free time, Ali serves on the board of several private companies and a handful of non-profits and always makes himself available as a sounding board and to provide guidance and introductions to other fellow entrepreneurs and individuals.

Owner, Wild Thymez Personal Chef Service

April Thompson has always danced to the beat of her own drum. Although born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, she knew that her big personality, her ambition would take her further than even she could ever imagine. After all, she is living her dream of being a chef, traveling and helping others.

April has always been outspoken, aggressive and driven while being a nurturing, sensitive caretaker at the same time. Although unsure of exactly where she would land in the culinary world, she knew that she would do it her way and by any means necessary.

While balancing the task of being a personal chef for high profile professionals, top players in the NFL, NBA, MLB and several entertainment personalities, she is also the author of three cookbooks: My Kid Won’t Eat, Baby on a Budget and Cooking by Colors. Since her retirement as a traveling personal chef in 2022, April has continued to focus on areas of health and wellness. Lillian’s Bath House, (her line of natural, organic bath products), as well as her culinary comic book series

“In The Kitchen w/Sadie and Simon” are keeping her more than busy. She is also partnering with the Cleveland Clinic Foundation developing nutrition and weight management programs for Endocrinology and Functional Medicine. April’s no nonsense approach to both her business and personal life has carved her place in the male dominated field of Culinary Arts and the corporate world as a whole, where she is highly respected as a powerhouse, mentor and consultant.

April is a recurring guest chef personality on local and national news shows, a variety of internet cooking and sports shows and is recognized as an exemplary volunteer in her community. She is also a keynote speaker, filling seminars at NASA, various colleges and a host of health and wellness events around the world. April was also the first African American chef featured in the Quicken Loans/Aramark Launch Test Kitchen for the 2017-18 NBA Playoffs and Finals. She is an Inaugural Council Committee member for Cleveland Eats Culinary Festival and holds seats on both the Advisory and Steering Committees for the Cuyahoga Community College Hospitality Management Program and is a Chef Partner as well. April adds to her accolades a past seat on the Board of Directors, Ronald McDonald House of Cleveland and is also a Rise and Dine Chef for this organization.

Another side of April is her giving spirit. She is the founder of Shoulder To Shoulder, a Cleveland based organization that provides healthy weekly meals for the less fortunate, sponsors families and shelters during the holidays and provides nutrition based education for inner city children thru cooking, social etiquette classes and growing indoor herbal gardens.

When asked how she finds the time to handle all of her business ventures, clients, motherhood and charity work, April proudly replies; “I’m sure l don’t handle it perfectly but the best thing about my life is that there’s no

“right or wrong” way to live it. No one has ever been ME so I get to create the blueprint.” With a never ending hunger for success and an energy level that would render others lifeless, the future is looking exceptionally bright for Ms. Thompson.

David “Dr. Greenhand” Hester has, from a very early age, understood the power of feeding people good food. was a student of, and    In 1975, at the age of 16, the Horticulture Program at Glenville High school was closed down (as it was in most Cleveland schools in order to pay for the new bussing program), but this did not take him away from his journey with the soil. He enrolled at The Ohio State University and was accepted into the Agriculture Technology Institute. Life circumstances introduced him to military service as a teenager to advance his educational pursuits.  This time served as a Marine from 1979 to 1983 allowed for him to learn many different farming practices and to enhance his passions connected to soil. This also gave him a worldview of his passion for the soil. 

Dr. Greenhand is one of the founders of the Rid-All Green Partnership, a local urban agriculture nonprofit organization serving Northeast Ohio. Food Strong was originally introduced to Dr. Greenhand through our partnership with Rid-All in our County-funded Vacant Lot Restoration Initiative. While he is a Master Gardener, landscaping is his specialty.  He is the mastermind behind the beauty visitors experience when they tour the Rid-All Campus. Dr. Greenhand has a very sound mission: “Educate our youth so they become Stewards of the Earth,” a personal and profound mission shared by all the members of the Rid-All Green Partnership Team as well as the Food Strong Family. Knowledge is Power! He offers his learned definition of healthy soil: “It’s viable, it has nutrients, and plants can live and grow in it. In dirt, you only have mud, dust particles, and a little bit of soil; dirt is inert – it is not alive.“ 

Caleb Curry (he/him) aspires to work at the intersections of community engagement, health equity research, and clinical medicine. Currently, he is a medical student at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) School of Medicine. He has been part of the Food Strong family since 2018 when he joined us as a student intern for Care-A-Van. He began co-chairing our Care-A-Van committee in 2020 and joined our board in 2022. He is passionate about health equity and has research experiences in LGBTQ+ health, health disparities, social determinants, food insecurity, and community violence. 

Caleb graduated from Dartmouth College with his Master of Public Health in 2022 and from CWRU with his Bachelor’s 0in Biology and Medical Anthropology in 2021. He grew up in rural Eastern KY and now lives in Cleveland Heights with his dog Louie. 

Susan C. Carroll is a lifelong Cleveland resident with over twenty years of leadership experience in the food and beverage industry. She has served as Site Manager for the Cleveland Metroparks’s East 55th Marina Restaurant for over 3 years. According to Susan, “Food is one of the things that universally connects us. Families and communities bond over shared food experiences. Recipes are passed from one generation to the next.  Memories are created while preparing and sharing dishes. Food insecurity robs our citizens of the opportunity for healthy minds, bodies, and souls.” Susan is excited to share her talents, passion, and knowledge to strengthen our community. 

Helping families create new memories and opportunities for sustainable healthy food access is Susan’s favorite way to give back to her hometown. 

Max Kolman is a Cleveland, OH native and currently serves as board Treasurer of Food Strong. He holds a Masters in Finance with a focus in portfolio management from The University of Cincinnati, and has several years of experience in the financial services industry. Max has spent the last 3 years at KeyBank where he has held various roles in the Commercial Payments, and is currently a Product Manager for Key’s Commercial Card solutions where he drives focus on continuous improvement through the creation and implementation of actionable sales strategies, solutioning playbooks, and product development initiatives. In his free time, Max enjoys cooking, gardening, basketball, and spending time with friends & family.

Sam is a Real Estate attorney for Thompson Hine. His practice focuses on banking and real estate finance, construction and permanent financing, and development projects supported by tax credits. 

Sam attended Northwestern University and the Moritz College of Law at the Ohio State University. Before heading to law school, Sam served as a corporate performance consultant. Sam is currently the Co-Chair of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank’s young professionals group and leads his law firm’s Harvest for Hunger campaign.

Sam lives in Tremont and spends his free time rock climbing, biking, and trying not to kill his houseplants.

Pamela Neckar is a leadership strategist and founder of Impact Project Development, where she partners with organizations to strengthen performance, culture, and alignment through practical, people‑centered development. With deep experience supporting complex design and construction projects, Pamela helps teams improve communication, decision‑making, and long‑term strategic outcomes. She is passionate about building strong communities, advancing equitable access to opportunity, and empowering leaders to create positive, lasting impact.

After completing a career in industrial marketing, Joe decided to pursue his interest in food and use his skills to help others. In late 2009 he began volunteering at The Coit Road Farmers Market (CRFM). Joe is currently president of the East Cleveland Farmers Market Preservation Society that manages CRFM. He has collaborated with other community organizations including the City of East Cleveland, Stephanie Tubbs Jones Medical Center, OSU Extension, area churches, NOAH, Case Western Reserve University’s Prevention Research Center, and others to support the programs and initiatives offered by CRFM. 

Joe has been an active part of Food Strong’s Care-A-Van program since its inception.

Mark Mazzone, Founder and Owner of Greater Cleveland Construction, brings more than 60 years of engineering, construction, and trades experience to Food Strong’s Board. A graduate of Western Reserve University with a degree in Engineering, Mark has spent his career leading complex commercial, industrial, and nonprofit development projects with a focus on efficiency, constructability, and adaptive reuse. Since 2004, his firm has been recognized for its integrated design-build approach—streamlining timelines, improving budget performance, and delivering award-winning restorations across Greater Cleveland. Known for meticulous planning, strong client representation, and technical expertise, Mark is also a passionate advocate for urban revitalization. Outside of construction, he brings creativity to the kitchen as well, proudly crafting what many consider the best eggplant parmesan in the continental United States using produce grown at Food Strong’s farm. 

Nicole and her husband, Fabio, have run and owned restaurants and businesses in Cleveland for 15 years including well-known Lago, Bandito’s and Sora. Her primary work focus is running the Salerno’s full-service event & catering company, Lago Custom Events located in the Ernst and Young Tower on the East Bank of the Flats. Her passion project is a healthy school lunch initiative she launched in 2015 serving lunches made from scratch prepared by an executive chef with the best ingredients available.

Nicole earned a degree in Communications and Mediation from Cleveland State University.

Jon Eckerle is a long-time community advocate, urban agriculture leader, and Food Strong Board Member who brings decades of experience in nonprofit management, community planning, and real estate development. He holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Communications/Advertising and Psychology from Kent State University, along with postgraduate studies in Urban Planning at Cleveland State University and multiple professional certifications, including Ohio Real Estate licensure. Jon currently supports the restoration of the Superior Farm through hosting volunteers and helping with general construction. He is the Founder, Chairman, and Executive Director of Community Greenhouse Partners, a nonprofit urban farm and regional environmental hub who donated the Superior Farm to Food Strong. His career spans leadership roles in real estate, urban development, civic journalism, mental health services, and regional transportation planning. Jon is also deeply engaged in local civic life, serving on the Cuyahoga County Democratic Central Committee, the Vibrant Communities Greenspace Community Land Trust Development Committee, and as a director with Slow Roll Cleveland. A passionate supporter of sustainable development, food sovereignty, and community empowerment, Jon is an active member of numerous environmental, planning, and local food organizations throughout Northeast Ohio.  

Mary K. Thomas is a self-employed artist, art teacher and art therapist. Mary has decades of experience inspiring youth through the arts. Mary resides in East Cleveland where she is working to beautify the community through a mural project. Mary’s passion for using art to empower communities introduced her to Food Strong. Mary originally got involved with Food Strong in 2019 when she guided youth in Food Strong’s School Garden Mural Project which was funded by Cuyahoga Arts and Culture (CAC). The mural she created with students now hangs at East Cleveland’s Coit Road Farmers Market. Mary also helped lead the creation of a mural for Food Strong’s Learning Garden, which was funded through a ServeOhio MLK Day grant. Mary is now assisting in leading activities for Food Strong’s 2021 arts project aimed at beautifying the Coit Road Farmers Market and our Learning Garden. She will be guiding community youth and residents through designing and creating original murals and art installations aimed at promoting fresh foods and healthy eating.

Alice is excited to join the Food Strong team as an AmeriCorps VISTA member. She had been volunteering with Food Strong in our school program for several semesters before joining in this full-time role. Alice is currently pursuing a dual MPH/MBA at Kent State University and is passionate about public health and the “food is medicine” philosophy, which aligns closely with Food Strong’s mission to use fresh food as a tool for health, education, and community well‑being. Alice is especially drawn to the organization’s school programs, enjoying opportunities to engage with children, nurture their curiosity, and support their growth through hands-on food experiences. Outside of work, she coaches youth volleyball, further developing her skills in connecting with, teaching, and inspiring young people—skills she is eager to bring to Food Strong’s educational initiatives.

  Benjamin is a native of South Carolina who is raising his family in Cleveland, Ohio, very close to Food Strong’s hub at the Coit Road Farmer’s Market. Benjamin owns and operates a construction company, Top Notch Home Servicing, LLC, and is also passionate about bringing life to youth entrepreneurship and recreation programs in his community. He recently launched his own nonprofit organization called United GLH Sea Island Foundation, dedicated to teaching community youth construction skills through apprenticeships. Benjamin has offered a lot of time and enthusiasm to Food Strong’s work, and has become a staple member of Food Strong’s family.

Ursula McVey is a lifelong Clevelander and a close associate with Foodstrong. She has a large breadth of knowledge about Ohio ecology and has extensive knowledge about the culinary, medicinal and utilitarian uses of wild plants and mushrooms. She teaches adult and youth foraging lessons both with Food Strong and with other nonprofits around the city.

She has a bachelors in environmental studies from the Levin College at Cleveland State University. Through Cleveland State she was selected as a public policy fellow for the Cuyahoga County Department of Sustainability where she did a county wide waste audit, increased participation in the county’s home solar program and facilitated the implementation of a composting program at the Virgil E Brown building. She has grant writing experience and has assisted with bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past year to both Foodstrong and the Coit Road Farmers Market.

She is passionate about food sovereignty and self sufficiency and has experience teaching classes about cooking, fermenting, and creative reuse of waste products.  She is passionate about increasing people’s access to regional cuisine and is eager to foster knowledge and interest in Ohio’s regional and endemic cuisine. She also holds a yearly festival called Ephemeralfest where people can come together to learn about wild food. She  loves to learn, explore, garden, and go on long hikes with her dog.

Devin is a junior at John Carroll University majoring in wealth management and financial planning, with a minor in entrepreneurship. He is an intern on the team through the JCU entrepreneurship program. Devin’s goal is to become a financial advisor and eventually give back to the community through financial education. Devin is originally from Pittsburgh, he moved to the Cleveland area for basketball and academics, and he’s currently on the men’s basketball team at JCU. The opportunity to make a difference is something he takes whenever he can and he’s very excited to be a part of the very important Food Strong mission.

Taylor Sniatecki is our Grants Coordinator. After completing her Bachelor of Science in Public Health with a concentration in nutrition from the University of Buffalo in 2023, Taylor joined Food Strong as an AmeriCorps VISTA. In Taylor’s role as AmeriCorps VISTA, she worked in various roles, including aiding classroom programs with Stephanie Budd, our lead educator, and building partnerships with community organizations like Cleveland State University. -Most of her year of service was dedicated to building up Food Strong’s grant capacity, where she now leads as Grants Coordinator part-time. 

Taylor’s previous experience in public health and nutrition 0includes working with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Institute as a research assistant. In this role, she conducted 24-hour dietary recalls to find a link between intermittent fasting, weight loss, and decreased risk of cancer among Black adults of faith. Throughout college, Taylor volunteered weekly at Seneca Babcock Food Pantry, where she worked to guide food selection and food pantry set-up to a population in an underserved community. In the spring and summer of 2023, she volunteered with Lighthouse Free Medical Clinic, a free medical clinic in Buffalo, delivering fresh fruit and vegetable boxes directly to food-insecure individuals.  

Taylor now attends the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health, studying public health and nutritional sciences to become a Registered Dietitian. After graduating, Taylor hopes to work in community nutrition to play a role in addressing health inequities that exist in our food systems. She is beyond excited to continue working with Food Strong to support their mission and make a difference in Northeast Ohio communities!

Amelia brings a diverse background in business, operations, and finance to her role as Finance Coordinator. She began her career in the restaurant industry, with a goal to study Biology and Nutrition. This led her to managing a vegan cafe, where she discovered her business skills. She successfully managed the cafe through the COVID-19 pandemic, helped create structures that they still use today, and gained an immense amount of knowledge and perspective on what “health” and “community” really mean. After the pandemic, Amelia worked as an assistant manager at a boxing gym, gaining more hands-on experience with marketing, data analysis, and finance. After graduating with her first degree, she entered the corporate world as an accounting assistant, where she learned just how important financial record-keeping can be. Across every role, she’s built a reputation for adaptability, resourcefulness, and leading by example. ​

Amelia holds an Associate of Arts in Business and is currently completing her Bachelor’s degree in Accounting at Cleveland State University. Her career journey from hospitality to finance has been shaped by firsthand experience with both people-centered work and behind-the-scenes operations. She believes that leadership can exist in every role, and that understanding the inner workings of a mission-driven organization is key to building something sustainable and impactful.​

At the heart of Amelia’s work is a deep respect for the planet. She believes life is a blessing and that it is our responsibility to protect our Earth and uplift one another through sharing resources, education, and joy. Amelia finds happiness in cooking and baking delicious nourishing meals, walking in the neighborhood, hiking in the mountains, painting or drawing, and singing or listening to music. A lifelong creative, she brings both passion and soul to everything she does. Amelia is honored to be part of a young nonprofit on the cusp of growth and is committed to helping Food Strong become a lasting force for good in the community.

Mia is a Cleveland-based graphic designer with a passion for motion graphics and illustration. She graduated from Cleveland State University with a major in graphic design in December 2024. In addition to her studies, Mia owns a small business, Lucky Devil Designs, where she designs and makes custom apparel for local Northeast Ohio businesses.

Mia’s work has recently been recognized by the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), where her recent voting campaign was featured in their 2024 gallery. As an intern for Food Strong, she’s gained invaluable real-world experience and insight into how design can inspire and inform our communities. 

Fatima joined the Food Strong Team as an intern from the Youth Opportunities Unlimited program, otherwise known as Y.O.U. After graduating from Lakewood High School in 2024, she was hired to work with Food Strong part-time while she attended Cuyahoga Community College as an accounting student.

Fatima is hardworking and determined. In addition to working with Food Strong, she spends her nights working in a restaurant and attending classes. 

Fatima has always been a numbers person having a knack for them; from counting her steps on the sidewalk as a kid to mentally answering complex equations. Today she is able to use those skills to help assist Food Strong with company finances and bookkeeping. Fatima wishes to change the world, one transaction at a time.

Fatima may be busy or has a lot going on, but she always comes into the office with a smile and a positive attitude.

Ericka Stewart is a very active member of the Cleveland community. She is a Teaching Artist with the Food Strong organization and her enthusiasm simply beams. With her passion for the youth and art she was able to create a mural with Charles A. Mooney School. More importantly, she is learning what it means to be a change maker of her personal health and her environment alike through her work with Food strong. Ericka is changing her community for the better with each new experience with Food Strong. 

Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio Katie joins the Food Strong team bringing with her an extensive background personally, professionally, and collegiately.

Katie is a local Cleveland State University and Cuyahoga Community College Alumni receiving degrees from both colleges. In 2013 she graduated Cum Laude from The Levin College of Urban Affairs at C.S.U. where she received her Bachelor’s in Urban Affairs with a concentration in Environmental Policy and Management plus a minor in Nonprofit Administration. 

Katie received her first Associate Degree in 2009 from C.C.C. where she studied Business with a focus on Interior Design. Katie was also an active participant in her program where she served as her college chapters secretary for the American Society of Interior Designers. Furthermore, Katie headed her school’s A.S.I.D chapter in the Ground Zero project; a community-wide project targeted towards reducing, reusing, and recycling product sample waste from design studios and labs; furthermore keeping unwanted materials from entering landfills. 

Katie received a second Associate’s degree in 2010 where she studied sociology, the humanities, and political science. After taking an independent study during her final semester at C.C.C. where she wrote a research paper on the Culture of Poverty she decided to enroll at Cleveland State University to pursue a degree in Urban Affairs. 

Since she was a child, Katie has always loved serving the underserved community and wanting to bring hope and relief to those in need. In 1999 and 2001 she was able to fulfill her dream by traveling to Belize and Costa Rica with the Missionary group Joshua’s Army to help set up and run medical clinics for the local tribes in churches and schools.

Katie brings to the Food Strong table a passion for indoor and outdoor gardening as well as cooking. She has very fond memories of her father teaching her how to grow and can tomatoes for homemade pasta sauce. One of Katie’s favorite meals is preparing a fresh salad with various seasonal and local ingredients. 

Stephanie Budd, Food Strong’s Lead Educator, has 12 years of experience teaching young people about the practice of, the science behind, and the necessity for growing our own food.  Stephanie has brought these teachings to life for all ages, PK through adult, in a variety of settings, from outdoor urban farm to hands-on in the classroom, and in multiple cities and countries throughout the world.  In her teaching, Stephanie strives to impart the full beauty and wonder of healthy food and natural ecosystems – so that even our youngest students understand that growing and eating good foods is an opportunity for them to be their best selves, build connections with others, and foster the health and well being of their community and the Earth. In the classroom, Stephanie embodies the idea that growing foods is a magical and healing process that we all benefit from having in our lives.

Stephanie earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Art History from the University of Kentucky and a Master of Educational Psychology in Youth Development from the University of Illinois at Chicago.  She spent 6 years leading farm-based youth programming at the Chicago Lights Urban farm in Chicago, 3 years teaching middle school science at the Banjul American International School in The Gambia, and 1 year as a garden educator in Boston. In these previous positions, the majority of her learning came through experience, being cultivated through hearing and learning from community voices, working tirelessly to find solutions, and connecting resources to create access or alleviate barriers. Now, back in her home town and working with Food Strong, Stephanie’s passion for inspiring health and wellness for communities has never been stronger.

Sara Continenza is a passionate community leader and grassroots organizer, dedicated to community development, empowerment, and the enrichment of underprivileged urban sectors. After completing her undergrad in 2005, Sara joined the Peace Corps and moved to Burkina Faso, West Africa, where she stayed for 2 years, working in the sector of Female Empowerment and Education. She brought life to numerous public health initiatives including a school garden program.

In 2007, she joined the JET Programme and taught English as a Second Language (ESL) in Japan for 2 years. Upon her return to Cleveland, she taught ESL at ELS Learning Center at Case Western Reserve University before moving on to the Hunger Network of Greater Cleveland in 2012. There, she served as the Manager of the Stay Well Project, and also coordinated the Gardens of Giving program. During her 4 years at the Hunger Network, Sara’s passion for social justice through sustainable food grew. She earned her Master’s in Public Administration and Certification in Nonprofit Management in 2014 from the Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University.

In 2016, she started a consulting company called Whole Vision LLC, under which she started several collaborative community programs including a school gardens initiative and Care-A-Van. In 2017, Sara was elected to serve a 4-year term as Ward 3 City Councilwoman in South Euclid, Ohio. The following year (2018), in order to expand upon her school garden and Care-A-Van programs she founded Food Strong.

Sara holds a B.A. in English and B.S. in Human Development

and Family Science from The Ohio State University.