Our Team
Michael Jones Board Member/Executive Director
Michael Jones is the Executive Director of Local Matters and Owner of The Greener Grocer in the North Market. A graduate of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill's School of Public Health, Michael is a trained chef, having studied at the Culinary Institute in Hyde Park, New York, and the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners in Piedmont, Italy. He serves on the Governor’s Ohio Food Policy Council “Market Task Force” subcommittee and is also a member of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission's Agriculture and Food Systems Working Group.
Susan Weber Director of Operations
Susan Weber brings 18 years of experience in the field of sustainable landscape design and project management to her position as Director of Operations for Local Matters. In this role, Susan facilitates planning, design, installation and maintenance of Local Matters’ Urban Agriculture projects, as well as the Farm to School experiential natural school sites. She also has oversight of associated curriculum work, including the Food is Elementary whole-foods curriculum and the Ecology of Food nature curriculum. Susan is the mother of two sons and loves experimenting with vegan cooking.
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Noreen Warnock Director of Public Policy and Community Relations
noreen.warnock@local-matters.org
noreen.warnock@local-matters.org
Noreen Warnock is a food justice advocate who has worked on community-based food issues for twelve years. Her passion is ensuring that everyone in our community has access to local, healthful and sustainably grown food and finding resources so this can become a reality. Noreen is one of two Ohio representatives for the National Farm to School Network and serves on the Governor’s Ohio Food Policy Council “Healthy Access” subcommittee. She is a member of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission's Agriculture and Food Systems Working Group, Columbus Public Health Department's (CPHD) Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Coalition & CPHD's Columbus Area Healthy Food Access Committee, as well as the United Way of Central Ohio Public Policy Committee.
Todd Mills
Director of Development and Marketing
Todd moved to Central Ohio in late 2009 from the Bay Area of California where he worked in a managerial role in several national non-profit organizations. He is a passionate advocate for sustainable local economic development having worked for the last three years at the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies.
Prior to working with BALLE, Todd worked in the development department of Global Exchange, an international human rights organization. He supported GX’s fundraising efforts through major gift solicitations and grants, and managed communications with more than 12,000 members. He is excited to bring his knowledge of community-based sustainability initiatives to the Central Ohio community.
Todd is a 2010 Ohio Political Leaders Fellow with the Center for Progressive Leadership.
Trish Dehnbostel
Program Manager
trish@local-matters.org
trish@local-matters.org
Trisha Dehnbostel brings 13 years as a community organizer to Local Matters and created an award winning community gardening program for teens and a food production garden at The Godman Guild. Trish also started a community garden mentoring program, online gardening blog and an urban farmers market in the University Area for people to have increased access to healthy, local foods. She oversees the daily activities of our Nutrition Education program in our elementary schools and Head Start programs.
Amanda Seaton
Food Educator
Amanda Seaton is currently a Food Educator with Local Matters and brings over ten years of teaching experience to the position. Amanda has been a passionate educator within a variety of settings: museums, individual career counselor, traditional 3rd grade, 4th grade, and preschool classroom environments, as well as in numerous other capacities. As a person living with type 1 diabetes for 20 years, Amanda is personally linked to her educational role at Local Matters and the goal to provide people with information on how to lead a healthy life.
Rachael M. Smith
Food Educator
Having grown up on a family farm, the intersection of food and community has long been an interest of Rachael’s. Since graduating from The Ohio State University in 2001, she has been invested in the local food system. She has worked at the Clintonville Community Market in several capacities, including purchasing and food preparation, and has also worked at the Greener Grocer in the North Market. In 2006, Rachael earned her teaching license and began substitute teaching in the Columbus City Schools and several suburban school districts throughout central Ohio.
Monique McCoy
Food Educator
Monique McCoy's experience with children spans 25 years. She's owned a own daycare for over ten years, has more than 15 years working with developmentally disabled adults and 18 years of experience running a family-owned catering business. Monique grew up on a farm in North Carolina where she experienced the satisfaction of self-sufficiency through her family's large food garden and farm animal husbandry. She is active in her community, church and schools.
