CFPAC was formed in 2002 as a result of an Illinois Food Summit organized by the Chicago Community Trust. The effort began with a series of open meetings held on Chicago’s Southside that utilized consensus to establish a mission and organizational operating structure. CFPAC officially became a 501(c)3 in 2011 and hired its first full-time staff member in 2017.
(CFPAC) co-develops, facilitates, advocates for, and supports implementation of policies that advance food justice and food sovereignty in Chicago and across the region.
CFPAC envisions a food system where all Chicagoans, regardless of race, class, gender, and/or social identity, have the right to healthy and culturally-appropriate food produced through community-driven, ecologically regenerative, and economically viable processes. The Council recognizes the history and modern maintenance of structural racism in Chicago and across the country that have led to massive inequities in land access, food business ownership, food security, and political power along lines of racial identity. CFPAC works to address these inequities and dismantle racist structures in the food system by building local political power, supporting frontline workers throughout the food system, and facilitating Black/Brown partnerships and understanding.
daniel block
Director of the Fred Blum Neighborhood Assistance Center, Professor at Chicago State University
Daniel Block is a professor of geography at Chicago State University and the coordinator of the Fred Blum Neighborhood Assistance Center, as well as an adjunct professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University and the School of Urban Planning at UIC. He has completed many food access studies, including the Northeastern Illinois Community Food Security Assessment, a large-scale food access study of the six-county Chicago metro area. He is a past president of the Agriculture, Food, and Human Values Society. In 2018, he was named a fellow of the American Association of Geographers and is the co-author of Chicago: A Food Biography, a history of Chicago told through its food system, published by Rowman and Littlefield.
Rodger Cooley
Executive Director, Chicago Food Policy Action Council
Rodger Cooley, Executive Director of the Chicago Food Policy Action Council, has worked for 18+ years in urban agriculture and sustainable urban food systems developing policy and projects. Rodger previously spent 9 years with Heifer International, supporting the development of urban farming projects in Chicago and the mid-western United States. He has a Master's degree in Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago and Bachelor of Arts from Oberlin College and has served as adjunct faculty at DePaul University and the Illinois Institute of Technology.
Jose Oliva
Co-Director, Food Chain Workers Alliance
Jose Oliva is Campaigns Director at the HEAL Food Alliance after serving as Co-Director of the Food Chain Workers Alliance for seven years. He is from Xelaju, Guatemala. Jose founded the Chicago Interfaith Workers’ Center in 2001 and then became the Coordinator of Interfaith Worker Justice’s National Workers' Centers Network. In 2008 he went on to run the Center for Community Change’s worker justice program. From 2009-2014, Jose held a number of leadership roles at Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) United, the national organization of restaurant workers. He also served as Board Chair of the FCWA Board of Directors from 2010-2012. Jose was awarded the 2017 James Beard Foundation Leadership Award and the 2018 American Food Heroes Award from Eating Well magazine.
L. Anton Seals, Jr.
Lead Steward, Grow Greater Englewood
L. Anton Seals Jr. is an organizer, educator, community connector, filmmaker and entrepreneur. Anton’s work has been dedicated to service and active engagement through the use of media arts, community organizing and empowerment to dismantle oppressive system impacting divested and oppressed communities.
Anton is the Lead Steward (Executive Director) of Grow Greater Englewood, a social enterprise focusing on building an equitable and resilient local food system that fosters protections of vacant land in divested communities and focuses on connecting those residents with community wealth building opportunities.
Erika Allen is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Operations for the Urban Growers Collective. She received her BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and her MA in art psychotherapy from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Integrating the creative and therapeutic techniques with food security and community development have enabled Erika to establish multiple urban farms and agriculture training and education programs. She is passionate about social justice and working with multicultural groups in the elimination of racism and oppression. Erika served as Commissioner for the Chicago Park District from 2012 – 2017 and also serves on the board of Neighbor Space, as well as a founding member of the Growing Food and Justice for All Initiative. Erika is a visual artist and consults with individuals and organizations to support visioning and planning of social change objectives. Erika Allen founded and was the Director of Growing Power – Chicago for 15-years prior to the closing of the organization in 2017.
Kim Wasserman is the Executive Director of the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO), where she has worked since 1998. Kim joined LVEJO as an organizer and helped to organize community leaders to successfully build a new playground, community gardens, remodel of a local school park and force a local polluter to upgrade their facilities to meet current laws. As Executive Director of LVEJO, she has worked with organizers to reinstate a job access bus line, build on the recent victory of a new 23 acre park to be built in Little Village, and continue the 10+ year campaign that won the closure of the two local coal power plants to fight for remediation and redevelopment of the sites. Mrs. Wasserman is Chair of the Illinois Commission on Environmental Justice. In 2013, Mrs. Wasserman was the recipient of the Goldman Prize for North America. Her biggest accomplishment to date is raising three-community organizers aged 18, 11, and 8.
2019:
14th Annual Chicago Food Policy Summit attracted over 400 attendees at the South Shore Cultural Center.
Urban Stewards Action Network (USAN) hosted 3 Food Fun(d)ing Friday events. Through these events 12 different projects received over $8,000 in funds.
Productive Landscapes Taskforce began. CFPAC is facilitating a multi-jurisdictional task force to determine innovative ways to bring a variety of land uses and projects regarding sustainable agriculture, stormwater management, public recreation, and wildlife habitat restoration to underutilized public lands.
Midwest Consortium on Equity & Research in Food (M-CERF): CFPAC is supporting a collaborative space for researchers and academics interested in equitable community food systems and food sovereignty to share research projects, explore opportunities to work together, and build a repository of publications and resources on Chicago’s food system.
Hosted the opening plenary of the Center for Good Food Purchasing’s The Power of Procurement Conference
October was our inaugural effort to support a Chicago Good Food Month
Hosted Chicago’s first environmental justice focused forum for mayoral candidates
Worker cooperatives now legally recognized in Illinois, CFPAC is a founding member of the Illinois Coalition for Cooperative Advancement (ICCA)
Equitable Cannabis Legalization, CFPAC is a member of the People United for Racial Equity (PURE) Coalition to ensure that there are opportunities for all Chicagoans
2018:
Cook County not only adopted the the Good Food Purchasing Policy, but also added language regarding the necessity to acknowledge the residents, communities, and enterprises that have not had access to key resources in the past. As a result, Cook County received the Good Food Hero Award from the Center for Good Food Purchasing.
13th Annual Chicago Food Policy Summit attracted over 300 attendees and featured 25 speakers at the South Shore Cultural Center.
Urban Stewards Action Network (USAN) – a project of the Chicago Food Policy Council – launched Food Fun(d)ing Fridays, a micro-grant contest and community fundraising event. The events continue on a quarterly basis.
2017:
The City of Chicago, Chicago Park District, and Chicago Public Schools, passed a resolution to approve the Good Food Purchasing Policy. The policy will transform the way county agencies purchase food, and will return millions of dollars to local food based businesses, urban farmers, and entrepreneurs.
Rodger Cooley named as Chicago Food Policy Action Council’s first full-time Executive Director.
2015:
10th Annual Food Policy Summit
2014:
9th Annual Food Policy Summit in collaboration with FamilyFarmed’s Good Food Festival
Compost Working Group created recommendations to reform Chicago Compost Policy
2013:
8th Annual Food Policy Summit in collaboration with FamilyFarmed’s Good Food Festival
Compost Working Group Advocacy and Outreach efforts helped inform and pass two state level bills to revise compost policy (HB2335 & HB3319)
2012:
7th Annual Food Policy Summit in collaboration with FamilyFarmed’s Good Food Festival
Urban Farmland Working Group published Urban Farmland and Green Jobs Creation White Paper
CFPAC Members created A Vision for Food Policy in Chicago
2011:
6th Annual Food Policy Summit in collaboration with FamilyFarmed’s Good Food Festival
Engaged community in development of the urban agriculture zoning amendment for Chicago
2010:
5th Annual Food Policy Summit in collaboration with FamilyFarmed’s Good Food Festival
Activated Neighborhood Food Policy council
Received 501c3 status
2009:
4th Annual Food Policy Summit in collaboration with FamilyFarmed’s Good Food Festival
2008:
3rd Annual Food Policy Summit
Published Building Chicago’s Community Food System
2007:
2nd Annual Food Policy Summit
Effectively worked with City Council to stop ban on raising chickens in the city
Advocated for Illinois State Policy – The Food Farm and Jobs Act (HB1300)
2006:
1st Annual CFPAC Food Policy Summit
2004:
CFPAC commissioned the Community Food Security Inventory of the City of Chicago, which looked into the city budget including policy recommendations and case studies of other national food policy work.
2002:
CFPAC has its inaugural meeting
DIA BARNO
Communications Specialist
Dia Barno is an organizer, educator, and creative based in Chicago. For the past three years Dia has been dedicated to community organizing and has been working with students at Hyde Park Academy as part of the #CopsoutCPS campaign. He, alongside of students and staff at Hyde Park are working to reimagine what safety looks like in the school and to and get funds divested from the remaining SRO (police officer) and invested back into the students for alternatives like: restorative justice conflict resolution programs, mental health programming, and more in and after school programs for students!
In their free time, Dia is a budding herbalist, who is part of the Urban Grower’s Collective Second Herbalism Apprenticeship Constellation, and a farmer who is focused on building community and is determined to help build out intentional and extensive local food systems for Black communities across Chicago.
RODGER COOLEY
Executive Director
LinkedIn
Rodger Cooley, Executive Director of the Chicago Food Policy Action Council, has worked for 20+ years in urban agriculture and sustainable urban food systems developing policy and projects. Rodger previously spent 9 years with Heifer International, supporting the development of urban farming projects in Chicago and the mid-western United States. He recently joined the Cook County Commission on Social Innovation.
Rodger has a Master's degree in Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago and Bachelor of Arts from Oberlin College and has served as adjunct faculty at DePaul University and the Illinois Institute of Technology.
BRITISH GRIFFIS
Equitable Supply Chain Development Manager
LinkedIn
British is a Chicago native with a wide range of skills and expertise within the sciences. She obtained her B.S in Agricultural Biotechnology from the University of Kentucky. Upon graduating she explored various career paths to further her interest in understanding the intersectionality between Food Systems & Healthcare. Her career path has not been linear as her expertise ranges from Community Outreach to Pharmacy to Scientific Research & Development. In 2019, after serving as a Peace Corps Food Security Specialist she became inspired to use her experience to create change within her former neighborhood by launching a community fridge and pantry in response to the pandemic. She furthered her engagement with Urban Agriculture and worked for a Biotech Startup as a Research Associate and spent 3 years working as Chemist. The culmination of these experiences has allowed her to view the Food System through various lenses at different levels. She hopes to bridge the food access gap for BIPOC communities in urban areas.
ALEXANDRIA JACKSON
Communication Manager
LinkedIn
ADAM PETERSON
Good Food Purchasing Program Manager
LinkedIn
Alexandria is a Graphic and Web designer from Southern Illinois with a Bachelors degree in Studio/Digital Art from DePauw University. Her passion for design started at a very young age and has continued to grow and flourish in a multitude of directions that reflect her interests in art, community and eduation. After graduating in 2020, she lead a freelance Graphic and Web design career working with small businesses across the U.S. Alongside this, she worked with a non profit organization as a community art instructor and violence-prevention educator for Chicago Public Schools.
In 2022 she began freelancing full time and is now a part of the CFPAC team as the Communications Manager while also pursuing a certificate in UI/UX Design from The Flatiron School. In her spare time, she enjoys being in community with friends and family, doing yoga, and trying new restaurants.
Adam Peterson brings a diverse background of fruit and vegetable production, native lands restoration, plant and ecology research, and community food system development. After finishing a degree in Cultural Anthropology from UIC, Adam joined a research team looking into food systems in Southwest Wisconsin where he joined his first production farm. From there, he worked on specialty crop farms ranging in size from 8 to 300 acres. After a placement as an AmeriCorps Vista in New Orleans developing a farm-to-school network, Adam began work on native lands restoration within the Chicago Park District. He spent the last several years working with plant researchers and community groups at the UIC Greenhouse.
Adam joins the CFPAC team as the Good Food Purchasing Program Coordinator. He works alongside Chicago’s Food Equity Council and Chicago Department of Public Health. In his spare time he enjoys cooking and baking, biking, and bird watching.
ELLEN PITSTICK
Farm Bill Specialist
LinkedIn
Ellen is passionate about the human right to food and ensuring that food policy is equitable, just, and reflective of the community it serves. Ellen is from DuPage County, but spent the last two years in Upstate New York earning their Food Studies M.S. from Syracuse University. During this time they worked as the Evaluation & Public Policy Intern at the Syracuse-Onondaga Food Systems Alliance where they developed a yearly evaluation plan and supported the development of the alliance’s first policy platform. They also conducted research and helped plant wild edible perennials, shrubs, and trees as part of the Syracuse Urban Food Forest Project.Having returned to the Chicago area, Ellen joins CFPAC as the Farm Bill Organizing Intern. This summer you can find them biking, gardening, haunting the local library, and enjoying live blues music!
JUSTIN PREVOST-SCHULTZ
Director of Operations
LinkedIn
Justin Prevost-Schultz brings expertise and experience in operations management, team leadership, project management, and organizational strategy. Before joining CFPAC, Justin led internal operations for a Chicago health-tech startup and managed the vaccine operations of Chicago’s Mass Vaccination Site at the United Center.
He also served as a consultant and executive recruiter for nonprofit and public sector nationally and provides a strong foundation of fundraising experience after serving in the Advancement Office in various roles of increasing responsibility of his alma mater, North Park University, where he earned his bachelor's degree and MBA. During his free time, Justin enjoys cooking, golfing, and biking around the city to find new restaurants and neighborhood gems.
ALEXANDRA RODRIGUEZ
Good Food Purchasing Expansion Manager
LinkedIn
Born and raised in the northwest side of Chicago, Alex Rodriguez has always been dedicated to helping bring healthy food access to her communities. She graduated with a B.A in Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago, with a primary focus on Community Health. Her past experiences have led her to work with several Chicago neighborhoods that contributed to the equity of food access and nutrition. From teaching health and nutrition workshops in Humboldt Park to then managing a food pantry during COVID-19, Alex was motivated to learn more about urban agriculture and food sources in Chicago. She then joined Windy City Harvest in the spring of 2021 as the VeggieRx program assistant and worked primarily with Spanish-speaking families. In the course of time she oversaw the market and sales channels for all farm sites and incubator farmers. Her work motivated her to keep working in food sovereignty and health equity, and since then has joined CFPAC as the Good Food Purchasing Expansion Coordinator. In her free time Alex loves running, spending time with her family and friends, and playing with her small dog.
MABEL SHIU
Good Food Purchasing Initiative Director
LinkedIn
As Director of the Good Food Purchasing Initiative (GFPI), Mabel is working to advance the mission and values of GFPI including the convening an inaugural steering council, the implementation of the Good Food Purchasing Program (GFPP) at the City and County-level, and development a more equitable supply chain aligned with GFPP values. In her previous role as the GFPI Community Fund Manager, she launched a new grant program to increase opportunities for local farms and food businesses to service public meal programs and other community food access sites. After earning an MBA from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, Mabel launched a micro grocery store and café called Southside Market to increase food access and collective ownership. She has gained practical knowledge through the years as an entrepreneur, impact investor, and former social enterprise consultant. She also brings to the team over 6 years of experience in Corporate Finance, Operations, and IT Implementation. In her spare time, she enjoys playing boardgames at local breweries, exploring neighborhood coffee shops, and paddleboarding when weather permits.
STEPHANIE ZARCO-JIMENEZ
Program Coordinator
LinkedIn
Stephanie Zarco-Jimenez is a native Chicagoan dedicated to elevating the welfare of her beloved Chicago communities and beyond. Her family’s background in farming has framed her perspective on what food, water, and land access mean to not only the rural farmer but the urban farmer as well. She has planted roots in many Chicago neighborhoods searching for opportunities to stay connected to local communities, while also striving to learn more about food equity issues across the city. Her education at Loyola University served as a platform to now explore the intersections of racial equity work and food systems work in her position as Program Coordinator with CFPAC.
Stephanie works on the Productive Landscapes Taskforce and also co-organizes the Chicago Food Justice Summit. In her free time, she enjoys exploring Chicago’s green spaces, practicing guitar, cooking with loved ones, and connecting with local growers.
ADIN BURWELL
Adin brings a wide range of experiences, both domestic and international, in agriculture, food justice, environmentalism, and government. She earned a degree in Agricultural Science from Cornell University, with minors in Global Health and Crop Management. At CFPAC, Adin joined our Productive Landscapes Team as an Emerson Fellow. Adin helps facilitate access to land for Chicagoans interested in starting urban agriculture projects. She also works with the New Neighbor Nutrition Group which strategizes and organizes food access for new Chicago immigrants. Adin is passionate about advocacy and healthy food systems, and her work is rooted in a love for people and the environment. She originally hails from Atlanta, Georgia and is proud of her Southern roots. Outside of work, Adin enjoys trying new Chicago restaurants, gardening, and going for walks on the Lakefront.
AVYAN MEJDEEN
Having grown up in two different parts of the world, Kurdistan (Iraq) and Moorhead, Minnesota, Avyan Mejdeen was immersed in two different cultures. The experience has shaped her into an advocate fighting for the human rights of women, girls, and minorities; equal access to basic needs; and the Kurdish struggle for independence. Avyan graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead in 2022 with majors in Political Science and Global Studies, with a minor in Interfaith Studies. Avyan’s interest in anti-poverty and anti-hunger legislation stems from her personal experiences. She was raised in a low-income immigrant household with her parents and five siblings. She turned her challenges into opportunities by helping to raise awareness and advocating for others like her family through policies. Avyan was a political fellow at the Borgen Project where she helped mobilize Members of Congress in Minnesota to support policies on food insecurity and low-income housing. She has supported human rights through various outlets internationally and domestically, including as a Fulbright Scholar in Kosovo. She was also the first Muslim Interfaith Fellow selected at her undergrad institution serving as a coordinator that initiated and guided difficult discussions on religious divides between various religious groups on campus and in the community.
Each year, we bring on new folks to organize the summit! Click here to learn more about the individuals who make up the Summit Leadership Team
This new position for CFPAC will lead a team responsible for CFPAC’s annual Summit, Rhizome network, communications, policy, and advocacy efforts. The Director of Programs will collaborate closely with the Executive Director, Director of Operations, and Metro Chicago Good Food Purchasing Initiative (GFPI) Director. The Director will support program development, annual budgeting, strategic planning, fundraising, team hiring, onboarding, development, and connectivity with CFPAC operations and the GFPI team members. The Director is a strategic and adaptive leader who can activate multiple stakeholders across multiple networks to build community, share resources, advance policy, and support the larger Food Justice movement. This person is an experienced program leader and highly emotionally intelligent people leader who can develop and execute complex concurrent plans, projects, and working groups. The Director is a strong relationship manager, nurturing external and internal partners toward achieving the mission and vision while reflective of CFPAC's culture and values
Please provide your resume and a cover letter explaining: 1) Why you are a good fit for the role 2) Tying your professional experiences from your resume to the job description and 3) Your professional experiences relevant to the job description areas under the “What You’ll Bring” Your resume and cover letter can be emailed to Hiring@chicagofoodpolicy.com with the subject line “Director of Programs application.” Please note, as a small, people-centered organization, our communication in response to you may be slow while we carefully and thoughtfully evaluate each candidate’s experience and qualifications for the role. We strive to be communicative at all stages of the process to all candidates who apply.
Priority will be given to applicants who submit materials by end of day April 15, 2024.
The Community Fund Program Manager will oversee the strategy and continuity of the GFPI Community Fund Grant Program that launched in 2023. You will be asked to sustain the successes of Year 1 and build on them with the Community Fund Steering Committee, filled by community-based organizational partners. The GFPI Community Fund’s objective is to increase access to Good Food Purchasing Program (GFPP)-aligned produce and/or food products in the Metro Chicago region through financially supporting systematically marginalized, local farms and food businesses striving to meet GFPP standards (including sourcing, sustainable practices, fair labor, animal welfare, and nutrition). This grant program executes annual cycles of grant awards with the number of awards based on proposed projects.
Please submit your resume and a one-page cover letter tying your experience to specifics in the job description to Hiring@chicagofoodpolicy.com with the subject line “Community Fund Program Manager application.”
Priority will be given to applicants who submit materials by end of day April 8, 2024.
We are seeking a Grants Manager (contractor) to provide strong post-award management for the organization’s portfolio of grants awarded to the organization. This position is responsible for understanding the reporting requirements for each awarded grant, work within the organization’s system and files to organize necessary documentation and complete reporting and invoicing for each awarded grant, and support the accounting team on accurate month-to-month financial activity for each awarded grant. The Grants Manager is a primary liaison with relevant internal staff for grant admin related matters to funders and internal staff. This position will work closely with the Director of Operations and the Director of Good Food Purchasing Initiative as well as the accounting team. This position is contracted for part-time, up to 20 hours per week
Please submit your resume to Hiring@chicagofoodpolicy.com with the subject line “Grants Manager”. If you have questions, you can also send those to the hiring email account and we will respond as soon as we can
The Chicago Food Justice Rhizome Network hosts bi-monthly Food Justice Job Fairs! Learn more about the next one at bit.ly/foodjusticejobfair
Are you looking to hire someone? Join the job fair as an employer by emailing info@chicagofoodpolicy.com.
We invite you to visit Advocate for Urban Agriculture’s Job Board and join their listserv for updates on grants for farmers and hiring opportunities.
Hiring for an urban/sustainable agriculture professional? Send a link or PDF job description to outreach@auachicago.org.
