Meet Our Team
Administrative Staff

Sara Darland
Development Operations Manager
Änna Ibrahim
Executive Director


Rainey Niklawski
Development Director


Latavia Taylor
Operations Director

Sara Darland
Development Operations Manager
Sara (Schmatz) Darland (she/her) is the Development Operations Manager for Shalom Farms. She holds a Masters in Strategic Fundraising and Philanthropy from Bay Path University and is a member of the Virginia Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Central Virginia Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Sara started her career in sustainable agriculture with Broadfork Farm and the Virginia Association for Biological Farming, and from 2015-2017 served as Shalom Farms’ Volunteer and Education Coordinator. When not working, Sara can be found experimenting in the kitchen (while never following the recipe), tending to her porch garden, reading too many books at once, and spending time on the river with her husband.



Änna Ibrahim
Executive Director
Änna Ibrahim serves as Executive Director. She is honored to be a part of the work of Shalom Farms and the broader Richmond food access community. Prior to her move to Virginia, Änna worked in progressive faith advocacy and direct service organizations in Washington, DC, where she designed new programs and facilitated key organizational processes, including embedding a racial equity lens into program development, strategic planning and org-wide visioning. Änna holds a BA in Middle Eastern Studies from Hamline University and a MBA in Design Strategy from the California College of the Arts. As descendant of farmers, she loves digging in the dirt. As a Palestinian, she loves shakshukah and shawarma in the majority of their interpretations. Outside of work you can find her relishing the newfound joy of a porch sit with her husband in Brookland Park.
Email:anna@shalomfarms.org



Rainey Niklawski
Development Director
Rainey Niklawski is the Development Director for Shalom Farms. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University as well as the CFRE designation achieved in 2021. An avid extrovert, Rainey has focused that people-centered energy on building meaningful relationships that turn community partnerships into impact. In her off hours, Rainey can be found spending time with her husband and two children usually outdoors, lacing up running shoes, or watering her dozens of plants.
Email:rainey@shalomfarms.org



Latavia Taylor
Operations Director
Latavia Marie Taylor (she/her) serves as the Operations Director at Shalom Farms. After years of working corporate jobs, Latavia found her niche in non-profit. Latavia has always had a passion for serving and educating her “friends” (as she calls them) in her local community whether in business coaching, personal development, counseling or a good meal. Most importantly, she believes everyone should have a healthy meal with dignity and respect. She holds a B.A in Business Administration and M.A. in Christian Education and is currently studying to complete her Doctorate in Community Health and Sustainability at Virginia Union University. She considers herself to be a professional hobbyist. Her new found joy is evening snuggles with her puppy Walter.
Distribution and Engagement Network Staff



Alistar Harris
Distribution Network Manager


Sara Reid Lewis
Mobile Market Associate


Erin Lingo
Network Engagement Director


Jason Muckle
Community Engagement Manager


Alistar Harris
Distribution Network Manager
Alistar (he/him) is the Distribution Network Manager for Shalom Farms. Born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa, Alistar brings with him a deep love for the natural world. His work with Shalom Farms takes place at the nexus of improving food justice, advancing nutrition security, and reducing food apartheid for all Richmonders. He believes that no matter where one lives or how little money one has, we all deserve quality food at affordable prices. His past work includes owning and operating a small-scale, organic, mixed vegetable production farm, leading outdoor experiential learning programs for youth-at-risk, and climate justice programming with subsistence food growers. He makes a home and garden in Richmond’s Battery Park neighborhood with his darling wife, Rebecca and his two children, Georgia and Miles.



Sara Reid Lewis
Mobile Market Associate
Sara Reid (Sreid) is the Mobile Market Associate for Shalom Farms. A graduate from Rhodes College with a BA in Marketing and Spanish, she found her true passion for working with nature after college. Seeking a more fulfilling career path, she decided to pursue opportunities that align with her values and personal interests. When she’s not on the farm, you can find Sara Reid at the river with her two dogs, in her home garden, or tending to her collection of exotic houseplants.



Erin Lingo
Network Engagement Director
Erin (she/her) is the Network Engagement Director at Shalom Farms. Erin has spent her career working to increase market opportunities for farmers, providing technical assistance and networking opportunities to food hubs, teaching college courses on food systems and nutrition, and most recently partnering emergency food programs with healthcare systems and nutrition support to build true food and health equity. She is humbled to be part of the Shalom Farms team and always looking for innovative ways to deepen impact, creatively collaborate, and bring people together (usually over food). Erin holds an MA in Social Ecology and Community Food Systems from Prescott College. She lives in Church Hill with her husband Scott and son Asher, and when she’s not cooking or talking about veggies, you can find her riding her bike around town, teaching yoga, or playing guitar with her band.
Email:erin@shalomfarms.org



Jason Muckle
Community Engagement Manager
Jason Muckle (he/him) is the Community Engagement Manager for Shalom Farms. After teaching in Northern Virginia for several years, Jason returned to Richmond with plans of finishing his degree. Instead, he found himself merging his passion for teaching with his knowledge of food. He began volunteering with several organizations around Richmond before becoming an AmeriCorps Vista in Greater Fulton, an experience that emphasized the systemic food access issues in Richmond. Recently, Jason has been using food as a vehicle for change by teaching cooking classes through his business, CHEW (Cooking for Health Education and Wellness). When he is not cooking or talking about food, Jason enjoys making music playlists, dj-ing, and hanging out with his cats Butters and Munch.
Email:cook@shalomfarms.org
Farm Staff



Amber Albee
Northside Farm Manager


Steve Miles
Agriculture Director


Melissa Hudson
Northside Packing + Production Coordinator


Bryce Miller
Powhatan Crew + Production Coordinator


Cheyenne Nicholas
Powhatan Packing Associate


Leigh Salvucci
Powhatan Agriculture + Production Assistant


Seyra Whitney
Powhatan Farm Manager


Amber Albee
Northside Farm Manager
Amber Albee (she/her) is the Farm Manager at our Northside Farm. Amber began her journey with Shalom as a Farmer in Residence back in 2017. Before that, she worked with and for farmers around the globe, striving to deepen her relationship with the plants that sustain us, and the farmers who sustain them. Amber graduated from the University of Connecticut with a dual degree in Agriculture & Resource Economics and Human Rights. Amber holds boundless gratitude for the family members who harvested wild blackberries and foraged mushrooms alongside her in her youth, helping to pass on a deep reverence for the earth. All this and more has intertwined to create a profound desire to work towards creating a food system that serves everyone and is rooted in respect, justice, and equity. While off the farm, Amber can be found cruising around town on her bicycle or relaxing with a warm cup of tea.



Steve Miles
Agriculture Director
Steve Miles (he/him) is the Agriculture Director for Shalom Farms. He has over 20 years of horticultural experience with his primary interest being in regenerative methods of production. He studied Religion at VCU and has a Masters of Theological Studies from Vanderbilt Divinity School. Steve and his wife, Amanda, have three boys: Eden, Asher, and Ezra. When he’s not on the farm, Steve enjoys spending time with his family, reading post-apocalyptic novels, and listening to music that Amanda doesn’t really like. He also enjoys riding mountain bikes, training for mountain bike races, reading magazines about mountain bikes, listening to podcasts about mountain bikes, working on mountain bikes, and dreaming about mountain bikes.
Email:steve@shalomfarms.org



Melissa Hudson
Northside Packing + Production Coordinator
Melissa Hudson (she/her) is the Northside Farm’s Production Coordinator. Hudson first fell in love with farming as a Shalom volunteer in 2015 and has been working in the dirt ever since. She studied Sociology at William & Mary and uses this background to inform her work, pursuing a more just and equitable food system. Off the farm, she can be found playing around in the darkroom, taking trivia too seriously, and binging audiobooks.
Email:hudson@shalomfarms.org



Bryce Miller
Powhatan Crew + Production Coordinator
Bryce (he/him) has been working with Shalom for five years, beginning as a volunteer, then intern, Farmer-in-Residence, and now as Crew Leader. With a passion for serving others and providing welcoming spaces for people to connect, Bryce is looking forward to providing food for people to enjoy with others. Off the farm, Bryce is affectionately referred to by his family as the human garbage disposal, and is passionate about cooking and eating food! When he isn’t in the kitchen, you can find him playing soccer or a variety of sports, activating the dreamatorium, or enjoying a drink with friends. He is looking forward to meeting you and having a good time while working hard in the dirt!
Email:bryce@shalomfarms.org



Cheyenne Nicholas
Powhatan Packing Associate
bio coming soon!



Leigh Salvucci
Powhatan Agriculture + Production Assistant
Leigh was born in Baton Rouge, LA but grew up here in Richmond. Leigh graduated from Open High in 2020 with a love for the earth that grew from co-leading Open’s Environmental Club. Shalom has helped Leigh narrow that passion down to farming and Leigh is thrilled to be the Powhatan Agriculture + Production Assistant for the 2023 season.



Seyra Whitney
Powhatan Farm Manager
Seyra (she/her) is the Farm Manager at the Powhatan Farm. She has been with Shalom Farms since starting as Farmer In Residence in 2016. Seyra oversees hoop house production and produce distribution, and loves systems and problem solving. Seyra enjoys trying out new techniques for growing in the hoop houses and is always working to improve yields. When not at the farm, Seyra enjoys hiking, camping, swimming in various bodies of water, and cooking up a storm.
Email:farm@shalomfarms.org
Volunteer & Education Staff



Arin Burke
Powhatan Volunteer and Education Coordinator


Marc Charbonier
Northside Volunteer & Education Coordinator


Hannah Wittwer
Director of Volunteer and Education Services


Mia Chand
Powhatan Volunteer + Education Assistant


Arin Burke
Powhatan Volunteer and Education Coordinator
Arin (she/her) is the Volunteer and Education Coordinator at the Powhatan Farm. She has worked on and off with the organization for the last 7 years. During the time she wasn’t working with Shalom, she was traveling through Europe and North Africa, eventually settling for two years in the south of Spain. During her time abroad, Arin taught full time in a public school and spent her free-time volunteering at a nearby vegetable farm and farmer’s market, drinking rioja and dancing to reggaeton. These days, when not dreaming about vegetables or far away lands, she can be found doing something she’s good at (like cooking spicy meals or thrifting the perfect pair of jeans) or practicing something she’s not (like tacking her little, blue sailboat or throwing anything symmetrical on a potter’s wheel).
Email:burke@shalomfarms.org



Marc Charbonier
Northside Volunteer & Education Coordinator
Marc (they/them) is so happy to be returning to the Shalom Farms team as the Northside Volunteer & Education Coordinator this season. Having studied Sociology and Environmental Science at William & Mary, Marc believes that all forms of social injustice manifest within our food systems and wants to be a part of building alternative systems that are rooted in justice, community well-being, and a mutually beneficial relationship with the earth. Marc’s favorite things are well-loved couches, long hugs, sunlight shining through the leaves, and staring at the moon. At any given moment, you can probably find them dyeing their hair bright colors or searching for Richmond’s best lavender latte. They love people and the earth, and see their work at Shalom Farms as a wonderful way to be caring for both.



Hannah Wittwer
Director of Volunteer and Education Services
Hannah Wittwer (she/her) is the Director of Volunteer and Education Services at Shalom Farms. After finishing college, Hannah spent 5 years teaching preschool, milking cows and working on an organic vegetable farm. She earned her Master of Science in childhood education and NYS teaching certification in 2015, and is thrilled to work with Shalom Farms in a role that allows her to facilitate exciting learning experiences on a working farm. She hopes to contribute to a more just food system by supporting the development of positive attitudes towards sustainable agriculture and healthy food. Off the farm, Hannah can be found knitting, baking, playing with clay, and hiking with her terribly cute and terribly behaved hound dog.



Mia Chand
Powhatan Volunteer + Education Assistant
bio coming soon!
Board of Directors



Elesha Belke



Sharon Blount
Board Chair, Racial Equity Committee Chair


Darren Broughton
Treasurer, Finance Committee Chair


Eric Clay



Isabel Eljaiek



Jeff Fender



Johanna Gattuso
Board Vice-Chair


Linda Georgiadis



Helen Ragazzi



Steve Russo
Farm Committee Chair


Jennifer Wicker



Tamara Young-Elmore



Elesha Belke
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, Racial Equity Committee 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.



Isabel Eljaiek
Isabel Eljaiek has spent the past decade working to support food access and equitable community development across her region in Richmond, VA, and nationally. She comes to this work with an evaluative lens and expertise at the intersections of data, technology, and impact evaluation. Isabel holds a Master’s of Social Work Administration & Policy from Virginia Commonwealth University, where she also earned her certificate in Nonprofit Management. She was selected as a Growing Power scholarship recipient for the Growing Power, Growing Justice training program and helped to develop urban corner store initiatives in Richmond and Henrico aimed at increasing local food access. Outside of the office, you can catch Isabel practicing headstands with her daughter and joining her partner in their backyard urban farm (once mosquito season is over).



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.



Linda Georgiadis
Having learned about Shalom Farms in 2019, Linda immediately wanted to be involved; she felt a strong connection with the farm’s purpose of providing equal access to healthy food.
Linda began her career working in the healthcare field (in emergency medicine and orthopedics) after graduating from Johns Hopkins’ physician assistant program. A few years later, her career path took a turn when she entered the University of Miami law school, which ultimately led to a 30+ year career defending individual healthcare providers and institutions.
After stepping back from practicing law, Linda became an ACE certified Health and Wellness coach, which reinforced her belief and commitment to the importance of healthy eating. When not volunteering, Linda enjoys playing pickleball, trying out new recipes, learning new dance steps and spending time with her two beautiful grown children.



Helen Ragazzi
Helen Ragazzi has served on the Board of Shalom Farms and the Programs Committee since 2021, lending her experience to our work of addressing food insecurity with nutritious food options, as a key step in helping folks in our community lead healthier lives. She is an MD and has been board certified by the American Academy of Pediatrics since 1994. She has lived in Richmond since 1999 and has worked clinically in a variety of settings including academic, private practice and a mobile health clinic for the uninsured, and has served on several boards for work related to health equity. She received an award from the AAP for her asthma quality improvement work and an honorary fellowship from VCU Department of Pediatrics for her community service. Her current work involves helping people reduce lifestyle risks and manage their chronic conditions through behavior change and education about proper nutrition, and she is a committed volunteer to Crossover Health Ministries. In her spare time, she enjoys sun, sand, biking, and traveling with her husband.



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).


Join Our Team!
Interested in joining the Shalom Farms team? Learn about our current job openings and internship opportunities.