Meet Our Team

Elesha Belke

Racial Equity Committee Chair

Elesha is a community and corporate leader with experience bringing integrated marketing campaigns to life, developing industry leading volunteer and employee engagement programs, working to infuse diversity and inclusion into every space she occupies. She currently leads the Diversity Marketing & Digital Content Innovations team within Capital One’s Enterprise Brand department. Elesha is an active mentor and committee co-chair in VOICES, Capital One’s Black Business Resource Group.

Elesha is fortunate to have gained experience in the private and public sectors throughout her career.  Driven by curiosity, Elesha feels most inspired by using strategic thinking, insights, creative problem solving, and broad perspective to deliver impactful results.

Elesha has previously served in volunteer roles for the Boys & Girls Club, Cadence Theater, Richmond Autism Integration Network, Madison Urban Ministry, as well as Vice President of the Madison Network for Black Professionals.

Elesha holds a BA and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and currently lives in Virginia. She’s an avid traveler, national park explorer, and a 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher.

Sharon Blount

Board Chair

Sharon joined the Board of Directors for Shalom Farms in 2019, after becoming aware of their work through Union Presbyterian Seminary (where the Northside Farm is located) and the avid support of both the seminary and her church, Second Presbyterian. The mission and values of Shalom firmly align with her own beliefs and desires to provide equitable access to good food and nutrition education to those in our community who are often denied those basic needs. Her board service includes serving as past chair of the Programs Committee and as the current chair of our new Racial Equity Committee where she leads the organization’s strategic initiatives to become an anti-racist organization. Sharon retired as a senior manager in the Internal Revenue Service after 31 years of federal service. These days, in addition to her work with Shalom Farms, much of her time is devoted to endeavors with Union Presbyterian Seminary, Second Presbyterian Church and The Presbyterian Outlook, where she serves as Board Chair. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, is an avid reader and loves to travel. She continually seeks out ways to incorporate service, creativity and a healthy lifestyle into retirement living.

Darren Broughton

Treasurer, Finance Committee Chair

Darren first became involved with Shalom Farms through volunteering. With a passion for building healthy communities, he wanted to further his support of Shalom Farms. He joined the Finance Committee in 2020 and the Board of Directors in 2021. Darren now serves as Chair of the Finance Committee and Treasurer. Darren is Vice President & Associate General Counsel at Altria Client Services, providing legal support to Altria Group Inc.’s operating and service companies. Since joining Altria in 2009, he has provided legal support in a variety of areas including sales, marketing, distribution, and brand and trade channel integrity. Darren and his wife live in Midlothian with their three active children, and as a family, they focus their volunteer efforts primarily in areas involving the food system, volunteering at a variety of local organizations.

Eric Clay

Eric Clay is a Senior Program Officer at the Community Foundation for a greater Richmond, and joined the Board of Shalom Farms in 2022. Eric manages the Foundation’s extensive health and wellness portfolio by serving as the content coordinator for multiple support organizations. He graduated from the University of Virginia, with a bachelor’s degree in Education. After graduating he completed 1 year of community service as an AmeriCorps member in Washington State, where he received an outstanding service award. In various senior leadership positions, Eric has championed the needs of marginalized communities. Outside of the office, you will find Eric hiking the trails of central Virginia.

Jeff Fender

Bio Coming Soon!

Johanna Gattuso

Board Vice-Chair

Johanna Gattuso is honored to serve as Board Vice Chair for Shalom Farms. She has been on the Board since 2019. Her interest in Shalom Farms started with volunteering with her church youth group at Shalom Farms’ first farm in Goochland, then with the Produce Prescription Program through the free clinics, as a registered nurse and clinical program consultant. She serves on several committees, and is a Master Gardener/Lead Volunteer. She holds an MBA from Case Western Reserve University and has worked on several wellness programs, including: Commonwealth Care of Virginia; Million Hearts; Healthy Communities Action Grant in Petersburg; and Richmond City Health District. Epiphany Lutheran Church members know her as a pre-K teacher. She loves spending time with her husband, grown children, beagle-mix pup, and at the library.

Steve Russo

Farm Committee Chair

Steve joined the Board in 2022, after five seasons as a lead volunteer at Shalom Farm’s Powhatan farm site. Steve has spent his entire career in the commercial real estate investment and finance industry, both with larger commercial/investment banks and most recently forming his own company. Steve holds a degree in Landscape Architecture from Virginia Tech. He currently lives in Midlothian, VA with his wife, two daughters and two dogs. Interests include yoga, farming, music and anything on the water.

Jennifer Wicker

Jennifer joined the Board of Shalom Farms in 2021. She currently serves as Senior Director of Policy and Government Affairs for the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association (VHHA), where her primary focus is behavioral health policy. Jennifer has over 15 years of experience in government relations at the local and state level; prior to joining VHHA, she served as the legislative director for Governor Terry McAuliffe and the policy analyst for the Secretaries of Health and Human Resources, Education, and Commerce and Trade. Jennifer currently serves as a board member for the Randolph-Macon College Society of Alumni, the Randolph-Macon College Multicultural Alumni Advisory Council, Mental Health of America – Virginia, VCU Pauley Heart Center Advisory Board, and Shalom Farms. Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia and a Master of Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia.

Tamara Young-Elmore

Tamara Young-Elmore is a community garden advocate and entrepreneur, and joined the Board of Shalom Farms in 2022. Tamara is a Founding Member of the Hotchkiss Community Garden (an early partner of Shalom Farms), where she continues to spearhead fundraising, volunteer coordination, community garden workdays, and rolls up her sleeves to help with everyday upkeep of the garden. After 20 years in the Hospitality Industry working in Operations, Sales, Event Planning and Information Technology with Marriott International, Tamara started garden consulting, has published two e-books for home gardeners, and runs the Tam In The Garden platform that includes over 10,000 active followers. Tamara is a dual degree graduate of Johnson & Wales University where she concentrated in Culinary Arts (AAS ‘94) and Food Service Management (BS ‘97).

Lou O’Boyle

Lou joined the Board at Shalom in 2024 after four years as a lead volunteer at the Northside Farm. Prior to retiring in 2023, Lou spent her entire career working with government and nonprofit organizations. In 2001 Lou launched and grew Zelos, a consulting organization focused on strategic planning, performance management and leadership
development. In 2006, Lou sold Zelos, but continued to do the work she loved as a Zelos consultant. Lou holds a degree in Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University. Interests include hiking, playing music with her husband and listening to live music.