Natalia Bonilla, Agriculture Education Program Manager:
Natalia joined ALBA in September 2006 in a newly created
position. She leads the Farmer Education Program (PEPA), Ag
Matters and other educational programs with farmers in the
region. She has a bachelor’s degree in horticulture from
Washington State University and a master’s degree in
Organizational Change Management from The New School for
Management and Social Research in New York City. Natalia
served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nicaragua, where she
also served as project manager for its Food Security Program
– helping to implement sustainable soybean production among
small-scale farmers. Natalia also has extensive leadership
development and change management experience through her
work with iCoachNewYork, an executive consulting firm
located in New York City. In 2007, Natalia served as a Roots
of Change Planning Fellow, and she also serves on the
steering committee of the Monterey County Farm-to-School
Partnership.
Salvador Bravo, Delivery Driver:
Sal began working with ALBA in 2006. Originally from
Mexicali, Mexico, he and his family have lived in Castroville
and Salinas most of their life. Sal’s four year experience
working in product quality control at NewStar Fresh Foods
contributes to his keen eye when it comes to his work with ALBA
Organics. Along with serving as produce delivery driver for ALBA
Organics, Sal is an avid promoter of our mission, both on and
off the road.
Nancy Bustos Porto, Communications and Development
Associate: Originally from Colombia, Nancy joined ALBA in
March 2008. She has a Journalism degree with a specialization in
Social Communications from the University Jorge Tadeo Lozano in
Bogotá, Colombia. Nancy began her environmental work in the
Asociación Macarena as part of a multidisciplinary team that
investigated environmental damage to river ecosystems near
Macarena Ridge in southeastern Colombia. She then worked for a
year assisting in the management of the Tayrona National Park in
northern Colombia. In 1994 she was offered to be part of
creating the Colombian Ministry of the Environment and spent the
next four years there, first in the Press Office and then with
the Environmental Education Office. In 1998, Nancy moved to the
United States and joined the Resource Renewal Institute, a
nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, where she
directed the organization’s international projects with Mexico
and Holland.
Patricia Carrillo, Business Education Program Manager:
Patricia began in September of 2006 assisting in office
administration and executive duties. She has since started
working as ALBA’s Business Education Coordinator. In her new
role, Patricia is helping to create and sustain economically
viable farm and food processing businesses that generate
opportunities for wealth creation and contribute to local
economic development and community empowerment. A Central Coast
native, Patricia grew up in and around family farmers in the
Salinas area, and also provides ALBA with native Spanish skills
in interpretation and communication with non-English speaking
public, staff and participants. Patricia is a graduate of
Hartnell Community College with an A.S. in Business
Administration, and also has a B.S. in Business Administration
from San Jose State University, with a specialization in
Business Management.
Florentino Collazo, Farm Manager: Florentino comes from
the Mexican State of Guanajuato. He worked for eleven years as a
farm worker in Salinas, California, and Yuma, Arizona – nine of
which were spent cutting and packing iceberg lettuce. In 1995,
he discovered the Rural Development Center and enrolled in the
PEPA course. That same year he was promoted to foreman at his
job in the Salinas Valley. He held this position for two years
until 1998 when he decided to dedicate himself full-time to
farming. Florentino farmed independently for three years,
cultivating five acres of organic produce at the RDC until 2001
when he formally joined the ALBA staff as the RDC Farm Manager.
Florentino has been with ALBA for almost four years, bringing
with him a wealth of first-hand experience and farming
expertise.
Craig Ficenec, Conservation Program Manager: Craig joined
the ALBA staff in August 2005. He came to ALBA from the USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service, where he worked as a
bilingual agricultural engineer on the Central Coast. He has a
bachelor’s degree in engineering from Iowa State University and
a master’s degree in land management from the University of
Wisconsin. Craig also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in
Honduras, developing water supply and sanitation projects, and
as a consultant to local non-governmental organizations in Peru,
helping with small watershed resource planning.
Juan Hernández, Program Assistant: Juan comes from the
Distrito Federal of Mexico. He worked for several years as a
foreman in berry and row crop production before enrolling in the
PEPA course in 1999. After completing the program and producing
organic produce independently for 2 years, Juan accepted the
position of Farm Manager at ALBA’s Farm Training and Research
Center. Juan celebrated his three-year anniversary with ALBA in
November 2004, and has brought a wealth of knowledge and
experience to ALBA’s farming and land management operations.
Patty Howe, Administrative Director: Patty joined ALBA as
a bookkeeper in September of 2004, and later moved on to manage
all administrative activities at the Rural Development Center.
Currently, she maintains the financial records and tracking of
all grant activities and expenses. She moved to the California
coast in 1974 and developed an interest in organic farming
issues as an avid backyard gardener while earning a B.A. in
Economics at the University of California Santa Cruz. Patty has
served at the Santa Cruz Live Oak Grange as Garden Manager,
where she oversaw a 1/2 acre demonstration garden, and continues
to serve as Treasurer for the organization. Currently, she is
attending Golden Gate University in San Francisco to prepare for
the CPA exam.
Brett Melone, Executive Director: Brett began as ALBA’s
Executive Diretor in May of 2002, arriving directly from Chile,
where he was the executive director of an organization dedicated
to promoting citizen participation and leadership development in
limited-resource communities in Chile and Latin America. In this
position, Brett co-coordinated the global Community Biodiversity
Development and Conservation Programme, as well as the
Chile-based Transition to Sustainable Cities program, which
focuses on building community capacity and leadership around the
issue of recycling and microenterprise development. During
Brett’s three years in Chile, he also had the opportunity to
work as a Rotary Foundation Vocational Scholar on an operating
organic farm for one year, as well as one year as Project
Officer at the International Council for Local Environmental
Initiatives (ICLEI), an international association of local
governments, coordinating ten pilot projects throughout Latin
America which focused on the Local Agenda 21 stakeholder process
to address environmental and sustainability issues. Prior to his
work in Chile, Brett was awarded a Knauss/National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration Sea Grant Fellowship, which took him
to the EPA’s Washington, DC Office of Wetlands, Oceans and
Watersheds, where he worked on Tribal wetland programs,
constructed wetlands and biological assessment of wetlands.
Brett is a graduate of the University of San Diego with a degree
in International Relations, Business Administration and Spanish,
and holds a Masters Degree in International Environmental Policy
and Spanish from the Monterey Institute of International
Studies. During his graduate studies he worked as an intern with
the Elkhorn Slough Watershed Project, supporting local farmer
conservation efforts. He is happy to have been able to return
home to work with ALBA and apply his experience to this unique
organization.
Hector Mora, Warehouse Manager: Originally from Michoacan,
Mexico, Hector became involved with ALBA when he began farming
at the Rural Development Center in 2002 after completing the
Small Farmer Education Course (PEPA). Originally joining the
ALBA staff as a delivery driver for ALBA Organics, Hector now
serves as our Warehouse Manager, providing quality assurance,
sales support and grower perspective. Before farming at ALBA,
Hector spent 10 years as a farm worker, harvesting and packing
iceberg lettuce in California and Arizona. Now, on three acres,
Hector and his wife Maria de Rosario grow a variety of crops,
including fava beans, strawberries and beets.
Gary Peterson, Deputy Director: Gary joined ALBA in May
2004 with ten years' experience in family farm and sustainable
agriculture advocacy. Before joining ALBA, Gary worked at the
Community Alliance with Family Farmers in Davis, California,
where he diversified its funding sources and program strategies
throughout California. Previously, he was at the Center for
Rural Affairs in Nebraska, where he helped grow its donor base
by 50% and organized a $7 million endowment campaign. Gary has a
BA in Political Science from Moorhead (MN) State University and
a Masters of Public Administration from the Monterey Institute
for International Studies. At ALBA, Gary is working to diversify
sources of support, build new partnerships and programs and
broaden public recognition for its work. He serves on the boards
of the Coastal Watershed Council and the Granary Foundation, a
support corporation of the Center for Rural Affairs.
Monica Rodriguez, Sales and Operations Manager, ALBA
Organics
Born and raised in Salinas, Monica graduated from Salinas High
School and received a Associate’s degree in Business Management
from Kelsey-Jenney College in San Diego, California. She worked
in customer service at Next Day Printed Tees of Chula Vista, and
advanced to Vice President of Marketing with the company. In
2007, Monica moved to Salinas and started with ALBA as
administrative assistant before taking on the Sales Associate
position at ALBA Organics in February 2008.
Deborah Yashar, Food Systems Program Manager: Deborah
Yashar joined ALBA in March of 2003. Previous, she helped fuel
the beginnings of the Community Agroecology Network (CAN), an
international network committed to sustaining rural livelihoods
and environments by integrating research, education, and trade
innovations. Deborah has worked with the Multinational Exchange
for Sustainable Agriculture (MESA), an international organic-
farming apprenticeship program, as a program liason, and served
as volunteer coordinator at the Homeless Garden Project. She is
a graduate of the UC Santa Cruz Environmental Studies program in
Sustainable Agriculture. At ALBA, she is working to develop
community food security approaches to achieving a healthier food
system on the Central Coast, through marketing, research,
outreach, and education. Currently, she serves on the Steering
Committee of the California Food & Justice Coalition, and the
Board of Directors of the Felton Farmers’ Market.
Tomasa, The ALBA Dog: Tomasa was born on the farm in
Salinas in 1997. She is a cattle dog mix born to mother,
Frijolito. Tomasa alerts us to any new vehicle entering the
property, and is always friendly to well-meaning visitors. Our
sweetheart Tomasa loves any treats you can share, but is
especially favorable to belly rubs from the children of farmers
at ALBA.
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