CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS:
Jessie Myszka, President
Term: through 2008
Betsy Adams, Treasurer
Term: through 2009Stephen Clifford, Vice President
Term: through 2009
Amy Cotter
Term: through 2008
Matthew Altman
Term: through 2008
Jessie Grogan, Secretary
Term: through 2009Salil Simon Payappilly
Term: through 2008Joe Slag
Term: through 2009
Meet the BoD:
(contact information to be available later)
Betsy Adams
(bio not available at this time; please check back soon).
Matthew Altman has been a member at Harvest since 2004. He has spent several years involved in medical research of nutrition in cardiovascular disease and diabetes. He is currently a medical student in clinical training at the Brigham and Women's hospital. He has a deep interest in local sustainable food systems, and promoting healthy food options (fruits and vegetables) in urban environments. Matt volunteers regularly at the Food Project, a local nonprofit committed to creating a community that works towards a sustainable food system. He also volunteers at the Greater Boston Food Bank.
Stephen Clifford has been a member at Harvest since 2005.
He first served on the Membership and Social Concerns Committee before joining the Board in 2006.
He previously provided assistance and consulting services to employee-owned businesses for ten years before using the same skills in the financial services industry.
A graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Stephen worked in Cleveland, Ohio in community and labor organizing to prevent the loss of manufacturing jobs. T
his led to his commitment to collective, local ownership of important community institutions.
Stephen also volunteers at a program feeding the hungry and homeless in downtown Boston.
Amy Cotter grew up with a corn field in her backyard and the city in her blood.
Three commonwealths, two countries, one state, several degrees and nearly 20 years later, she works to improve both city and country and to help them coexist more harmoniously. Professionally, she builds community and regional sustainability using public engagement, information, analysis, and advocacy.
Amy draws from her passion and experience at Harvest, an important part of its communities, where she has served on the Harvest Board of Directors since 2004 and on the Membership and Social Concerns Committee since 2002.
Jessie Grogan
(bio not available at this time; please check back soon).
Jessie Myszka has been a member at Harvest since 1996.
She offers more than a decade of experience from her tenure as a worker-owner at Equal Exchange, Inc., a fair trade coffee roaster and food company.
She has also learned from farmer cooperatives abroad and currently mentors microentrepreneurs in Boston.
Myszka served on Equal Exchange's Board for six years and on Harvest's Board since 2004.
Perhaps her dueling co-op feats have been carrying a turkey on her back for 1.5 miles from the JP store versus transporting a watermelon from Cambridge to Roxbury on her bicycle rack.
In October 2002, she was named as one of “40 under 40 Boston Business Leaders” by the Boston Business Journal.
Margaret Lamb has been a member, staff person and board member of cooperatives since 1968, when she discovered InterCooperative Council housing co-op in Ann Arbor, Michigan, moved in, and became volunteer education coordinator of the ICC in 1969.
In 1971, she began work at North American Students of Cooperation (NASCO), a bi-national campus housing and food co-op trade association still strong today.
Margaret was Executive Director and Executive Editor during her 10 years at NASCO, moved to Boston in 1981, became manager of member and volunteer operations at Harvest (then Cambridge Food Co-op) in 1982-3.
She has been editor of her community newspaper, Dorchester Community News, is currently on the board of her neighborhood association in Ashmont Hill, and is a member of the decision group of Dorchester People for Peace and of Brit Tzedek v'Shalom (Jews for Justice with Peace).
She also owns her own personal-organizing business. Strong in communications and community building, Margaret is very interested in helping to bring membership growth and operational innovation to Harvest.
Salil Simon Payappilly
(bio not available at this time; please check back soon).
Joe Slag has been a member at Harvest since moving to town in 2003.
Before being elected to the Board in 2007, he served on the Membership and Social Concerns Committee.
A software developer by trade, Joe has worked for a number of businesses and institutions, including a handful of internet startups, Minneapolis’ Walker Art Center, and boston.com.
He has worked as a consultant in recent years, with clients including the Boston University School of Public Health, the Women's Lunch Place, and the Food Project.
Joe puts his green thumb to the test in a plot in the Southwest Corridor Community Farm.
