OUR TEAM

PAULA DANIELS is Co-founder and Chair of the Center for Good Food Purchasing, a social enterprise non-profit founded in July of 2015 as a national spin-off from the Los Angeles Food Policy Council, which Paula founded in 2011. The Center for Good Food Purchasing uses the power of procurement to create a transparent and equitable food system that prioritizes the health and well-being of people, animals, and the environment, through the nationally-networked adoption and implementation of the Good Food Purchasing Program by large institutions. There are numerous institutions in cities across the US enrolled in this Program.

She is a lawyer and public policy leader in environmental food and water policy, with extensive experience in developing and leading local, state and national environmental initiatives that include government, civil society, and private sector partners. Her most notable work is in urban forestry, green infrastructure (for stormwater management) and food system policy (all award-winning initiatives); she has also had key roles in other aspects of public policy and municipal infrastructure.

Paula has extensive experience in government: she served as Senior Advisor on Food Policy to Mayor Villaraigosa of Los Angeles; as a Los Angeles Public Works Commissioner (a full-time executive position overseeing a large city department); a commissioner with the California Coastal Commission; appointed board member of the California Bay-Delta Authority (overseeing the California State Water Project); and as a commissioner with the California Water Commission.

She has received recognition through academic appointments and other awards, including: the Ashoka Fellowship (2018); the Resident Fellowship at the Bellagio Center of the Rockefeller Foundation (2016); the Stanton Fellowship of the Durfee Foundation (2012-2013); the Pritzker Environment and Sustainability Education Fellow at the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability (2015); the Lee Chair in Real Estate Law and Urban Planning at UC Berkeley (2013); Top Ten People Making LA a Better Place (LA Weekly, 2012); 2012 Honoree, Green LA Coalition; Water Quality Leadership Award (LA Regional Water Quality Control Board, 2007); Environmental Leadership Award (California League of Conservation Voters, 2005); Super Healer Award (Heal the Bay, 2005).

Paula is a registered Native Hawai’ian.

ALEXA DELWICHE is the executive director of the Center for Good Food Purchasing. She previously served as Managing Director of the Los Angeles Food Policy Council from 2011 – 2015. At the LA Food Policy Council, she spearheaded the development, launch and implementation of the Good Food Purchasing Policy. From 2009 – 2010, Alexa was the Food Policy Coordinator for the Los Angeles Food Policy Task Force, working with the Task Force to produce and present to the Mayor of Los Angeles the “Good Food for All” Agenda. Previously, Alexa worked for the United Farm Workers and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Alexa has a Master’s of Public Policy from UCLA.

COLLEEN MCKINNEY is the Director of Engagement for the Center for Good Food Purchasing, where her focus is on the successful expansion and implementation of the Good Food Purchasing Program. She enhances program processes and infrastructure, facilitates individual and group technical assistance, oversees supply chain monitoring and verification, and contributes to strategic direction of the Center, including expansion, coordination with Governing Board and national campaign committee, resource development, branding and website development, and administration. Previously, she contributed to the Good Food Purchasing Program as a Policy & Program Associate at the Los Angeles Food Policy Council. She holds a Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Southern California.

GABRIELA OLMEDO is the Policy and Programs Research Intern for the Center for Good Food Purchasing for Spring 2021. She develops resources to support Program participants and policymakers in identifying model policies and best practices around values-based purchasing. Outside of the Center, she is an Associate Consultant at the Bay-Area Environmentally Aware Consulting Network (BEACN) where she conducts research and analysis to produce reports for clients. She is also a Co-Lead of the ASUC EcoOffice UC Green New Deal Department where she and her team work to build coalition with campus communities around a campaign for a more just, equitable, and sustainable University of California. Gabriela is a Senior undergraduate student at UC Berkeley pursuing a B.S. in Society and Environment and a minor in Food Systems.

ZAINAB PIXLER joined the Center for Good Food Purchasing in 2020 as an Analyst. She conducts in-depth supply chain research and produces aggregate analysis and reports to inform institutions on strategies to shift sourcing and increase Program scoring and performance. Prior to joining the Center, Zainab managed the Retail Donation Program at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. In this role, she worked with grocery retail partners to reduce food waste and to provide nutritious food to those experiencing hunger. Zainab has dedicated her career to ensuring everyone has access to nutritious and delicious food, and she brings that same passion to the Center. Zainab holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Supply Chain Management with a Minor in Food Studies from Syracuse University.

ALLISON HAGEY is of counsel with BraunHagey & Borden. She has over 15 years of experience in food law, policy, regulation, and food systems. Allison has represented Fortune 100 companies in international and national disputes and Department of Justice hearings. She has an extensive track record developing large-scale projects in the food and agriculture sector including creating and implementing federal policies generating over $1 billion in investment in over 200 food businesses. Allison led the creation of the nation’s premier food access and retail website connecting food entrepreneurs with funding opportunities, curriculum, tools, and webinars. Allison is a nationally-recognized leader, key note speaker, advocate, and author on food, agriculture, health policy, and equity.

Allison lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and three kids. She is an avid runner, skier, and fair weather biker, who enjoys chasing her children with kale and strawberries from her garden.

JOANN LO is a union organizer with an entertainment industry union. She was the Co-Director of the Food Chain Workers Alliance for 10 years, until October 2019, and was the first staff member of the Alliance when she began in November 2009. The daughter of immigrants from Taiwan, she graduated from Yale University with a degree in Environmental Biology and has organized with both unions and a worker center. In 2000 Joann was one of two staff who started the Garment Worker Center, and she organized with garment workers in Los Angeles who led a successful campaign against retailer Forever 21, memorialized in the Emmy-winning documentary “Made in L.A.” In 2005 Joann joined Enlace, an alliance of worker centers and unions and a year later became Co-Director. Joann is a member of the Leadership Circle of the Los Angeles Food Policy Council and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Domestic Fair Trade Association, the City of Los Angeles’ Sweatfree Advisory Committee, and the Enlace Institute Advisory Board.

Monte’s personal passion and professional journey have always revolved around community. Whether helping establish a public park system in Russia, working to alleviate poverty through micro finance in Tajikistan or coaching multi-sector coalitions across the United States, creating healthy, sustainable and just communities has been at the heart of it. Monte is also fortunate to be part of two vibrant communities. He lives in Portland, OR, with his wife and three kids and regularly works out of the CI office located in his hometown of Fort Collins, CO. Monte is Co-Founder and President of Community Initiatives (CI). As a consultant, coach, trainer and facilitator, Monte has helped hundreds of communities and a wide range of organizations, community partnerships, and national initiatives to develop change strategies resulting in healthier people and places. Prior to CI, Monte’s eclectic work experience included directing client education for a health informatics software firm; guiding the National Civic League’s renowned Healthy Communities Program; and serving as President of Service Adventures—service based adventure travel in Russian and Central Asia—where he also co-led a National Geographic sponsored team of scientists who discovered the world’s longest dinosaur track-way. Monte’s speaking engagements provide opportunities to help advance the healthy and sustainable communities movement. He and the CI team also partner to create and curate the Community Commons www.communitycommons.org, a powerful platform to help anyone who is, or wants to become, a change maker in their community.

DOUGLASS SIMS is Director of Strategy and Finance at the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Center for Market Innovation (CMI). In 2012 and 2013, he was instrumental in the launch of the New York Green Bank and currently is working green banks in California and other states. Douglass also sits on the standards committee of the Climate Bonds Initiative, is a leader of the Green City Bonds coalition and is advisor on energy poverty to the Clinton Global Initiative. Over the past 15 years, Douglass has worked in international and national emerging markets first as a senior project finance attorney at a leading international law firm and, since 2010, at the Center for Market Innovation where he co-leads CMI and focuses on next generation energy, food, water, shelter and infrastructure investments. Douglass holds a JD from Harvard Law School and BA from Stanford University.

Wood Turner is a Vice President at Agriculture Capital Management, focused on integrating and operationalizing the firm’s cross-platform sustainability strategies.

Wood brings over 20 years of experience in corporate sustainability, environmental management, and consumer engagement. Most recently, he was on the executive team at organic yogurt pioneer Stonyfield Farm as the company’s VP Sustainability Innovation. Prior to that, he was founding executive director of Climate Counts, an international NGO focused on measuring and scoring the world’s largest consumer companies on their concrete, enterprise-level responses to climate change. Wood has consulted to brands, elected officials, and public agencies on mobilizing the public around ideas that improve the environment and build community, including the start-up of a groundbreaking curbside food waste recovery program, the expansion of carshare program access to underrepresented communities in the Puget Sound area and Los Angeles, development of an early shuttle program for Bay Area biotech workers, and a citizen engagement program that nearly resulted in innovative fixed-rail for Seattle. Early in his career, he worked with the plastics industry in the policy and product stewardship arenas and was later instrumental in developing Urban Ecology’s “Blueprint for a Sustainable Bay Area.” He worked for many years on the alignment of economic and recreation demands with wetland, riparian, and wildlife corridor conservation in the Pacific Northwest.

Karen E. Watson is a strategic marketing and communications consultant whose  practice centers on using consumer market research, advertising techniques, and stakeholder coalition building to create greater public demand for healthier behaviors and the adoption of new cultural norms.

Watson established a business vertical at Nielsen to sell data, analytics and solutions to the government and public sector in order to match the interests of public policy entities, domestic and global, to Nielsen’s broad array of information and services. She was the primary driver behind the innovative “Drink Up” project, a national public health campaign to encourage Americans to drink more water. Before that role, she was Chief Communications Officer at Nielsen.

 

Watson has more than 30 years of experience in policy, public affairs, government relations, media and marketing. As head of the public policy office for Echostar, during the introduction of satellite TV, she advocated for competitive choice for consumers.  As chief communications officer for the FCC during the mid 90’s, she translated complicated communications policies during the revision of the 1930 Telecommunications Act, Watson’s early career was as a journalist for PBS, National Public Radio and The MacNeil/Lehrer Report.

 

Watson also currently holds a title as visiting researcher at Imperial College Business School in London, where she works at The Centre for Health Economics and Policy Innovation. She has lectured graduate students at McGill University, Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and Columbia University.

She is an investor in Farmer’s Fridge and a board member of the Gold Foundation and an advisory board member of several food and tech startups. She also advises Esther Dyson’s Wellville initiatve and the Obama Foundation’s effort on Civic engagement.