Staff

Dan Shafer

Food Runner

Jen Whaley

Manager of Annual Giving and Grant Development

Amy Diehl

Community Kitchen Coordinator

Amy had been volunteering for ten years and thought so highly of the organization that she was volunteering three days a week. When a job opportunity opened up at the Community Kitchen, she thought it would be a perfect fit! When she's not at work, Amy likes to travel, read, run, and spend time with her daughter Emily.

Andrew Brengle

Warehouse Assistant

Andrew came to Food Gatherers after being a Weekly Warrior volunteer at the Food Gatherers Community Kitchen for many years. He is thankful for the opportunity to be on the team, as he feels a strong responsibility to reduce suffering in the world.

Andrew Paniagua

Community Food Programs Coordinator

Born in Australia to an Australian mother and Spanish father, Andrew worked as a language teacher in Australia, Spain, and the United States prior to joining Food Gatherers. Andrew is passionate about community service and is excited to use his international background and experience in education to help reach the communities that Food Gatherers serves in the fight against hunger. Andrew also enjoys cooking, gardening, soccer, cricket, wrestling crocodiles, and spending time with his family.

Cheryl Zwyer

Chief Development Officer

Cheryl joined Food Gatherers in 2022 and is thrilled to bring her years of fundraising experience to help fight hunger where we live. She studied Social Work at Michigan State and Nonprofit Administration at Notre Dame while living and working in St. Paul, MN, Ypsilanti, MI, and now Toledo, OH. A from-scratch cook, Cheryl loves to experiment with recipes, learn new kitchen techniques, and get delicious meals on the table for her husband, Kyle, and son, Justin.

Christina Roberts

Community Kitchen Coordinator

Christina started by helping out at the Community Kitchen teaching knife safety with the Community Kitchen Job Training Program. The program was designed to engage students in learning skills that could transfer to getting a job in the food service industry. Christina is so grateful to be working with all the generous and kind volunteers in the Community Kitchen, making and serving meals to help those who are food insecure. For fun she loves camping, swimming, music festivals and spending time with friends.

Dan Seling

Warehouse Manager

Growing up, Food Gatherers was a big part of Dan's life. His family has attended Grillin' for many years and for several years he was a regular volunteer at Food Gatherers Community Kitchen. He is proud to now be a staff member of such a great organization and team. It is fulfilling to know that the work that he does daily helps to provide an important community service.

Danielle Wyman

Volunteer Coordinator

Danielle joined Food Gatherers in November of 2021. She transitioned from a position in natural resource stewardship and is interested in the interconnectedness between environmental health and human nutrition. She is very excited to be playing a role in the fight against hunger with Food Gatherers. Danielle was born and raised in Maine where she loved to snowboard and surf with her family. Since moving to Michigan, she enjoys riding her bike, practicing yoga, and crafting.

Dave Buchel

Warehouse Assistant

Starting as a volunteer in May 2011 and becoming a staff member five months later, Dave has enjoyed being a part of the Food Gatherers family, helping people in need in Washtenaw County. He feels very fortunate to be a part of FG, especially within the incredibly giving community of greater Ann Arbor.

Eileen Spring

President / CEO
eileen@foodgatherers.org

Eileen Spring joined Food Gatherers in 1994 to oversee fundraising and volunteer management. She soon became the CEO and it's been a whirlwind of a joyful journey to fight hunger where we live. She is constantly inspired by the staff, volunteers, and community partners to share more food and goodwill. She believes that in a land of plenty, no one should be hungry. When not gathering, Eileen loves to travel and play Scrabble.

Franky Bennett

Food Runner

Franky has been a lifelong resident of the Detroit Metro area and is always looking to give back to the community, trying to leave things better than the way he found them if he can. After volunteering for many years with special needs kids, the chance to work with Food Gatherers seemed like a perfect fit. Traveling and making music are also great passions, and being eager to learn new things makes every day an adventure. There is no better way to meet people and try to bring the community together than being a part of Food Gatherers.

Graham Patton

Volunteer Coordinator

Graham Patton, a longtime volunteer and previous Food Gatherers Intern, started in his role as Volunteer Coordinator in 2016. He has had experience aiding in food security in Detroit and Ann Arbor. He has worked in commercial kitchens at the U of M. He is usually at the warehouse but is sometimes covering down at the kitchen, running the show. He loves the mission, the challenge, the co-workers, and of course the amazing volunteers that make it all possible. Currently, Graham is also part-time in the MSW program at Eastern Michigan University. For fun, he spends a lot of time with his two pups and loves cooking, baking, fishing, and is excited to get out camping more.

James Everhart

Manager of Volunteer Programs

James graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a Bachelor's degree in Social Work. He enjoys working with all of the great volunteers!

Jeff Grigg

Food Runner

Jeff joined our food runner team in 2013. He enjoys the relationships he has with the donors, agencies, and co-workers, and, more importantly, serving the mission of providing nutritious food to people in need. He is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, and has lived in several cities around the U.S. and in South Korea.

Jeff Wells

Food Run Manager

Jeff joined Food Gatherers in August of 2016. He is very enthusiastic about fighting food insecurity, serving his community, and feels lucky to be on the front lines in our fight against hunger. Jeff is also a musician and has 2 children that he loves to spend time with.

Jen Whaley

Manager of Annual Giving and Grant Development

Jen has been with Food Gatherers since 2018. A long-time advocate for local food systems and food security, she has also worked at and/or served as a volunteer for several Ypsilanti-based nonprofits, including the Ypsi Food Co-op, Growing Hope, Ypsi Meals on Wheels, the Ypsi Warming Space, and the Mutual Aid Network of Ypsi (MANY). Jen is also active in the local music scene as a singer/songwriter, and enjoys spending time outdoors hiking, biking, and kayaking.

John Reed

Director of Warehouse Operations

John Reed, Director of Warehouse Operations, has been with Food Gatherers since September 2002, helping build and shape our strong, service-oriented team. John thrives on the depth and breadth of appreciation Food Gatherers receives for their work and feels fortunate to have been entrusted to perform this important work with an amazing collection of people in service to Washtenaw County.

Jordan Jackson, MSW

HR Manager and Board Liaison

Jordan joined the Food Gatherers team as a volunteer in January 2012. He was hired as a Food Runner in December 2013 and is now the HR Manager and Board Liaison. Jordan enjoys running long distances, cycling, and listening to strange music. Jordan is honored to be part of a team that provides nutritious food to the community and that believes that access to food is a basic human right!

Josh Cantor

Food Runner

Food Runner Josh Cantor loves helping people through his work and appreciates the company of his fellow Gatherers. A staff member since April 2009, Josh takes pleasure in helping the community in small ways and working for a good cause. His favorite Food Gatherers memory is the day he was hired.

Larry Sanna

Program Evaluator

Larry Sanna, Program Evaluator, researches strategies to alleviate hunger by increasing access to healthy food across Food Gatherers' programs. He has experience as a market and consumer researcher, communications content designer, consultant, and professor. Having volunteered at Food Gatherers since 2012, Larry is thrilled to help reduce food insecurity and to make a real difference for those in need.

Lauren Grossman

Communications Coordinator

Lauren joined Food Gatherers in September 2019. She is a lifelong Michigander but has enjoyed studying and working in France, Belgium, and Washington state. She studied International Affairs and French at Eastern Michigan University and is interested in the local and global impacts of food security. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, baking, and petting every dog she meets!

LeRonica Roberts

Community Food Programs Manager

LeRonica was born and raised in Washtenaw County. She enjoys doing things with family and is happy to be part of an organization that is passionate about helping those in need with dignity. Fun fact: LeRonica met and talked with President Bill Clinton every morning while he was running for President!

Lynn Fiorentino

Office Coordinator

Lynn joined Food Gatherers after many years of volunteering for Food Gatherers at Grillin' and the Community Kitchen. She is grateful for the opportunity to serve her community and coworkers in her position as Office Coordinator and loves delivering cheerful announcements over the intercom. When not pretending to be the warehouse DJ, she loves reading, coddling her cats, making things, and more reading.

Markell Miller, MPH

Director of Community Food Programs

Upon moving to Michigan in 2013, Markell was immediately drawn to Food Gatherers and the palpable, positive "we'll figure it out" spirit. Markell is grateful for the trust and responsibility the greater Washtenaw community has given Food Gatherers and is committed to serving the community in her role. She feels lucky to be at an organization that is dually focused on meeting the current need and working to prevent that need in the first place.

Mustafa Oluk

Food Runner

Mustafa has been with Food Gatherers since May 2016. After getting his degree in Business Administration, he worked in retail management and supply chain/logistics fields for several years. He has a passion for helping the community that he lives in. He is a firm believer that only healthy communities help raise healthy individuals for society. Mustafa enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, watching soccer, and other activities.

Pat Fallon

Volunteer Coordinator

Gatherer, Pat Mechanical Dossier
Wingspan: 3ish Ft.
Carrot Capacity: Unknown
Hydraulic Potential: 10
Subject played a key role in the hand cart incident of 1991. The Pat model outfitted with top-of-the-line gathering tech and is expected to transport 1000s of pounds of food each day.

Robert Peterson

Food Runner

Robert was born and raised in Washtenaw County. For over seven years, he worked as an elementary school teacher. His first connection with Food Gatherers was as a summer mobile food driver with the Summer Food Service Program, where he distributed free meals to kids and teens. After three summers, he decided to join Food Gatherers' team full-time. Robert says, "I love being a part of the change, no matter how big or small."

Rolanda Logan

Community Food Programs Coordinator

Rolanda joined Food Gatherers in October 2020. She is an Ypsilanti native who enjoys serving her community. Before joining FG, she led youth and schools programming, teaching children about wellness, healthy eating, and connecting families to healthy food resources. She then continued with supporting seniors facing hunger throughout Ypsi. Rolanda is honored to be a part of Food Gatherers to continue helping and advocating for anyone facing hunger. When not at FG, she enjoys exploring new places, yoga, and spending time with her husband and family.

Rusty Brach

Finance Manager

Rusty Brach started doing accounting on ledger sheets back in the seventh grade to help out his mother at the family business. That was about the time he learned how to garden, helping the family grow food for the table. In the intervening years, he's still doing accounting and still growing food. The two pursuits have contributed to his lifelong interest in food security and eliminating hunger. He is honored to serve Food Gatherers as their Finance Manager and hopes to give back to the community that has been such a rich part of his life. Here's to green eye-shades and dirty fingernails!

Scott Mihalik

Food Runner

Scott joined Food Gatherers in August 2018 as a part-time Warehouse Assistant and as a full-time Food Runner in December 2018. He lives in Ann Arbor after previously living in Saline, and he is thrilled to be working hands-on to help mitigate food insecurity in our community. When not at FG, he enjoys going to museums and other cultural destinations, playing board games, and running in circles at weekly track workouts with friends.

Scott Roubeck

Community Kitchen Manager

Gatherer since April 2008, Scott Roubeck offers comfort, stability, and hope to hungry clients, one nutritious and delicious plate at a time, in our Community Kitchen as a Community Kitchen Manager. His favorite Food Gatherers’ memory is: "One day a local pizzeria donated 40 pizzas for us to serve at lunch. Afterward, a client who eats with us every day came up to me in tears. I thought she was upset. She said that she always gets a great meal at the Community Kitchen but was moved to tears because she had not eaten restaurant food in several years. She said it made her feel very special!"

Scott Stark

Food Runner

Scott joined Food Gatherers in December of 2018 as a Food Runner. Scott lives in Ypsilanti with his girlfriend. When Scott is not working, he loves golf, hunting, and fishing, but nothing compares to spending time with his children and granddaughter Teagen.

Suzi Peterson Steward

Community Kitchen Coordinator

Suzi Peterson Steward became a volunteer back in 2013. Her background is in arts administration, specifically in music and theatre. She has always had a passion for serving the homeless and food insecure in this community and was thrilled to join the Community Kitchen as a part-time coordinator after she retired from her theatre management job.

Terrence Hood

Development Associate

Terrence joined Food Gatherers in August of 2021 and manages our Peer-to-Peer fundraisers, Corporate Donor relations, and the Full Plate Partner program. After growing up right here in the community and graduating from Skyline High schools Inaugural class, he studied engineering and computer science at Eastern Michigan University as well as Business Management and Entrepreneurship at WCC. He is honored to serve Food Gatherers and brings with him technical skills as well as practical knowledge in CRM and project management along with a strong interest in creating both local and global social change. In his free time, he enjoys playing basketball or tennis with his wife and collecting/trading sneakers.

Tom Neil

Warehouse Assistant

Tom started at Food Gatherers in the fall of 2020. Having previously been in the automotive repair business, he wanted to do more fulfilling work. In his spare time, he enjoys playing music and gaming with friends.

Trever Champine

Food Runner

Trever Champine has been with Food Gatherers since July 2010 and loves his work as a Food Runner. Trever enjoys the happy environment he finds at Food Gatherers, his time at Grillin’ each year, living life to the fullest, and helping the community.