Meet Our Board of Directors

Officers

Samantha Jackson, President

Barbara Loutos, Vice President

Sara Dolan, Treasurer 

Jessie Marman, Secretary

Members 

Sara Anderson

Michele Caporali

Somlynn Rorie

Barbara Reckseit-Smith

We're Accepting New Board Members!

Board Member Job Description

Mission
Community Food Connections operates the Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market to achieve its mission to create a downtown community gathering place by supporting small farmers and businesses which strengthen sustainable food systems and make healthy products for the local community.

By focusing on fostering economic development, providing a vibrant community gathering place, supplying fresh, organic local foods and products, and promoting Arizona farmers and small businesses, Community Food Connections plays an important role in the health of our community and its families.

Position
The board will support the work of Community Food Connections and provide mission-based leadership and strategic governance. While day-to-day operations are led by the Executive Director the Board-Director relationship is a partnership, and the appropriate involvement of the board is both critical and expected.

Board member responsibilities include:

Fiduciary

– Provide proper financial oversight

– Approve Community Food Connections’ annual budget, audit reports, and business decisions.

Ensure legal and ethical integrity and maintain accountability

– Meet the legal responsibilities of nonprofit board members including following the structures of Duty of Care, Duty of Loyalty, Duty of Obedience and Duty of Transparency.

– Partner with the executive director and other board members to ensure that board resolutions are carried out.

– Attend monthly meetings of the board.

– Be prepared for each meeting by reviewing agenda and supporting materials prior to board or committee meetings.

– Serve a minimum of one, three-year term.

Strategic

– Determine, monitor, and strengthen the organization’s programs and services

– Serve on committees or task forces and take on special assignments as needed.

– Review outcomes and metrics created by Community Food Connections for evaluating its impact, and regularly measuring its performance and effectiveness using those metrics.

– Support the executive director and assess their performance

– Contribute to an annual performance evaluation of the executive director as needed.

– Determine the organization’s mission and purpose

– Be faithful to the mission of the organization and act in a way that is consistent with the central goals of the organization.

– Ensure effective organizational planning

Participate in planning sessions and ensure that board decisions are strategic and thoughtful.

Resource Development

– Ensure adequate funding

– Participate in fund development activities by being an effective policy maker, donor, ambassador, connector and solicitor as needed.

– Make Community Food Connections a philanthropic priority and contribute a personal financial gift that you deem to be generous, commensurate with your capacity.

– Actively approach your personal and professional networks in support of Community Food Connections.

– Recruit and orient new board members and assess board performance

– Assist the executive director and board chair in identifying and recruiting other board members.

– Ensure Community Food Connections’ commitment to a diverse board and staff that reflects the communities CFC serves.

– Regularly participate in assessing your personal performance and the performance of the board.

Enhance the organization’s public standing

– Represent Community Food Connections to stakeholders, acting as an ambassador for the organization.