Market Team

Dana // Executive Director

Entering her fifth year at the market, Dana is proud to work for an organization that centers its mission on supporting farmers and increasing food access. Prior to the market, Dana worked with GVSU's Sustainable Agriculture Project, Access' Farm to Pantry Program, Local First's Eat Local Campaign, and was given the immense privilege of interning at D-Town Farms with the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network. Dana is grateful to serve in a role that allows her to bring these experiences to the table to support our community. The Market is a place where people can come together across their differences to celebrate, connect, and learn. Dana looks forward to continuing to steward a vision for the market where all belong.

In her spare time, Dana enjoys bringing people together over a homemade meal, exploring local parks, and can frequently be found swimming in Lake Michigan.

Ron // Market Manager

Entering his second year at the Market, Ron enjoys interacting with vendors and customers alike in his position. Being in a role where he could support local farmers and food businesses while increasing accessibility to healthy food has been his dream job since studying Sustainable Food Systems at GVSU. Ron has extensive experience in the local food system, including working on organic farms, the YMCA Veggie Van, Nourish Organic Market, and Nutcase Vegan Meats.

A Grand Rapids native, Ron grew up hearing stories from his grandmother about attending the Market when she was child. As we celebrate the Centennial of the Market, he feels it is a great time to review the history of the Market while also looking toward the future. Ron sees the Market as a place for the community to come together over one of the things we all have in common: food! Regular customers and long-time vendors know, shopping at the Market is more than a transactional experience, it is a way of life. The interactions that happen here enrich and give life to the community and deepen our connection to this place we all share.

When he’s not at the Market Ron can be found biking around the city, drawing, or taking care of his plants.

DeAnne // Marketing & Communications Coordinator

Entering her first year at the market, DeAnne is energized at the idea of working with an organization focused on spreading education and equity throughout West Michigan. While pursuing a degree in marketing from Grand Valley State University, DeAnne gained an affinity for the local art, food, and community the city of Grand Rapids has to offer. She is honored to be in a role where she can be both creative and analytical while helping bring greater recognition to local small businesses. DeAnne looks forward to joining the Fulton Street Farmers Market team and helping celebrate the Market’s centennial year.

DeAnne enjoys dancing, watching game shows, and exploring the great outdoors alongside her dog Darla in her free time.

Daniel // Food Access Coordinator

Dan is joining us in an official capacity as a Food Access Coordinator after having been our intern/graduate student researcher for the past year. He will be heading the gleaning initiative here at the market as well as overseeing the food assistance programs FSFM has partnered with. Dan is excited to be working closely with the Grand Rapids community to increase access to healthy and nutritious foods while building upon the many relationships he has already made during his time here at the market.

Dan is relatively new to Michigan, having moved from Arizona in the summer of 2019 with his wife Beth. He is a recent graduate from Grand Valley State University with a master's degree in Social Innovation. In his spare time, he can be found hanging out with his dog Webster and enjoying the outdoor life Michigan has to offer whether that’s working in his garden, camping, BBQing, or taking in the Lake Michigan.

Val // Market Master Gardener

Val has been a visitor to the Market for over 30 years. She became more involved when the Extension Office of Michigan State University staffed a Smart Gardening Booth with Master Gardeners in 2018. Her interest extended to planting a pollinator garden on the west side of the Market Head House in 2019. Once the pollinator garden was established, Val moved on to begin weeding and planting the landscape beds in the parking lot. By utilizing low maintenance, drought tolerant, and some native plants in these gardens, she is setting them up to be easy to maintain and flourish for years to come.

The beauty of the flowers and butterflies is her way of feeding our sense of sight and smell, as the markets produce and food products feed our bodies.

Tessa // Farmers Market Food Navigator

Tessa is the Nutrition in Action Assistant Director at the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids and has been a longtime supporter of the Market. Through a partnership with the Michigan Fitness Foundation, the YMCA brings the Food Navigator program to FSFM! Tessa leads this program as the Market's very own Food Navigator. She spends her time providing nutrition resources, helping shoppers with purchasing, storing and preparing their market goodies, and supporting lasting improvements towards making shopping at the Market easy and accessible to all. Through the The Farmers Market Food Navigator program Tessa is able to address barriers that shoppers using food assistance at farmers markets might face, like building confidence in talking with vendors, selecting produce, and using new foods. You can find her among the vendors on Wednesday's or Friday's from June through September.

While she is not working, at the YMCA or FSFM, it is very likely that you can find her purchasing Market goodies of her own. She also enjoys time spent with her children camping, hiking, and exploring the great outdoors, as well as whipping up delicious Market inspired meals at home.

Vendor Committee

Cellar Door Preserves
Daddy's Dough Cookies
Full Hollow Farm
Mycophile's Garden
Nyblads Orchards
Strick Farm
Visser Farms

Board of Directors

Michele Giordano | President
Kim Sanwald | Vice President
Chad Kirkpatrick | Secretary
Jill Myer | Treasurer
Steve Krogman | City Liaison
Mark Cleveland
Margaret Sudekum
Ryan McNamara
Calvin Wiersma
Jennifer Bongiorno
Destiny Swanson
Briana Trudell