eNEWS
June 2009 > FOG welcomes new staff
FOG added 12 staff as its education
and outreach activites grew and Quality
Certification Services (QCS) added additional
certification options.
Christine Hale joined the staff in Nov. 2008 as director of FOG's education and outreach program. She is focused on developing and executing a strategic plan for the program and increasing FOG's visibility and fundraising capacity. She received a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English in 2000 from Florida State University (FSU).
Samara Akers joined the staff in Nov.
2008 as research analyst. With a law degree from the University of Florida, she is
identifying policy issues relevant to FOG’s
work, developing policy statements and
researching legal issues.
Gabriel Trinity joined the staff in Sept.
2008 as IT Manager. He is focused
on streamlining and upgrading FOG’s
technical resources.
Samantha Jones joined the staff in Feb.
2009 as administrative assistant. She comes
to FOG with experience as a teacher.
Leah Cohen returned to the staff to work on projects related to
the Agricultural Justice Project, which works to bring fair labor standards to North
American agriculture.
FOG's certification program, QCS, added a number of employees. Suzette Edwards joined the staff in Oct. 2008 as a certification coordinator. She graduated from Oregon State University in 2005 with Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees in Food Science and Technology with a minor in Chemistry, and in Microbiology. She previously worked at the Bureau of Standards Jamaica as a Regulatory Inspector.
Ryan Brouillard joined the staff in Feb.
2008 as a certification coordinator/inspector. His experience
includes working on organic farms,
managing an organic produce department
and owning an edible landscaping
company.
Daniel Zack joined the staff in Oct. 2008 as an in-house inspector/certification coordinator. He received his BS in Biological Sciences from FSU in 2005.
Myke McNoldy joined the staff in Oct. 2008 as administrative assistant. He has a BA in Philosophy from the University of Florida and enjoys bike riding, playing drums and reading in his spare time.
Carrie Stilwell joined the staff in May 2009 as a crop in-house inspector, with degrees in biology and law from the University of Oregon. As a certification coordinator and crop inspector, Carrie will focus on helping farmers through the organic certification process.
Brian Rakita joined the staff in May 2009 as a crop livestock in-house inspector/certification coordinator. His specialty is organic seed production and he has worked in organic agriculture since 1991. He has completed IOIA trainings for crop and livestock inspections.
Meghan Hamlin joined the staff in May 2009 as an administrative assistant for QCS. She received her BA in Psychology from the University for Central Florida and is pursuing an M.Ed/Ed.S degree in Mental Health and School Counseling at the University of Florida .
For information about job opportunities with Florida Organic Growers visit the Jobs page of our Web site, call 352.377.6345 or email fog@foginfo.org.