Leon Forde

SFC Executive Committee Co-Chair
Operations Manager, Byrd Barr Place
As a longtime resident of Seattle Washington, Leon Forde developed a sincere enthusiasm to advocate for its communities.  In his current role, he serves as the Operations Manager at Byrd Barr Place. Byrd Barr Place is a non-profit organization offering food, family, and housing assistance to the Seattle community.

As Market Coordinator since 2022, Leon has focused on cultivating partnerships to widen the impact on food equity in the city of Seattle and foster collaboration with residents, displaced individuals, and like-minded organizations to aid in ensuring that the community’s most pressing needs are met with care and compassion. Leon is a Seattle Sports fan and loves seeing a team work together to achieve their goals. Leon lives in King County with his wife, daughter, and dog.

Louren Reed

(they/she)
SFC Executive Committee Co-Chair
Director of Operations, North Helpline
Louren has spent their career working in various realms of the human services world, with the last almost a decade in Seattle focused on Food Justice. They are currently serving as the Director of Operations at North Helpline, a non-profit  focused on improving food security and housing stability in North Seattle. Louren strives to embody authenticity, empathy, and humility in their work, and enjoys building complicated spreadsheets as much as they enjoy problem solving the many unexpected challenges that working in a small organization brings.

Louren holds an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction (University of Houston) and an M.S. in Counseling Psychology (The University of Southern Mississippi), both of which help them to build and lead dynamic, trauma-informed teams. Outside of work, Louren enjoys spending time with their dogs, reading, and knitting – ideally near water.

Angie Wood

(she/her)
Operations Committee Chair
Director of Food Bank Programs, Pike Market Senior Center & Food Bank
Angie was born and raised in Seattle (a proud GHS Bulldog). She has worked at the Pike Market Senior Center & Food Bank since 2019, currently as the Director of Food Bank Programs. Angie holds a Masters in Public Health (Community Oriented Public Health Practice) from the University of Washington and a Bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College. Her career has followed her passion for community-centered food systems. Before joining Pike Market Senior Center & Food Bank, Angie worked and volunteered with a wide variety of food-related organizations, including the Fresh Bucks program, Local Roots Farm, Cafe Flora, the Danny Woo Community Garden, and the Rainier Valley Eats! Coalition. Angie is driven by the belief that connection to food and place are crucial elements for the health and wellbeing of all communities. When she’s off the clock, Angie is often out hiking with her wife and two-year-old daughter, caring for “Betty” (her sourdough starter), or getting her hands dirty in the garden. 

Fran Yeatts

Education & Training Sub-committee Chair
Executive Director, West Seattle Food Bank
Fran Yeatts has been Executive Director of the West Seattle Food Bank (WSFB) since June 2001. Prior to joining the WSFB team she had managed vocational services at Navos for 10 years and worked with at risk youth. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Washington and enjoys skiing, hiking, cooking and traveling in her spare time.

Gloria Hatcher-Mays

Advocacy Sub-committee Chair
Executive Director, Rainier Valley Food Bank
After a long career with a Fortune 500 company, Gloria left the corporate world in 1999 and has worked extensively in the nonprofit sector at all levels ever since. Prior to joining Rainier Valley, Gloria administered grantmaking for the Renton Regional Community Foundation. She chairs the Board of Commissioners for Fire Protection District 10, and serves as Board Commissioner for Eastside Fire and Rescue. In addition, she Chairs the Board Recruitment Committee for Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank. Gloria graduated from Emerge-WA in May of 2019 and lives in rural King County with her husband, dog, and three horses.

Jen Muzia

(she/her)
Seattle Human Services Coalition Representative
Executive Director, Ballard Food Bank
Jen was hired as the Executive Director of the Ballard Food Bank in May 2014. Previously, she was the Chief Strategy Officer at Girl Scouts of Western Washington. Jen was also on the board and a volunteer with the U-District Food Bank for nine years. Jen is an active member of the Seattle Food Committee, Seattle Human Services Coalition, Ballard Alliance and North Seattle Service Providers Coalition. Jen received her Master of Public Administration from the University of Washington, Evans School of Public Affairs and her bachelor’s degree in business from Western Washington University. She is an alumna of the 2009 class of Leadership Tomorrow.

Joe Gruber

(he/him/his)
Alternate Seattle Human Services Coalition Representative
Executive Director, University District Food Bank
Before joining the food bank in 2003, Joe consulted for a variety of for-profit and nonprofit businesses in the United States and Eastern Europe. Under his leadership, University District Food Bank developed a grocery store styled shopping system, expanded food programming to meet community needs, and in 2016 completed a successful capital campaign to build a new facility co-located with 49 units of affordable housing and a rooftop farm. A graduate of Michigan State (B.S., Zoology) and Vanderbilt University (MBA), Joe is active in multiple local and statewide human service coalitions and serves on several nonprofit boards. Joe’s passion for food justice informs his desire to create lasting opportunities for everyone.

Julia Smiljanic

(she/her)
Communications and Community Resources Sub-committee Co-Chair
Senior Marketing and Communications Specialist, Rainier Valley Food Bank
Julia brings more than six years of experience in marketing and communications to her role as Senior Marketing Communications Specialist at Rainier Valley Food Bank. She specializes in merging strategy with multi-media storytelling to unite communities. She has previously served in similar roles at Realogics Sotheby’s International Reality, the City of Everett, PAWS, and more. 

Outside of her work Julia enjoys spending time with her senior bully, Cosmo, gardening, exploring different cultures through travel, dabbling in the arts, from visiting museums to painting jean jackets, and baking new treats, which she often brings to share with her team at the food bank.

Karla Marifjeren

Nutritious Food Sourcing Sub-committee Co-Chair
Program Manager Food Bank Services, West Seattle Food Bank
Karla has worked at West Seattle Food Bank for over ten years, managing the food bank and supervising home delivery, mobile distribution, and weekend meals for kids. She is known for her strong relationships with clients and her ability to make people feel welcome and supported. Karla focuses on keeping programs running smoothly and ensuring the community can rely on consistent, accessible, and nutritious food.

Marcia Wright-Soika

(she/her)
Seattle Human Services Coalition Representative
Executive Director, FamilyWorks
With more than 20 years of experience in philanthropy, communications, and program strategy, Marcia has served as the Executive Director of FamilyWorks, a Seattle nonprofit that partners with families to alleviate food insecurity and ensures they have resources and support, since 2020. She previously served as Director of Philanthropy and Strategic Partnerships for Mercy Housing Northwest and in philanthropy and communications roles with YWCA Delaware and the Fund for Women and Girls. She currently serves as co-chair of Seattle Human Services Coalition. She has an MBA in Organizational Leadership from Wilmington University, and B.As in Journalism and Women’s Studies from Penn State University.

Nichelle Hilton

(she/her)
Food for Schools Sub-committee Chair
Executive Director, Backpack Brigade
With 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Nichelle has dedicated her work toward helping children struggling with hunger issues. Since 2007 she has been running a food bank, trying to put a dent in weekend hunger. In 2014, Nichelle founded Backpack Brigade and currently serves as its Executive Director.

Robbin Rae Peterson

(she/her)
Communications and Community Resources Sub-committee Co-Chair
Development Director, West Seattle Food Bank
Robbin Rae Peterson brings more than 20 years of nonprofit leadership experience to her role as Development Director at the West Seattle Food Bank. She has held senior development roles at Progressive Animal Welfare Society and Fishline Food Bank & Comprehensive Services, and began her career with the University of Alberta Hospitals Foundation, where she gained early experience in institutional fundraising.

With training in nutritional therapy and experience spanning both nonprofit and grocery-sector work, Robbin is deeply focused on food security, nutrition equity, and community-centered solutions. She brings a systems-oriented, relationship-based approach to collaboration, and is currently developing The Impact Leap™—a leadership lens focused on helping grassroots organizations navigate the critical transition from community-driven service to strategically scaled impact.