GMFTS Welcomes Three New Team Members

Press Contact
Sophie Westover
Communications and Development Coordinator
swestover@gmfts.org | 802-334-2044

GMFTS Welcomes Three New Team Members

Green Mountain Farm-to-School (GMFTS) is pleased to welcome three new talented individuals to their staff – Sophie Westover, Jeyna Diallo, and Nick Chmura.

Sophie joins the team as Communications and Development Coordinator, Nick joins as an AmeriCorps Farm-to-School Coordinator, and Jeyna, a former AmeriCorps member, re-joins GMFTS as Consumer Education and Food Access Coordinator.

“We are excited to have Jeyna back and to add Sophie and Nick to our staff,” says James Hafferman, Executive Director of GMFTS, “ they are each filling crucial roles and we look forward to the benefits each will bring to the organization.”

Sophie, originally from Cambridge, MA, earned a B.A. in International Affairs from Lewis & Clark College in 2015. Most recently, Sophie worked as Associate Communications Officer at The Center for People and Forests – RECOFTC in Bangkok, Thailand where she gained experience in non-profit communications strategies. Prior, Sophie interned at the International Center for Journalists in Washington, DC and at Mercy Corps in Portland, OR.

“I am excited to transition from working internationally to working on a more local scale,” says Westover, “I look forward to seeing the impact GMFTS has on the community and helping the organization grow.”

Jeyna, originally from Alexandria, Virginia, earned a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Bates College in 2015. She first joined GMFTS as an AmeriCorps Farm-to-School Coordinator in 2015 and the organization is thrilled to have her back in a program leadership role. Jeyna will coordinate several key programs at GMFTS including the Lunchbox and Vermont Harvest of the Month.

“I am happy to be back at GMFTS,” says Diallo, “I grew to love the NEK during my time as an AmeriCorps member and now I have the opportunity to continue to sustain and grow the wonderful programs here at GMFTS. ”

Nick, originally from Belchertown, Massachusetts, earned a B.S. in Natural Resource Conservation from UMASS Amherst. Nick is a two-time AmeriCorps alumnus. Prior to joining the GMFTS team, he worked as an Environmental Educator at a non-profit farm in Boulder, Colorado, he was the Garden & Nutrition Program Coordinator at the Helena Food Pantry in Montana through the Americorps Vista program and worked as a Solar Educator & Installer in Minnesota through the Conservation Corps of MN.

“I am looking forward to using and further developing the skills I’ve acquired from my previous AmeriCorps and work experiences,” says Chmura, “the youth are critical to sustaining a healthy local food economy and I am excited to foster that growth.”

For more information about all of the staff at GMFTS, visit www.GreenMountainFarmtoSchool.org