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Staff: Suzanne Santos, Austin Farmers’ Market Director* Suzanne holds a Master of Science in Community Development from the University of California at Davis and has worked to promote local food systems for the past fifteen years. She joined Sustainable Food Center in 2000 as Executive Director, and then served as Development Director when the agency merged, bringing significant marketing and management experience to the organization. Her passion for farming led Suzanne to her niche connecting local farmers with urban markets. Prior to joining SFC, Suzanne worked for three years in Costa Rica and Honduras on agricultural projects as a representative of the Peace Corps. Along with her work at SFC, she is raising two sons who know the difference between local and non-local foods. Cecil Winzer, Austin Farmers’ Market Program Coordinator* Cecil holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin. He joined SFC in early 2006 as a crew member for the Austin Farmers' Market, helping setup and breakdown the market on Saturdays. His involvement and passion grew when he found out that the food he was eating was not raised the way his grandfather farmed in Waco. His eyes were opened to the environmental, health, economic and animal cruelty implications of factory farming. When he is not working at the Austin Farmer's Market, Cecil is working on his real estate and technology businesses (he is a licensed Real Estate Broker), and spends most of his time raising his four children with his wife Aileen. When he has spare time he also enjoys Austin's great outdoors, the Children's Museum, Austin Zoo, Enchanted Rock, Zilker Park, and the Central Texas Wine Trail. Andrew Smiley, Farm Direct Projects Director
Andrew has over 12 years’ experience working in sustainable agriculture and food systems, including on-farm production, agricultural marketing, micro-enterprise development, food journalism, farmer training and technical assistance, and even food-service management. His initial interest in food and farming grew out of his positive experiences with family as a child – shelling peas and shucking corn on the porch, snacking on ripe strawberries while picking in the field, and uncovering buried treasure in the potato or carrot patch. Andrew received his B.A. in political science from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. He is the former Executive Director of Baton Rouge Economic and Agricultural Development Alliance, Inc. (BREADA). Andrew is an active supporter and volunteer of the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (Southern SAWG) and Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (TOFGA), and has applied his passion for gardening, small-scale farming, and healthy cooking to his work with Sustainable Food Center since 2005. He is currently the Farm Direct Projects Director, leading efforts in alternative channels for farmers to reach directly to the public.
Susan Leibrock, Community Relations Director
Susan joined Sustainable Food Center in September 2007. Upon graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, Susan lived in New York City for seven years, working in both the restaurant industry and for five years at the flagship office of J. Walter Thompson (JWT), the global advertising agency. Susan worked on integrated marketing campaigns for JetBlue, Kleenex, Unilever and Pfizer/Johnson & Johnson, realizing as she researched supermarket industry trends that she wanted to help solve the issues surrounding food marketing in the U.S. Susan attended French Culinary Institute and read many books on local food systems and sustainable agriculture before returning to Austin in summer, 2007. An avid traveler, Susan has most recently been to Tokyo, Barcelona and New Orleans. She enjoys cooking for others whenever possible. Ronda Rutledge, Sustainable Food Center Executive Director
Ronda Rutledge’s passion for our connection to the land energizes her work for issues around sustainability, food sovereignty, and animal compassion. She was introduced to SFC as an affiliate consultant with Greenlights for NonProfit Success in 2006. Prior to joining SFC, Ronda served as Executive Director of the American Indian Child Resource Center in Oakland, California. She was a LeaderSpring fellow for two years - a Bay Area leadership program for Executive Directors of nonprofit organizations.
Ronda holds a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology. Over the course of her professional career, she has served as a Licensed Professional Counselor and Marriage and Family Therapist in addition to nonprofit administration. She currently serves as a volunteer on the Austin Powwow Committee for Great Promise and is a wedding officiant for nontraditional weddings and ceremonies in the Austin area. She is married with twin girls, River and Raven, who are growing up and eating their vegetables!
Debi Vanwey, Sustainable Food Center Business Manager
Debi has been with Sustainable Food Center since early 2003. She brings many years of experience in finance, human resources, computer systems, and small business management. She has worked in corporate environments, and has owned and managed her own small businesses, including a naturals food store, and a private chef and catering service. She enjoys working at SFC where others share her belief that we can make a difference in our lives by eating well...and eating locally!
*Work 100% of the time in the functions and support of the Austin Farmers’ Market. Other staff devote part of their time to the education, outreach, business, policy or alternative farm stand sites of the Austin Farmers’ Market.
In addition to staff, the AFM has dedicated crew members who help ‘pop-up’ the market twice and week and we’d like to acknowledge their contribution to the operations of the market:
Jimi Alden Mary Alice Appleman Chris Clary Lana Denkeler Sutton Giese
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