Our Staff

Ivie Baker IV (he/him)

Community Kitchen Program Manager

Ivie brings a wealth of entrepreneurship experience to Crossroads, which he gained by establishing a food startup while pursuing his MBA at Howard University. Having worn multiple hats in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors since then, Ivie‘s focus now is to share business insights and creative problem-solving skills with Crossroads’ food entrepreneurs. He has a passion for seeing growth from all angles and utilizing technology and intellectual property to scale up. Away from the kitchen, you may find Ivie planting in his garden or practicing handstands to find the perfect balance.

Lauren Goldberg

(she/her)

Executive Director

Lauren brings wide-ranging development and organizational management experience from the nonprofit and for-profit sectors. Lauren’s work is focused on people-centered program design, community and network organizing, and building systems for transforming our foodways informed by an environmental justice lens. Lauren holds a BA in International Relations and an MS in Food Policy.

Robin Hernandez

(she/her/ella)

Healthy Eating Program Manager

Robin, who first learned Spanish at nearby Rolling Terrace Elementary School, is thrilled to be back in the Takoma/Langley Park community. Robin holds a BA from Temple University and uses her experiences as a case manager, volunteer coordinator, farmer, and educator to help community members thrive and grow. Most recently, Robin spent a season with Love and Carrots and previously worked with the Washington Youth Garden at the National Arboretum. Robin co-chairs the Gardening Subcommittee of the Montgomery County Food Council.

Janet Rumble

(she/her)

Deputy Director

Janet’s background is in architecture, urban design, and journalism, and she is especially interested in the role that public spaces like Crossroads Farmers Market play in strengthening communities and creating a sense of place. She holds a BA from Barnard College and an MArch from the University of Miami School of Architecture. Having worked in a wide range of roles and environments, Janet has a broad skill set that includes team leadership, strategic planning, and leveraging the power of storytelling to increase Crossroads’ reach, resources, and impact.

Sara Servin

(she/her/ella)

Senior Farmers Market Program Manager

Sara manages Crossroads Farmers Market, the Fresh Checks Program, and many relationships with community partners and other stakeholders working to increase access to fresh, healthy food. Sara holds a dual MA degree in international affairs and natural resources and sustainable development from American University and University for Peace in Costa Rica. She’s excited to be doing work that is rooted in the community and thinks that farmers markets, SNAP, and their joint role in food access have a vital role in the development and security of communities. Sara is a member of the Montgomery County Food Council’s Food Economy Working Group, SNAP Working Group, and the Racial Equity Committee.

Sharon Shatananda

(she/her/ella)

Programs Assistant

Sharon began working at Crossroads in Spring 2022 as a Programs Assistant supporting Crossroads Farmers Market and the Healthy Eating Program. Sharon first started growing food at the GroW Community garden at George Washington University where she studied International Affairs, Spanish, and Sustainability. Since then, she has had the opportunity to experience different aspects of the food system, from working on the Produce Plus program with DC Greens to selling at farmers markets, and working on farms in Virginia and now DC. When she’s not at Crossroads, you can find Sharon experimenting with natural dyes from her garden to find the perfect shade of green!

Liz Whitehurst

(she/her)

CSA Coordinator

Liz’s relationship with Crossroads started way back in 2009, when she sold produce for the Farm at Our House at the market. Since then, she’s worked for a variety of nonprofits and farms, including Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture and Angelic Organics Learning Center. She’s currently running her own farm, Owl’s Nest Farm, in Prince George’s County.

Flor Yanes

(she/her/ella)

Community Outreach Specialist

In addition to coordinating Fresh Checks transactions at the market, Flor leads our team of Community Ambassadors in outreach efforts. Flor lives within walking distance to the market and first came to Crossroads more than 10 years ago through her participation in Padres Latinos at Rolling Terrace Elementary School. She is an avid gardener who loves to grow food and a tireless community organizer who is always connecting people with resources.

Chris Yanez (he/him/él)

Farmers Market Assistant

Chris began volunteering at Crossroads Farmers Market on his birthday in 2020, and started working at the market the next week! As a neighbor to the market, Chris also shares information about Crossroads with fellow students at Montgomery College and does outreach throughout the surrounding community as a Community Ambassador. When he’s not working with Crossroads, you can find him working on his car or cruising around!

Community Ambassadors

Pictured above, left to right (along with Flor and Sara): Tsehay Seyoum, Ruth Njike, Shannon Tomac, Michelle Dudley, Evelyn Cruz, and Morgan Wiggan. Not pictured: Maria Chavez, Dalila Martinez, and Rebecca Rivera. Crossroads Farmers Market Community Ambassadors are outgoing and indefatigable community organizers who assist with market outreach and give critical input on market operations and materials. Through their work, Crossroads reaches people neighbor-to-neighbor and family member-to-family member to share accurate and up-to-date information about SNAP and other federal nutrition benefits programs and Crossroads’ Fresh Checks “double dollar” program.

Previous Staff

Many people have helped to grow Crossroads as an organization over the past 14 years, and we are immensely grateful for their hard work and dedication. In addition to those pictured, we’d like to recognize the contributions of Shayia Johnson, Michele Levy, Liz Curtz, Maria Chevez, Karina Mendoza, Tameka Lance, Victoria Hall, Patricia Jurado, Gabriela Lopez, and Allison Milchling, as well as the amazing efforts put in by our AmeriCorps VISTAs Katie Baker, Gabrielle Rovegno, Hally Sablosky, Maggie Switzer, Lisa Matt, and Hailey Edmondson. Thank you all!

Jennifer Underwood

 

Christie Balch

 

Rosa Sanchez
Ariel Rothman
Morgan Wiggan
Michelle Dudley

Board of Directors

Amyre Barker
Statistician, Health Resources & Services Administration

Kate Scaife Diaz
Foundation Representative, Inter-American Foundation

Elizabeth McMeekin
Freelance Interpreter Spanish <> English

Raul Medrano
Founder, Café Medrano, LLC

Catherine Nardi
Alumni Engagement Specialist, DC Central Kitchen

Vanessa Pierre
Founder, Homestead Hustle & Healing

Michael Rubin
Managing Director, Impact Silver Spring

Maritza Solano
 Director of Education, CASA de Maryland

Tamika Yourse
Patient Coordinator Manager, Takoma Park Integrative Care

Bea Zuluaga
Founder, foodwithbea.com

 

Advisory Council

Kate Clancy
Food Systems Consultant and Visiting Scholar at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Center for a Livable Future; Adjunct Professor at Tufts University; and Senior Fellow in the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, University of Minnesota

Kate Fitzgerald
Independent consultant to the Fair Food Network and the Farmers Market Coalition

Liz Tuckermanty
Faculty member at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation; Board of Directors, Cheverly Community Market in Cheverly, MD

 

Founders

Gus Schumacher (1940-2017)
Co-founder of Crossroads Farmers Market; co-founder and VP of Policy of Wholesome Wave; former Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services at USDA 

John C. Hyde (1945-2009)
Co-founder of Crossroads Farmers Market; journalist, author, and co-founder with Louise Swartzwalder of Takoma Kitchens

Michele Tsucalas
Inaugural Crossroads Farmers Market manager; founder and owner of Michele’s Granola

Crossroads is thankful to the following partners and supporters:

 

Alternative Gifts of Greater Washington | Amerigroup/Anthem, Inc. | CCI Health Services | CentroNía | Canopy Family Care | Carl M. Freeman Foundation | ​City of Takoma Park | Cloudbreak Foundation | Community Health and Empowerment through Education and Research (CHEER) | Eat the Change Impact | Finn Family Group | FRESHFARM | Food For Montgomery Fund of the Greater Washington Community Foundation | Impact1890—A National Lutheran Program | John Edward Fowler Memorial Foundation | Louis H. Shaman Charitable Foundation | Main Street Pearl | Mid-Atlantic Food Resilience and Access Coalition (MAFRAC) | Meals on Wheels of Takoma Park/Silver Spring | Michele’s Granola | Montgomery County | No Kid Hungry/Share Our Strength | Nora Roberts Foundation | PNC Foundation | Old Takoma Business Association/Main Street Takoma | Prince George’s County Community Partnership | Prince George’s County Department of Social Services | Priority Partners | Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission (SMADC) | Takoma/Langley Crossroads Development Authority | Takoma Foundation | Takoma Park Presbyterian Church | The Catalogue for Philanthropy – Greater Washington | Takoma Park Silver Spring Co-op | The Cliff and Deborah White Family Foundation of the Greater Washington Community Foundation | The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation | TPSS Co-op | USDA Farmers Market Promotion Program | Washington Adventist Hospital/Adventist HealthCare Community Partnership Fund

 

And many, many generous individuals!

 

 

Voted one of the DC-area’s best charities!

Crossroads’ Nondiscrimination and Anti-racism Policy

 

 

 

 

Our Impact:

Our five-year Strategic Plan: