Dawn Barker
Dawn currently works for The RiverWoods Group, which is the parent company for three Continuing Care Retirement Communities, located in Exeter, Durham and Manchester. As Vice President of Human Resources, she is responsible for the strategic human resource planning to provide the organization with the best talent to meet the RiverWoods’ mission which is to provide community and peace of mind for all. She holds a Master’s in Organizational Leadership from Southern New Hampshire University and a BA in Marketing from Bentley University. She has lived in New Hampshire for the majority of her life and never plans to leave. She shares her life with her husband and two daughters. She loves to learn new things, read, and spend time outside with her family. She has a passion for gardening and cooking with local ingredients and letting them shine!
Board member since June 2019
Email: [email protected]
Tyler Brodie
Tyler Brodie is currently the production manager for a medium scale pastured poultry operation in Newfields, NH, called Vernon Family Farm. He brings a holistic perspective to the board after working in all aspects of New England agriculture including vegetable, dairy, and fruit operations. During the “off season”, Tyler runs a pruning operation for the management of orchard crop assets on land holdings totaling over 100 acres. Looking forward, he is working on his bachelor’s degree to take the state certified exam and become a registered dietitian.
Board member since June 2019
Email: precisi[email protected]
Anna Cantelmo
Anna Hayward Cantelmo is the owner of Bell & Goose Cheese Co. in South Hampton, NH. She is a cheese maker, farmer’s wife, mom of two, and has been involved with the local food community since 2008. Before opening her cheese kitchen Anna worked for Heron Pond Farm and Jewell Town Vineyards managing a farm stand, tasting room and doing farmer’s markets. Most recently she was the cheese maker at Appleton Farms, a non-profit educational farm in Ipswich MA. Creating food that connects people to their community, the land and each other is why Anna has chosen this work. She is excited to deepen and expand these connections through Seacoast Eat Local.
Board member since March 2018
Email:anna
Chris Duffy
Chris Duffy currently works as a business advisor at the Regional Economic Development Center assisting businesses with financial management, loan structure and application development, and strategies for growth. Previously Chris worked as a business advisor for the New Hampshire Small Business Development Center, assisting a variety of small business clients with basic business planning skills, business plan development, financing and marketing plan development. In 1995, Chris conceived and co-founded GreatBay Aquaculture – the first commercial marine fish hatchery for summer flounder, Atlantic cod and cobia in the US. Chris graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a BA in Zoology in 1980. He held various positions in the wild harvest fishery, including commercial fishing, fish processing, distribution and sales. He received his MBA from the UNH Whittemore School in 1988. When not working Chris is a dedicated backyard farmer, growing vegetables, chickens, turkeys and pigs. He needs more land!
Board member since November 2016
Email: [email protected]
Megan Grocki, Vice Chair
Megan is the founder of Fork in the Road LLC, a consultancy focusing on customer experience in food, beverage, and hospitality industries. She has over 20 years of experience in consumer research, experience design and strategy helping clients to understand what makes their audiences tick and identify ways to keep them happy and engaged. She previously led the customer insights and research team at Nasdaq, helping design teams discover the needs and behaviors of their audiences and identify opportunities for innovation. Megan also has a masters degree in Gastronomy at Boston University. A 20-year Portsmouth resident with a deep-rooted curiosity about the local food scene, her mission is to get better food to more people.
Board member since September 2017
Email: [email protected]
Eleanor Kane
Eleanor Kane is the co-owner of Brasen Hill Farm in Barrington, NH. She became interested in the movement towards local, sustainable food and humanely raised animals during college and is excited to provide her community with healthy, local meat, eggs, and vegetables. Since joining the New England farming scene in 2010, she’s never looked back! In addition to farming, she has worked in various capacities at a range of nonprofits, where she has focused on environmental education, social justice, local food access, and community building. She holds a Masters in Public Affairs from Brown University and is currently a PhD candidate in Education at the University of New Hampshire.
Board member since March 2018
Email: [email protected]
Annette Lee, Secretary
Annette Lee is co-owner of Throwback Brewery – a small, inspired brew pub at Hobbs Farm in North Hampton, NH, dedicated to crafting delicious farm-fresh food and beer with ingredients sourced in the New England area. Annette spent close to 20 years working as an environmental engineer before making the jump to a small brewery owner in 2011. An avid gardener with a passion for full circle sustainability, Annette always finds time in her busy schedule to help the farmers at Hobbs Farm. In fact, Annette considers one of her most meaningful achievements to be the restoration and rehabilitation of Hobbs Farm – returning it to a working farm that provides ingredients for Throwback’s food and beer.
Board member since April 2017
Email: [email protected]
Sherri Nixon, Treasurer
Sherri spent the majority of her career in retail merchandising/planning management in department and specialty stores including Jordan Marsh, Timberland, and Bed Bath and Beyond. After retiring from retail in 2010, she worked in an administrative support role at NH Public Radio. A strong desire to lessen her negative environmental impact and to connect more directly with the local food economy led Sherri to retire completely in December 2013. She now devotes her time to involvement in environmental causes, support for the mission of Seacoast Eat Local, an increased understanding and adoption of permaculture practices, and the integration of her yoga practice into her daily life.
Board member since February 2014
Email: [email protected]
Sara Zoë Patterson
Sara Zoë is the librarian at New Franklin School in Portsmouth, NH. She has been involved in social justice advocacy in varying forms for the last 22 years. Her passions for good food and a better future for our planet come together in her volunteer work with Seacoast Eat Local. In 2009 she was awarded the Andrew L. Felker Memorial Award for leadership in promoting the growth and prosperity of New Hampshire agriculture and named one of the Union Leader’s “40 under 40” young leaders of New Hampshire.
Board member since May 2006
Email: [email protected]
Robin Schweikart
Robin Schweikart has spent her entire career in the non-profit sector, with a primary focus on membership and database administration. She has worked for such diverse organizations as Earthwatch Institute and Tufts Medical Center. Currently she is database administrator for the Boston Lyric Opera. Robin developed her life-long interest in gardening and cooking as a child, working closely with her father, who began gardening organically in the 1960s. Although her primary residence is in Boston, Robin, her husband, and her sister have spent weekends and holidays in Portsmouth for over twenty years. Her belief that locally and sustainably grown food benefits the whole community by supplying fresh meat and produce as well as keeping land in agriculture has prompted her involvement with Seacoast Eat Local.Email: rkschweik
Theresa Walker, Board Chair
Theresa Walker and her family live in Durham and raise Romney and Merino sheep for fiber and breed stock. Theresa has worked with communities in Seacoast New Hampshire for 30 years on a wide variety of land use planning and natural resource protection projects. Theresa is chair of the Town of Durham’s Agricultural Commission and is vested in strengthening the bond between farms, farmers, and their communities.