Shy Palmer is a proud Raleigh native, deeply rooted in the vibrant tapestry of her community. With an unwavering commitment to fostering unity and empowerment among people of color, she has dedicated her life to uplifting those around her.

A Passion for Teaching and Agricultural Training: Shy's journey is marked by her fervent passion for teaching and agricultural training. Over the past five years, she has blossomed into a formidable urban farmer, sharing her knowledge and skills with others to cultivate self-sufficiency and resilience.

A Champion of Community Organizing: Shy's impact extends far beyond the garden. Her extensive experience in community organizing has empowered marginalized communities to raise their voices and advocate for positive change. She understands that true transformation starts with a unified community.

Expertise in Community Garden Management: With a strong focus on community garden management, Shy has been instrumental in creating thriving green spaces that bring people together, nourish bodies and souls, and promote sustainable living.

A Heart for Nonprofit Work: Shy Palmer has also dedicated herself to nonprofit work, leveraging her talents to address pressing issues within her community. Her tireless efforts have helped raise awareness, mobilize resources, and drive meaningful change where it matters most.

In Shy Palmer, we find a tireless advocate, a dedicated educator, and a passionate urban farmer, all committed to making the world a better place. Her journey exemplifies the power of community and the enduring impact of individuals who champion the causes they hold dear.

Kiara Jackson is the founding Executive Director and Campaign Director of the Illinois Food Justice Alliance (IFJA), where she leads a statewide, multi-sector coalition working to advance a more equitable and sustainable food system through policy, advocacy, and organizing. Her work centers on leveraging public policy and partnerships to strengthen local food economies, expand access to healthy food, and advance systemic change across the food system.

Kiara has worked across government, philanthropy, and the nonprofit sector and is deeply committed to advancing community-driven solutions that address systemic inequities in the food system. She holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and is actively engaged in statewide and national food system leadership networks. Originally from California, Kiara is now based in Chicago, Illinois.

Kiara is excited and honored to join Reclamation FARMacy’s board as President/Board Chair because this work feels like paying homage —through land, food, and community care —to our ancestors who made our survival possible. Kiara shared that “Reclamation FARMacy’s Black-led commitment to food justice and land-based healing is a continuation of ancestral wisdom and a celebration of those who came before us, and I don’t take this calling lightly.” She went on to add “Professionally, I’m eager to help steward the organization’s growth through strong governance, strategy, and resource-building so that we strengthen the infrastructure that will carry this work forward for generations, and leave our communities more nourished, protected, and self-determined than what we inherited. Thank you to Reclamation FARMacy—and to Shy’s leadership—for the trust and this opportunity.”

Kenya Joseph is a nonprofit leader, food systems strategist, and systems builder working at the intersection of community, policy, and access. As the founder and president of Hearts and Hands Food Pantry, she has led efforts to serve more than 100,000 individuals while building a model centered on dignity, choice, and community trust. She also serves as Board Chair of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Food Policy Council, where she helps drive regional food systems strategy and policy initiatives.

With over 15 years of experience in corporate finance and nearly a decade in nonprofit leadership, Kenya brings a strong ability to connect strategy to execution. Her work spans program design, systems development, and cross-sector partnerships that expand access to food while strengthening long-term sustainability.

Kenya is excited to join the Reclamation FARMacy board because of its focus on food sovereignty, land-based work, and community self-determination. She is especially interested in supporting the organization’s growth while contributing to work that is deeply connected to land, healing, and community.

Bianca “Umii” Anthony is the founder of The Seed of Life Farm, a community-centered agriculture and wellness initiative advancing food access and holistic health across Eastern North Carolina. Born in Ahoskie, NC, her work is rooted in ancestral land stewardship, food justice, and community healing.

She is a proud alumna of North Carolina A&T State University. As a horticultural therapist, herbalist, and educator, she integrates sustainable agriculture, plant medicine, and wellness practices to support communities.

Umii serves as the Community Garden Director for the Town of Ahoskie. With over five years of experience in community-based agriculture, she has supported farmers of color across the Southeast through program planning, event coordination, and grant management.

She is proud to join the Reclamation FARMacy Board, supporting its work to dismantle systemic barriers for BIPOC farmers and advance a more equitable food system where communities have the power and resources to thrive.

Dr. Shelton is a Black feminist writer, teacher, and thinker who works as an Assistant Professor of Language, Writing, and Rhetoric in the Department of English at the University of Maryland, College Park. Her research centers the expertise and agency of Black people, who use Black cultural and rhetorical practices to communicate their technical skills and professionalism. Professionally, Cecilia comes to food justice work in response to her intellectual and political commitments to justice; she is also personally inspired to contribute to food justice work out of deep reverence for her own ancestral ties to Black farming in Eastern North Carolina.

Anita M. Garrett is a strategist, storyteller, and community convener with more than 30 years of experience advising executives, governing boards, and coalitions committed to meaningful community impact. Her work is grounded in a deep commitment to social justice, gender equity, and community engagement. Driven by a desire to amplify the voices of marginalized communities, she earned a graduate degree in Management and Leadership from Webster University.

Throughout her career, Anita has developed expertise in resource development, organizational planning, and strategic communications. She is known for her ability to transform ideas into effective systems that strengthen organizational performance. As the founder of Sankofa Development Services, she has guided organizations in clarifying their message and expanding their reach. She has also held executive leadership roles with The Weathers Group, The United Way Association of South Carolina, and Communities In Schools, where she led strategic initiatives that resulted in significant growth and impact.

Anita is a visionary leader and collaborator who has founded and co-created initiatives that center community, wellness, and empowerment. She launched Women Engaged, an African American giving circle focused on financial and civic literacy, and co-founded CLUTCH Cowork, a pilot focused on women, work, and wellness. She is currently co-creating The reLeaf Collective, an art and ecology hub promoting holistic well-being and environmental stewardship. At the core of her work is a commitment to helping individuals recognize their power, grow into their fullest potential, and create lasting change in their communities.

She is excited to join the board of Reclamation FARMacy because its commitment to land, healing, and community-led food systems deeply aligns with her beliefs in reconnecting people to the earth as a pathway to wellness and liberation. Ms. Garrett is especially energized by the opportunity to contribute her experience while learning alongside others who are building tangible, justice-centered solutions for food access and community resilience.

Cassandra Loftlin is a Chef and community health advocate working at the intersection of environmental justice, climate resilience, and food sovereignty. As the Healthy Communities Coordinator with Savannah Riverkeeper in Augusta, GA, she advances community-led strategies to address environmental health risks and strengthen neighborhood resilience.

Cassandra serves as the Board Chair of Fresh Future Farm and is the Co-Founder of Goodness Gracious Grocery, a cooperative food access initiative operating across Georgia and the Carolinas. She is thrilled to join the Reclamation FARMacy board to help bridge the gap between food as medicine and community-led infrastructure, contributing her expertise in policy advocacy to further Reclamation Farmacy’s mission of centering food as a tool for healing and justice.

By positioning regenerative farming as essential public health infrastructure, Cassandra blends her culinary expertise and policy engagement to ensure communities have both a voice and ownership in their regional food systems.

Dawna Ledbetter is a seasoned professional with deep expertise in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), workshop development, and facilitation. She is a graduate of the Rural Economic Development Institute and the Lenoir-Rhyne University Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program. Her contributions have been recognized through numerous honors, including the CoThinkk Community Leadership Award, McDowell Technical Community College Distinguished Alumni Award, Duke Energy Citizenship Award, MLK Spirit Award, and McDowell Health Coalition Volunteer of the Year.

Dawna currently serves on several prominent boards, including the Dogwood Health Trust Board of Directors, the City of Marion Planning Board, and the McDowell Transit Board. She is the Director of Equity at West Marion Inc., a Black-led nonprofit organization dedicated to cultivating grassroots leadership and fostering multi-racial partnerships in McDowell County, North Carolina. She holds an Associate Degree in Office Systems from McDowell Technical Community College.

She is excited to join the Reclamation FARMacy board because its dedication to food justice, cultural diversity, and community empowerment closely reflects her belief that equitable access to healthy, nutritious food is a basic human right. Dawna shared, “I’m grateful for the opportunity to support Reclamation FARMacy, build meaningful connections, and continue learning how to help create a more resilient future for our communities.”

Deep Patel is originally from Florida, but has proudly called North Carolina home since 2010. He comes from a South Asian agrarian lineage and now considers himself an enthusiastic amateur gardener.

He is honored to serve on the board, where he looks forward to supporting the coordination of logistics and labor to help optimize the impact of outreach initiatives.

Deep is drawn to Reclamation Farmacy because of its purpose—its commitment to food sovereignty and cultivating a more equitable food system for Black and Indigenous communities of color.

A foot doctor by trade, when Deep is not practicing podiatry and fixing feet, you can usually find him staying active through fitness and sports, DJing, traveling in search of great food, or working to grow a greener thumb!

Glenda Polanco is originally from El Salvador, is a first-generation college graduate, and holds an MBA. She currently serves as Program Director at Pupusas for Education, where she leads culturally rooted, community-centered programs that support undocumented and immigrant communities through education, food justice, and financial empowerment.

Glenda is passionate about creating spaces that uplift individuals and families, with a strong focus on access, equity, and cultural identity. Her work centers on meeting communities where they are and building programs that reflect lived experiences. She is also a dedicated advocate for mental health and healing generational trauma, believing that holistic well-being is essential for people to fully realize their potential.

She is excited to be serving on the board of Reclamation FARMacy because of its commitment to food sovereignty and empowering BIPOC communities through agriculture. She is especially drawn to the organization’s focus on reconnecting people to land, culture, and sustainable food systems. She’d also love to learn more about food justice work in agricultural spaces and better understand how organizations like Reclamation FARMacy build sustainable, community-led models. Being in a space with people doing this work at a deeper level would help her continue growing as a leader.

Diamond was born in raised in rural southeastern North Carolina. It was in her rural community that Diamond's passion for sustainability and communities of color bloomed into a goal of bridging the gap of sustainability in communities of color. In 2020, she obtained her Bachelor's from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she double majored in Business Administration and African American Studies with a Minor in Sustainability Studies. Diamond continued her education at Wake Forest University where she obtained her Master of Accountancy in 2021 and became a licensed CPA in 2022. Diamond is now a Senior Audit Associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP within their Trust Solutions Private group in Charlotte, NC. In addition to her audit work, Diamond is active in her church's Kids ministry, Heart Math Tutoring, First Tee of Greater Charlotte, NABA, and an active CMS volunteer.

Chris, a Fayetteville, North Carolina native and graduate of one of the nation's finest Historical Black Colleges and Universities, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, is a four time award-winning and 16-time award nominated youth program director, a strong advocate for youth and a lifelong public servant, by way of his extensive work in the community and continued work with youth and young adults. Chris has served in roles as Youth Development Directors, has worked in Communications with the National Football League's Carolina Panthers and has served with a myriad of youth leadership and service organizations such as Upward Bound, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the YMCA, National Youth Sports Program and others. Chris currently serves as the Associate Executive Director at the YMCA.

In 2020, Chris and his family cleared a quarter acre of land at his home to farm on and teach others how to grow their own food, with a focus on food security and sustainability, after helping to lead a highly successful culinary arts partnership for youth. His passion for community building and farming aligns with the values of Reclamation FARMacy.

Michael Brown, Esquire, is the Executive Director of Sustaining Way. A native of Spartanburg, Michael served 12 years as the District One Representative for Spartanburg County Council, was the first African American Vice-Chair and chaired the Public Safety and Judiciary Committee. Michael was a member of the Economic Development Committee working on projects that resulted in over $8 billion in development and over 22k jobs created in his time on council. A trained apiarist certified in Sustainable Agriculture and Permaculture, Michael serves on the Boards of Directors for Reclamation FARMacy, the South Carolina Food Policy Network, and the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association. 

Michael is a 2021 Graduate of the Energy Industry Focused E4 Carolinas Emerging Energy Leaders Academy. He works daily to combat the reality of food deserts in communities throughout the state. As a recognized environmental justice advocate, Michael champions sustainable approaches in community resiliency through energy policy reforms, implementation of efficient energy alternatives in low income communities, affordable housing innovation and transformative healthy lifestyle practices. Michael’s passion about helping to “heal the land” propelled him to start in 2019 a regenerative urban farm, Roots of Life. He is very excited to join the Reclamation FARMacy!

Ina Maka is a land steward, mother, and founder of Seeds n Soil, a land-based education and agricultural Nonprofit in Eastern North Carolina. Her work reconnects youth and families to the land through regenerative agriculture, cultural education, and food sovereignty practices.

As a 5th generational farmer returning her family to the land , Ina views farming as both healing and liberating. For her, this work is not just about food … it is about ancestry. She leads hands-on programs that build agricultural skills, youth leadership, and community resilience while increasing access to fresh, culturally relevant food.

Ina is passionate about advancing equity in agriculture and dismantling barriers for communities of color. She is excited to join Reclamation FARMacy, whose mission aligns with her commitment to food sovereignty, cultural preservation, and empowering communities to grow and thrive.

Dulce Mirian Porras has over thirteen years of experience developing community-based projects rooted in popular education, language justice, racial equity, cultural organizing, and cooperative development. In recent years, her work has centered on cooperatives, organic agriculture, food justice, and grassroots leadership development. She is the founder and director of Ngiwa Consulting and the founder and director of Semilla de Vida Huertos. She is also a current fellow of Vital Village Networks and the North Carolina Climate Justice Collective.

Dulce is inspired by the work of Reclamation Farmacy and their commitment to Food Justice and equity. She brings her skills and support to this crucial work for our BIPOC people in North Carolina.

Originally from Colombia, South America, Alexandra Sossa has dedicated more than 40 years of experience to performing community outreach and education for very low-wage workers. Her journey with FLAP began in 2001 as a volunteer, demonstrating her unwavering commitment to the organization’s mission. Overtime, her dedication led to promotions, from a volunteer, community navigator, and outreach worker to various roles, including Bilingual Director of Operations and Outreach in 2009, Bilingual Executive Director in 2011, culminating in her pivotal role as Bilingual Chief Executive Officer in 2024.

Alexandra has a long history of public service dating back to her work with coffee plantation workers in her native Country, where she also worked for nearly a decade with the Attorney General’s Office and has educated low-wage workers on their rights in the United States, Spain, and Colombia. While in Spain, Alexandra helped citizens of Mexico navigate through the Spanish legal system via the Mexican Embassy.

Ms. Sossa’s commitment isn’t just professional, it’s personal! Her father, an attorney, fought valiantly for low-wage workers and specifically for farmworkers’ rights. His memory lives on through Alexandra’s tireless work. Her mother, who is a retired Magistrate of the Court in Colombia and also, along with her whole family, are great supporters of low-wage workers. Each combined legacy inspires Alexandra’s firm dedication to her craft and commitment to improving the working conditions and opportunities for low-wage workers across Illinois and the USA. She is a native Spanish speaker and is fluent in English.

Alexandra is a huge advocate for Reclamation FARMacy and is inspired by the mission of teaching agricultural skills and promoting food sovereignty for BIPOC. Alexandra also finds Reclamation FARMacy's dedication to deepening relationships with the Latinx community inspiring and is committed to helping shape the conversation around this work.

Tyanna Parker-West is a second-year PhD student in the Department of History at North Carolina State University. A seventh-generation Gullah Geechee descendant from Brunswick County, her work sits at the intersection of lineage and legacy. Tyanna holds an MA in History from North Carolina Central University; her thesis, "Just Beneath the Surface: Brunswick County, North Carolina and the Gullah Geechee Connection," uncovers the profound but often obscured Gullah heritage of the Lower Cape Fear Region. Beyond the archives, she is a performance artist, a dedicated wife, and a mother of three. Tyanna is excited to join Reclamation FARMacy because she is passionate about the intersection of history and agriculture as it exists in a cultural context. You can follow her research and journey on Instagram @tythehistorian.