Market Team

Dana
Executive Director & Market Manager

Entering her fourth season at FSFM, 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 Baxter Community Center's Raised Garden Bed Program, 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
Operations Coordinator

Ron is eager to work with vendors and customers alike in his position at the market. Supporting 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 for Earthkeeper Farm, the YMCA Veggie Van, Nourish Organic Market, and Nutcase Vegan Meats.

A native Grand Rapidian, Ron has heard stories from his grandmother about attending the market as a child. As the centennial of the market approaches, he feels it is appropriate to both review the history of the market and look toward the future. He sees the market as a place for the community to come together over one of the things we all have in common: food!

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

MacKenzie
Communications Coordinator

MacKenzie loves sharing the beauty of the market through her creative role. She is a Grand Rapids native and is inspired by the vibrant colors, fresh smells and friendly smiles to capture her favorite thing about the market -- community. Passionate about the many ways we are all connected, MacKenzie conveys the message that supporting local vendors at our market has an impact beyond leading a healthy lifestyle; It is taking action towards creating a just food system. She is delighted to work at our historic market and share our dedication to providing food access to Grand Rapids and supporting local businesses.

In her free time, MacKenzie enjoys spending time at local coffee shops, trying out new recipes and exploring Michigan's unique landscape.

Brianna
Community Outreach Coordinator

A new-comer at FSFM, Brianna enjoys a colorful life as a poet and multi-disciplinary artist. Brianna is working toward a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and has been applying this knowledge to teaching preschool children for over 4 years! Brianna will be furthering their co-learning experience through implementing inspiring, interactive children’s activities. The idea of showing kids a more mindful and involved concept of food is a driving force behind Brianna’s work at the market!
Community enrichment and unity are some of Brianna’s most cherished values, and they adore seeing these principles culminate at the Fulton Street Farmers Market. Brianna will get a front row seat to how food-accessibility impacts market-goers as the Community Outreach Coordinator.

When not at work, Brianna enjoys taking bike rides, hikes, and creating art in whatever way they can.

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

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

DanaExecutive Director & Market Manager

Ron Operations Coordinator

MacKenzie Communications Coordinator

Brianna Community Outreach Coordinator

Val Market Master Gardener

TessaFarmers Market Food Navigator