Our Team
Get to know our small, but mighty GFC family
Rachel's belief in the power of food systems to act as a near 'cure all' for many of our social and environmental challenges started in 2001 on a homestead in upstate New York. On the shores of Lake Masseweepie, food was a source of purpose, community, joy, identity, and stewardship.
Now off the homestead, she has sought out opportunities that weave together community-building, sustainability, and food systems. The Good Food Collective is a near-perfect union of all three. Rachel hopes to find ways for the GFC to address root causes of inequity and poverty, as well as, mitigate climate change and build local resilience.
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Rachel can be reached at rachel@goodfoodcollective.org
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Rachel Landis - Director & LPFEC Project Weaver
Lauren's passion for food, community, and mountain adventures landed her in Durango after graduating from the University of Colorado Boulder with a master’s degree in Sustainable Food Systems.
Her previous work in food spans the nonprofit, agriculture, education, and service industries. Paired with a bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Lauren is excited to leverage her experience working at the intersection of value chain coordination and equitable food system design to strengthen regional food sheds. She is a firm believer that through food we can build a better future for people and the planet.
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Lauren can be reached at foodsecurity@goodfoodcollective.org
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Lauren ames - Food security director
Kate is a plant person, clinical herbalist, writer, and mom. She started a non-profit that offered free herbal medicine clinics to underserved people for 5 years. In previous lives she's been a farmer of produce, meat, and dairy, and she's looking forward to helping the GFC and LPFEC improve our local food system.
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Kate can be reached at info@goodfoodcollective.org
kate husted - communications, administrative, and project associate
Beatriz Garcia- Community empowerment coordinator
Beatriz is a passionate activist, who cares deeply about social justice, equity, and the immigrant community. She was born in Guanajuato, Mexico. Beatriz has been exposed to social problems including Nicaragua´s insurrection in 2018, homelessness, hunger, inadequate access to housing and education, and food insecurity. Through these experiences, she has come to realize that the solution to our biggest social barriers begin at home with local activism.
She serves in the Executive Board for ACLU Colorado and is part of the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging group for the local School District, and she partners with the Durango 9-R Board of Education as a Thought Leader Committee.
Beatriz can be reached at communityvoice@goodfoodcollective.org
Erin Jolley - Facilitator, LPFEC Food Access Workgroup
Erin has worked with non-profits starting as a college student in Environmental Studies. Pursuing causes she believes in has landed her in various roles in cooking and nutrition education, hunger relief, organic farming and affectionately known as the "food lady". With a knack for community building and a strong passion for food equity, Erin is honored to be working with La Plata County Food System & Health Equity Coalition as Food Access Facilitator.
Erin can be reached at foodaccess@goodfoodcollective.org
Olivia De Pablo-Lopez- Language Justice Coordinator
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Olivia De Pablo-Lopez is an Immigrant and an activist from Morelos, Mexico who moved to Durango, Colorado in 1993. She believes in the power of community mobilization to dismantle systematic oppression, spark curiosity, and create change! Most of her work has been in the areas of Immigrant’s and Women’s Rights. She is a National Awarded winner from ARTE SANA -a national organization dedicated towards the eradication of violence against women- She sits in various committees such as: La Plata Leadership Diversity, Mujeres sin miedo and Voces. She is also a former member of the Community Relation’s Commission through the City of Durango. Her passion is to help build healthier communities by promoting social change, diversity, Inclusion, and cultural Competency. She is an avid life learner, a very complex being in search of simplicity. She enjoys living in Durango, local colors, arts, traveling, independent cinema, outdoors, music, dancing, spending time with family and her dog Max.
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Olivia can be reached at olivia@goodfoodcollective.org
Tiffany Chacon- Early Childhood project manager
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Tiffany Chacon is an Early Childhood Champion whose purpose is to shake up the Early Childhood and Family-centered domains to provide the opportunity for success to all. Utilizing her love for human nature and community connection, lives will be changed. She hopes that the work she has a hand in will not end with her, but be transferred to each individual and organization she engages with.
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Tiffany can be reached at childcare@goodfoodcollective.org
Elliot Hummel - Fruit For Good Coordinator
An on and off again resident of Durango over the last several years, Elliot grew up running around on the farms of friends in Fairbanks, Alaska, and ever since has been a believer in the importance of community-centered agriculture and the need for better food systems. He loves to be outside, running, biking, and exploring whenever possible. Elliot found their way to Good Food Collective as a gleaning volunteer and is excited to join the legacy of apple chipping masters with Fruit For Good.
You can reach Elliot at ffg@goodfoodcollective.org
