Coaches, Presenters and Institute Planning Team  

Catherine Hallisey - Coach Liaison

Catherine (she/her) was born and raised in Connecticut and started her journey in the CT food system in 2013 when she was a FoodCorps service member at UConn Extension. Since then, Catherine has held various roles related to farm-to-school in CT, from supporting and training FoodCorps members to engaging with school districts interested in increasing local procurement. Currently, Catherine is the FoodCorps Impact & Partnerships Lead for CT and is responsible for cultivating and maintaining FoodCorps’ partnerships with school districts across the state. 

Catherine will be leading the cohort of coaches who will support Institute teams throughout the school year.

Meg Hadley-Coach - Ponus STEAM Academy, Norwalk Public Schools

Meg (she/her) is a non-profit program coordinator and experienced farm to school educator who has been  living and working in CT since 2019. Meg moved to the state to serve for 2 years as a FoodCorps service member at Tracey Magnet School in Norwalk, where she taught hundreds of farm to school lessons and led the creation and implementation of a Farm to School Action Plan. Meg's additional experiences include a degree in Behavioral Economics & Public Health at Cornell, teaching second grade in CA, interning with the EPA, and working as an environmental educator for both an arboretum in Pennsylvania and for SoundWaters in Stamford. Meg is now the Food Security Coordinator for the United Way of Western Connecticut. 

Lisa Lenskold- Project Director

Lisa (she/her) is the Executive Director of Norwalk Grows. Norwalk Grows partners with Norwalk Public Schools to install school gardens and promote garden education. Lisa has immense experience in project management, facilitation, fundraising, garden education, and garden installations. Lisa represented CT at the VT FEED Institute Adapters program in 2022, as well as a coach and community member on several school teams at the Northeast Farm to School Institute.  

Lisa is now bringing her skills to the help lead the CT Planning Team. 

Eric Dawson- Planning Team Member

Eric (he/him) is a farmer and educator for Yellow Farmhouse Education Center.  Eric became interested in regenerative agriculture during college when he volunteered at the on-campus farm, SPROUT. He has experience in farm based education and farm management from his prior work at SPROUT and Green City Growers. In addition to his role at Yellow Farmhouse Education Center, and on the CT Farm to School Institute Planning Team, Eric is also a Steering Committee Member of the CT Farm to School Collaborative.

Theresa Rangel- Planning Team Member

Theresa (she/her) is the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Naugatuck Public Schools. Theresa brings her past experience as a school principal at Tracey Magnet, a school team that  attended the Northeast Farm to School Institute in 2020. 

Theresa is the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consultant for the Institute Planning Team, as well as supporting the CT FTS Institute Evaluation process.

Sherlene Rodriguez - Planning Team Member

Sherlene (she/her) is the Farm to School Specialist for UConn Extension's Put Local on Your Tray Program and is a Steering Committee Member of the CT Farm to School Collaborative. Sherlene brings her past experiences with FoodCorps, Green Village Initiative, coaching for the Northeast Farm to School Institute and CT Grown For CT Kids Grants Program to the planning team, as well as her skills around workshop development and facilitation. 

Catherine Hallisey- Planning Team Member

Catherine (she/her) was born and raised in Connecticut and started her journey in the CT food system in 2013 when she was a FoodCorps service member at UConn Extension. Since then, Catherine has held various roles related to farm-to-school in CT, from supporting and training FoodCorps members to engaging with school districts interested in increasing local procurement. Currently, Catherine is the FoodCorps Impact & Partnerships Lead for CT and is responsible for cultivating and maintaining FoodCorps’ partnerships with school districts across the state. 

Catherine leads the Coaching program for the CT Farm to School Institute.

Molly Deegan- Planning Team Member

Molly (she/her) is a garden educator at Environmental Sciences Magnet School in Hartford. Molly brings experience from her time with FoodCorps, Put Local on Your Tray, the CT Farm to School Collaborative, and Spring Valley Student Farm. She is a farmer, educator, creator, photographer, event planner, and strategist. Molly reprented CT at the first ever VT FEED Institute Adaptation program in 2022. The Adapters Institute provided the CT Team with valuable best practices, support and mentorship to plan for the 2023-24 CT Farm to School Institute.

Matt Durham- Planning Team Member

Matt (he/him) is an educator at Yellow Farmhouse Education Center. Matt was raised in North Stonington, CT, and has a MAEd degree in Natural Sciences and Environmental Education. Matt has worked as the director of education for a small community farm in Massachusetts, as well as a garden educator with Edible Schoolyard New Orleans. 

Matt joined the CT Farm to School Institute Planning team to help support the Summer Retreat and workshops. 

Jen Rothman- Planning Team Member

Jen (she/her) is the Executive Director of Yellow Farmhouse Education Center. Jennifer has over twenty years of experience building programs for museums, gardens and farms. Prior to relocating to Mystic, CT, Jennifer was the education director at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture. She was also the Vice President of Children’s and Public Education at The New York Botanical Garden where she worked for nine years and was the education director and interim director of the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo. 

Jen brings her immense event-planning and workshop experience to the CT Farm to School Institute Planning Team. 

Dawn Crayco- FoodCorps

Dawn (she/her) is FoodCorps' Northeast Regional Policy Director. Dawn spent the beginning of her professional career working on anti-hunger and nutrition program and policy. She joined FoodCorps to lead the Connecticut Field Office after being involved with the start of FoodCorps CT in 2012. Dawn currently leads various farm to school advocacy efforts across the northeast and will be presenting to teams about how they can get involved in CT policy efforts related to school meals and food education.

Dawn will be Co-Facilitating the Policy Breakfast: The Power of Advocacy in Growing Farm to School 

Joey Listro- New Britain ROOTS

Joey (he/him) is Executive Director of New Britain ROOTS. A New Britain native, Joey Listro has worked on a variety of non-profit farms beginning in 2009. He's a former Incubator Farmer at the Community Farm of Simsbury, served as Head Teacher and Educational Programs Consultant at Urban Oaks Organic Farm in New Britain, and spent two years managing a 100+ acre educational farm in New Milford. Joey serves on the steering committee of the New CT Farmer Alliance and is an active member of the Coalition for New Britain's Youth. 

Joey will be Co-Facilitating the Policy Breakfast: The Power of Advocacy in Growing Farm to School  

Abby DuBois - Put Local on Your Tray

Abby (she/her) is the Campaigns Coordinator for UConn Extension's Put Local on Your Tray Team. In this role, Abby assists school districts across CT in promoting local products through the use of Put Local on Your Tray Materials. 

Abby will be Co-Facilitating the Cafeteria - Source, Serve, Celebrate Workshop

Sherlene Rodriguez - Put Local on Your Tray

Sherlene (she/her) is the Farm to School Specialist for UConn Extension's Put Local on Your Tray Program and is a Steering Committee Member of the CT Farm to School Collaborative. Sherlene brings her past experiences with FoodCorps, Green Village Initiative, coaching for the Northeast Farm to School Institute and CT Grown For CT Kids Grants Program to the planning team, as well as her skills around workshop development and facilitation. 

Sherlene will be Co-Facilitating the Cafeteria- Source, Serve, Celebrate Workshop. 

Shannon Raider-Ginsburg - Put Local on Your Tray

Shannon (she/her) is the Farmer Liaison for UConn Extension's Put Local on Your Tray Team. In this role, Shannon assists school districts across CT in connecting to local farmers. 

Shannon will be Co-Facilitating the Cafeteria- Source, Serve, Celebrate Workshop. 

Emmanuel Marte - Put Local on Your Tray

Emmanuel (he/him) is the Communication Specialist for UConn Extension's Put Local on Your Tray Team. In this role, Emmanuel supports all aspects of Put Local on Your Tray's communications.

Emmanuel will be Co-Facilitating the Cafeteria-Source, Serve, Celebrate Workshop. 

Theresa Rangel- Naugatuck Public Schools

Theresa (she/her) is the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Naugatuck Public Schools. Theresa brings her past experience as a school principal at Tracey Magnet, a school team that  attended the Northeast Farm to School Institute in 2020. Theresa is the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consultant for the Institute Planning Team, as well as supporting the CT FTS Institute Evaluation process.

Theresa will be Facilitating Creating an Equity Centered FTS Planning and Implementation Process Workshop.  

Angela Griffin - Simsbury Public Schools

Angela (she/her) is a champion for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in education, an advocate for the power of the arts, and the unique intersection of the two fields. Angela has been employed as the K-12 Director of Music & Performing Arts for the Simsbury school district for the past 12 years and is a founding member of the district Equity Council. 

Angela will deliver the Keynote The Power of Access 

Matt Durham- Yellow Farmhouse Education Center

Matt (he/him) is an educator at Yellow Farmhouse Education Center. Matt was raised in North Stonington, CT, and has a MAEd degree in Natural Sciences and Environmental Education. Matt has worked as the director of education for a small community farm in Massachusetts, as well as a garden educator with Edible Schoolyard New Orleans. Matt joined the CT Farm to School Institute Planning team to help support the Summer Retreat and workshops. 

During the Summer Retreat, Matt will be Co-Facilitating the Thriving Gardens, Expanding Horizons - Fully Utilizing Your Growing Communities Workshop.  

Jen Rothman- Yellow Farmhouse Education Center

Jen (she/her) is the Executive Director of Yellow Farmhouse Education Center. Jennifer has over twenty years of experience building programs for museums, gardens and farms. Prior to relocating to Mystic, CT, Jennifer was the education director at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture. She was also the Vice President of Children’s and Public Education at The New York Botanical Garden where she worked for nine years and was the education director and interim director of the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo. During the Summer Retreat, 

Jen will be Co-Facilitating the Thriving Gardens, Expanding Horizons - Fully Utilizing Your Growing Communities Workshop.