Since its inception, Roots of Change has been governed by a team of strategic advisors, first as the ROC Council, and later as the Stewardship Council. The Stewardship Council represents ROC’s past and present strategic advisors who were composed of members selected from various sectors and reflected the diversity of the population and food system in California. In September 2014, ROC transitioned its Stewardship Council to align with its work with the California Food Policy Council and its representatives, to focus efforts on policy making in the food system.
Steering Commitee 2015
- Angela Glore, Community Food Council for Del Norte and Adjacent Tribal Lands
- Armando Nieto, Oakland Food Policy Council and Berkeley Food Policy Council
- Brenda Ruiz, Sacramento Region Food System Collaborative
- Christina Hall, Orange County Food Access Coalition
- D’Artagnan Scorza, Los Angeles Food Policy Council
- Jill Egland, Kern Food Policy Council
- Kristi Jamason, Plumas-Sierra County Community Food Council
- Mariah Gayler, San Diego Food System Alliance
- Peter Ruddock, San Mateo Food System Alliance
Steering Committee 2014
- Adria Arko, San Luis Obispo Food System Coalition
- Armando Nieto, Oakland Food Policy Council and Berkeley Food Policy Council
- Brenda Ruiz, Sacramento Region Food System Collaborative
- Christina Oatfield, Berkeley Food Policy Council
- D’Artagnan Scorza, Los Angeles Food Policy Council
- Edie Jessup, Humboldt Food Policy Council
- Jill Egland, Kern Food Policy Council
- JuliAnna Arnett, San Diego Food Systems Alliance
- Peter Ruddock, San Mateo Food System Alliance
Past and Present Strategic Advisors
- Martha Guzman Aceves, former Legislative Advocate, California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation
- David Brubaker, Agricultural Consultant and Author
- Maria Cadenas, Philanthropy Manager, Driscoll’s
- Jim Cochran, Founder and Co-President, Swanton Berry Farm, Inc.
- Diana Cohn, Executive Director, Panta Rhea Foundation
- Leonard Diggs, Farmer and Educator, Leonard Diggs Farms and Shone Farm
- Paul Dolan, Partner, Parducci Wine Estates and CEO, Paul Dolan Vineyards & Winery
- Maria Echaveste, Co-Founder and Senior Advisor, Nueva Vista Group, LLC
- Ann Evans, former Mayor of Davis, California, and Principal, Evans & Brennan, LLC
- Gwendolyn Flynn, Policy Director, Community Health Councils, Inc.
- Steve Gliessman, Alfred E. Heller Professor of Agroecology, University of California Santa Cruz
- Luawanna Hallstrom, former Principal, Collaborative Communications Group, Inc.
- Jennifer Hernández, Founder and Partner, Cultivo Consulting
- Sylvia Drew Ivie, former Chief of Staff, Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas
- Edith Jessup, former Program Development Specialist for Central California Regional Obesity Prevention Program (CCROPP)
- Desmond Jolly, former Director, University of California Small Farm Center
- Evan Kleiman, Owner and Executive Chef, Angeli Caffé
- Mark Kramer, Director of Federal External Affairs, The Nature Conservancy California Chapter
- Peter Liu, Founder and former Vice Chairman, New Resource Bank
- Craig McNamara, President, California State Board of Food & Agriculture and Owner, Sierra Farms
- Jose Montenegro, Founder and former Executive Director, Center for International Sustainable Development (CIDERS)
- Maricela P. Morales, Associated Executive Director, Central Coast Alliance United for A Sustainable Economy (CAUSE)
- Nell Newman, President and Founder, Newman’s Own Organics
- Robert Ogilvie, former Vice President of Strategic Engagement, ChangeLab Solutions
- Adán Ortega, Jr., Co-Founder and Managing Director, Water Conservation Partners, Inc.
- Greg Ostroff, Private Investor
- Jovita Pajarillo, Associate Director, Environmental Protection Agency Pacific Southwest Region 9 Water Division
- Richard Rominger, former Deputy Secretary, USDA; former Secretary, CA Department of Food and Agriculture; and Partner, Rominger Farms
- D’Artagnan Scorza, Executive Director and Founder, Social Justice Learning Institute
- Daniela Simunovic, former Organizer, Center for Race Poverty & Environment
- Alice Waters, Founder, Chez Panisse
- George Work, Owner, Work Ranch
- Larry Yee, former Director, Ventura County University of California Cooperative Extension