I was born in Mexico City but have lived in Colorado since I was seven. So, Denver is home. As the eldest daughter of Mexican immigrants, I have lived experience of poverty and nutrition insecurity that drove her to become a Registered Dietitian. By day, I work in public health programs that tackle inefficiencies in the local food system. And by night, you can find me playing volleyball, salsa dancing, or relaxing with a book at night. Lilia Chavez Bernal (She, Her) – Board Member

I spent almost a decade in corporate consulting before shifting gears to combine my lifelong passion for health and wellness with my business background and nutrition education. While in nutrition school, I connected with Denver Food Rescue as a volunteer to support their mission of health equity. I volunteered weekly until she became too pregnant to carry boxes of food. I am passionate about the power of food to nourish and heal, and I believe fiercely that everyone should have access to fresh, healthy food. I am currently the head of content at Needed, living my passion of optimally nourishing women and their families throughout all stages of parenthood. I am a mama to two young boys and love exploring all the things the Colorado outdoors offers.  Hillary Bennetts (She, Her) – Board Member

I am the Founder and Director of award-winning Compost Colorado (CoCo), a rapidly growing public benefit company providing compost services across the Front Range. CoCo is a proud recipient of multiple grants including a $227K in 2022 from CDPHE to plan and construct Denver’s first compost facility. I also serve on the Denver Sustainability Advisory Council Zero-Waste Committee; the Colorado Composting Council; and am active with the Globeville First neighborhood advocacy group. While in college at NC State University, I studied Agroecology; managed the campus farmers market; and interned as an Incubator Farmer at the Interfaith Food Shuttle. I am passionate about food justice, regenerative agriculture, and holistic resource management.  Vann Fussell (He/Him) – Board Member 

I was born and raised in Denver. And I love calling this community home. I am an avid gardener and environmentalist with a background in Healthcare. My father was a chef, and my mother’s family farmed; this instilled a lifelong love of food and the community and culture it connects. The mission of DFR resonates strongly with me because I believe in equitable access to healthy and appropriate food as the basis for a progressive and successful society. I live in west Denver, where the food apartheid significantly affects my community, especially as the cost of living continues to increase. I sit on the Southwest Denver Food Advisory Council, which allows me to work with leaders within my neighborhood to accomplish local change. I love the innovative approaches DFR takes to engage the community and source healthy, culturally appropriate food for the community in a carbon-neutral way.  Heather Grady (She/Her) – Governance Committee 

I come to DFR with the drive to transform local food systems, so they work equitably for people and the planet. I believe that food is the foundation for thriving communities. My work is centered on building equitable communities and fostering connections between community members in the Denver metro area. I use interdisciplinary solutions and interpersonal connections to conduct my work creatively and collaboratively as a consultant, adjunct professor, and diversity, equity, and inclusion facilitator. Born and raised in Colorado, I currently call Denver home and enjoy gardening, teaching yoga, walking with my dog, Riley, and getting to know new people.  Brianna Johnson (She/Her) – DFR Interim President

My existence, and therefore what makes up the essence of my being, can be viewed as a Chronology of Multiple Incarnations. I have the experience of being an academic scholar who studied pulmonary infections, I am a father of three (3), I have felt the joys of marriage and devastation surrounding divorce, I have lived experience as a homeless individual, and I am currently on the winning side of a ten (10) year-long battle with alcohol. While our reality states that I am only thirty-two (32) years old, I have a breadth of experience rivalry the great philosophers of old. After obtaining a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences, I fell into alcoholism; At the same time, it forced a reshaping of my life and mental state, and the experience also pushed me into the Non-Profit Sector. Bayaud Enterprises looked past the faults that others have used to define me and instead trusted me to utilize the culmination of my skills in revitalizing their Food Pantry. Within a year, I maximized the efficiency of the Bayaud Food Pantry and nearly tripled the number of participants who visit monthly. As the Bayaud Food Pantry Coordinator, I placed myself in a position of advocacy for those experiencing food insecurities in the Denver Metro area. Once I expanded the Food Pantry to the highest extent possible, I passed the torch to a well-trained Successor. While I play a role in assisting individuals with Supplemental Security Income (SSI)/Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Benefits, lessening food insecurities for all human beings. Even beyond that, I believe that human beings tend to make life – and the action of living life – extremely difficult. We should all work as a collective to reverse that. Would that not be the true definition of what it means to be “human”? Taking a summary from my Resume or Curriculum Vitae: ‘As a highly proficient problem solver with the combined experience of a biological researcher, I place myself in positions that challenge my ability to resolve complex issues. My ubiquitous skillset is highly adaptable; being applicable to multiple areas of expertise, my ability to think critically leads to the innovative success of many multidisciplinary work sectors.’ “You must see by now there is no you and I. There is only us. We are together, or we are nothing.” – Professor X. Maximillion T.  Mize (He/Him/His) – DFR Secretary 

I am a self-employed project manager, fundraiser, writer, and researcher for a better food system. After obtaining a Master’s of Arts in Social Work from the University of Denver, focused specifically on food and environmental justice, I worked as a writer and researcher for a national food policy-focused non-profit, Farm Action. I started Straus Communications & Connections, a consulting business, in October of 2021, focusing specifically on project management and fundraising for efforts poised to make the food system more equitable and sustainable. While I often manage projects that are regional and national in scope, I remain rooted in the Denver community by working directly with local farmers, ranchers and community-focused organizations like Denver Food Rescue. I love being outside, getting my hands dirty on the farm, and cooking creatively with locally grown vegetable varieties.  Anna Straus (They/She) – Board Member 

I was born and raised in Minnesota and moved to Denver in 2018. After earning my BA in Government and Politics and a MPP with a concentration in Management, Finance, and Leadership from the University of Maryland, I started working in healthcare software. Now I am a management consultant. I am also an avid traveler, cook, and photographer. I have a passion for making a difference in the communities around me. I am proud to serve on the DFR Board to help make more equitable communities, strive for food security, and believe in constant learning and improvement. Robbie Rosenthal (He/Him) – Board Member