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FCCMP Staff
Valerie comes to FCCMP with over 20 years of management experience, including large scale production facilities, K-12 school food services and culinary vocational training for adults living with disabilities.
Relatively new to Massachusetts, Valerie graduated from University of California – Berkeley with a B.A. in Human Rights and has participated in local food justice causes based around urban gardening while also volunteering with the Alameda County Community Food Bank.
After California, Valerie moved to Hawai’i to manage a pineapple and tropical fruit tree farm on the Big Island. Then making her way to Chicago where she participated in the pilot of a Chef-in-residence program, Culinary Hearts, for Ronald McDonald House Charities.
As Executive Director, Valerie hopes to expand access to our Orange Food Pantry, increase volunteer participation in our community meal site services and build lasting partnerships with local businesses to strengthen neighborly connections.
Valerie is excited to be returning to a position of service to her community that contributes to the local food justice movement and food security for Franklin County families and individuals.
Amy Connelly is a long time staff person who has been with us since the beginning. As a part of the FCCMP family, she was instrumental in establishing FCCMP’s first meal site. Amy is a Turners Falls resident who leverages her many networks and her long standing community relationships, bringing everyone together to take care of each other at the Turners Falls Meal Site. She is well respected and a force to be reckoned with. Stop by the meal site and see her in action!
Board Of Directors
Fardeen joined the FCCMP board in 2019 after visiting a few events with his wife Sarah Adam, who was already a board member at the time. He is a freelance web developer, and is the current designer and manager of the FCCMP website, as well as the resident technology expert for the FCCMP. He has spent over 10 years supporting non-profits in Massachusetts with his web expertise, and is always excited to help fight food insecurity using his particular skills wherever they are applicable.
Kurt has been employed at Clark’s Corvair Parts for over 30 years. He serves the community by way of local missions with Greenfield United Methodist Church and a long standing relationship with Salvation Army. As a lifelong resident of Franklin county, he has seen first hand the needs of our community, and feels privileged to serve an organization that meets those needs.
Stacey has close ties to the Greenfield and Montague areas and calls Bernardston her hometown. She’s currently AVP of Mortgage Operations at Greenfield Cooperative Bank and has been in local community banking since 2007. She is a GCC and UMass Amherst Alumni. Food security has always been important to her and she’s happy to be a part of this community meals and pantry program. Stacey joined the board in 2024.
Pamela spent her professional life as a vocal coach and accompanist, specializing in opera. Her last 18 years were in the capacity of Director of Opera at Rutgers University. For over 30 years she commuted between Manhattan and the Pioneer Valley, and after retirement was able to focus on finding meaningful work in the community that she has come to love and call home. Joining the Board of FCCMP in 2019 has given her an opportunity to give back to this wonderful and diverse community, and lend a hand to an organization that does such critical work.
Marlynn has lived in Greenfield for 40 years and was a founder of The Greenfield Center School, The Northeast Foundation for Schools (now The Center for Responsive Schools) and the Responsive Classroom approach to teaching. As a lifelong educator she has always believed in the value of service to others and for over 30 years has been a part of a community group that provides a meal once a month in Greenfield through FCCMP. Now retired she is thrilled to be able to support the goals of FCCMP in a deeper and broader way.
Barbara has lived in Orange since 2004 and got involved with food insecurity through a need to feel useful during the early days of the pandemic quarantine. She found a volunteer spot with the local food pantry and got drawn in by the enthusiasm of our Executive Director, Rachel Berggren. Barbara joined the Board of Directors within a couple of months and has found a home among a group of truly passionate community food insecurity benefactors.
Lindsay has lived and worked in Franklin County since 2013. She is the owner and clinician at Elemental Intuition, a virtual mental health group practice. Since college, Lindsay has worked with people needing help accessing basic needs, including food and shelter. Lindsay is happy to help advance social equity by joining the FCCMP board..
Advisory Board |
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| Mary Bell, Bernardston | Marian Boyd, Lynn |
| Jack Golden, Leyden | Phyllis Jeswald, Conway |
| Anna Bognolo, Greenfield |
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” ~ Anne Frank