Our Team

 

Our organization is run by a small group of dedicated, passionate individuals connected to our mission.

 

Jenna VanDonselaar
Program Manager

For much of her career, Jenna has worked in the food justice space and joins the team as Program Manager. Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, Jenna spent a season working with The Table Urban Farm, where she managed day to day operations of a home-garden based farm and mobile market program. She holds a masters degree with a concentration in Religion and Ecology from Yale Divinity School. Jenna served as a FoodCorps AmeriCorps Service Member where she worked on food justice initiatives in the classroom, cafeteria, and community in partnership with Middletown Public Schools. Jenna is also a ceramicist, avid reader, community organizer, and trail runner.

Alex McHardy
Community Projects Manager

With extensive experience as a small-scale farmer and edible lanscaper, Alex joins the team to manage the New Britain Community Garden and other community programs. He has worked on a variety of urban farms in the Sacramento region, and also established Sacramento Edible Landscapes, a landscaping company designed to encourage edible landscapes that also promote native, drought-resistant and pollinator-friendly plantings. In his downtime Alex enjoy cooking, gardening, playing soccer and exploring the hiking trails of Connecticut.

Abe Baéz
Market Manager

Abe Baez was born in Puerto Rico and moved to New Britain, CT during his sophomore year of high school. Since then, he’s been actively involved in the city’s vibrant and diverse community. With a background in hospitality, Abe brings his “Marriott spirit” of service to his role as Market Manager, a position he’s held proudly for the past four years at Roots. His passion for helping others and love for community engagement make him a vital part of our team. Abe enjoys working the markets, meeting new people, and bringing fresh, local food to our neighbors. A lifelong baseball fan, he’s always happy to chat about the game or just say hello. Be sure to stop by the market and meet this friendly face!

Cue Wright
Communications and Development Manager

Cue brings a wealth of experience in communications and social media management, with a strong track record of working with nonprofits, higher education institutions, and freelancing ventures. Holding a degree in Strategic Communications and a Masters in Higher Education from the University of Kansas, Cue is adept at crafting compelling narratives and engaging content strategies with a passion for community-driven initiatives and an eye for digital innovation committed to ensuring our message. Cue is dedicated to amplifying the voices and stories that make ROOTS an integral part of the community.

Cue is a musician, activist, and influencer.

Matt Dempsey


Youth Supervisor

After graduating from the University of New Haven with a degree in music, and spending a few years working in a windowless recording studio, Matt decided that he needed to feel connected with nature and be more active.  This lead to four years as a crew leader with the DEEP stationed at Sleeping Giant State Park in Hamden, CT.  A personal nutrition journey led to a certification in plant-based nutrition from eCornell/Center for Nutrition Studies and two years serving as a FoodCorps/AmeriCorps Service Member in Meriden, CT.  During his time in FoodCorps Matt discovered a passion for food education and leading cooking lessons.  In addition to working with Roots, Matt teaches cooking classes, yoga, tai chi and more at the YMCA in Meriden/New Britain.  He is also in the process of completing the Uconn Master Gardener’s program and continues to be an active musician.

Robert Sanborn
Garden Caretaker

Robert joins the team as garden caretaker with an extensive background in urban agriculture here in New Britain. He and his family operate an urban farm where they grow a variety of fruits and vegetables, practice animal husbandry, vermiculture, apiary work, and seed saving. At ROOTS, Robert works hands-on in New Britain’s school gardens to support the community’s gardening efforts.

  • Craig Schmitt, Chair - Retired, CCSU Baseball Coach

    Meg Hourigan, Vice Chair - Food Policy Analyst, Hartford Food System

    Hanna Petrisko, Secretary - Parent & Student Advocate, Retired Teacher

    Miranda Velez, Treasurer - Associate Director of Financial Assistance, Sacred Heart University

    Yvette Ghannam, Director - Microbial Forensic Scientist, MF & E Investigative Services LLC

    Deborah Kowaleski, Director - Retired Senior Citizen Advocate

    Mya Tillman, Director - Community Nurse, State of CT

    Stanley Dombrowski, Director - Special Education Teacher

JOEY LISTRO Executive Director

Joey Listro, Founder

A New Britain native, Joey Listro has worked on a variety of non-profit farms beginning in 2009 while attending the University of Southern Maine. Joey worked building organic farming apprenticeships and curriculum for high school students as an AmeriCorps volunteer.  He's a former Incubator Farmer at the Community Farm of Simsbury where he launched a small-scale potato chip and organic CSA business.  He served as Head Teacher and Educational Programs Consultant at Urban Oaks Organic Farm in New Britain for their after-school garden enrichment programs from 2011-2014.  He spent two years managing a 100+ acre educational farm in New Milford, before returning to New Britain as the founder of ROOTS.  Joey serves on the steering committee of the New CT Farmer Alliance and is an active member of the Coalition for New Britain's Youth.