Meet Our Team

Liz Whiteman

Operations Director, Co-Director
​liz@brwia.org

Liz grew up in northern Minnesota, spending summers helping her parents dig potatoes and carrots in their backyard gardens. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of  Wisconsin-Madison, Liz followed her passion for regenerative agriculture and food sovereignty to urban gardens in New Orleans and tropical farms in rural Ecuador.

She spent 5 years in Washington DC working on federal farm policy, focusing on increased funding for sustainable agriculture and strengthening nutrition programs such as WIC and SNAP. In 2019, Liz found her way to Western North Carolina, spending a season working for Tumbling Shoals Farm in Wilkes County. 

Drawn to the High Country by the impressive local food economy, Liz is excited to work with local farmers and community members to continue striving for a vibrant, equitable, and sustainable food system. 

Liz works to direct BRWIA's programming and staff with a focus on strategic expansion and reach and the impact of BRWIA's programming.

Dave Walker

Development Director, Co-Director
​dave@brwia.org

Dave grew up in the North Carolina Piedmont and would visit his grandparents' home places in Watauga County each summer to camp and hike. Dave joined BRWIA in 2015 as the CRAFT Program Manager and has served as the Programs Director and Interim Executive Director.

​He holds a MA in Appalachian Studies and Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Sciences from AppState and a BA in American Studies from Sewanee: The University of the South.

Dave's Masters Thesis concerned how first-generation farmers become successful in Blue Ridge Appalachia, and he counts himself amongst them as he started Daffodil Spring Farm in the spring of 2017, raising Certified Animal Welfare pigs on pasture and delicious vegetables. Dave also held an internship with AppState's Edible Schoolyard where, he mapped Watauga County's community gardens and encouraged a network amongst the shared growing spaces.

When he is not working with BRWIA, you may find him in his garden with his dog Fred, fly fishing in Wilson's Creek, or spinning really, really fast at a contra dance.

Dave works to expand BRWIA’s financial capacity and raise its public profile.

Haley Riordan

Food Hub Manager
​haley@brwia.org

Haley was raised on family farmland in Hickory, NC where she was taught familial homesteading practices by her Granny. She then made her way to Boone for school and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a concentration in Natural Science from Appalachian State University, making her a first generation college graduate. During her time in Boone, she became exposed to the organic grassroot culture of Southern Appalachia and decided that this was home. 

Since then, Haley has worked for two small business owners, Andy Long of Over Yonder and Madelyn George of the Valle Crucis Lavender House. Both graciously taught the importance of supporting local and the impact that “acting small” has on our rural economy. While working for Andy, Haley was able to see how the food industry can support farmers, as he chooses to source local, even sometimes from Yonder’s garden! Haley learned how to run a multifaceted business as the manager of The Lavender House and from the coaching of Madelyn. While managing the Lavender House, Haley was able to build confident relationships with members of our community.

She loves: making and experiencing irreverent art, desert trips, laughing, and her cat Mr. Spaghetti.

Ellie Mullis

Double Up Food Bucks & Farmers' Market Manager
ellie@brwia.org

Ellie grew up on an organic vegetable farm in the Piedmont of North Carolina where she gained a deep appreciation for nature and local food. With a desire to pursue social change and equitable environmentalism, she obtained a BS in Sustainable Development from Appalachian State University in Spring of 2020. Throughout her sustainability studies at App, she has become specifically passionate about working on strengthening local food systems and reducing waste.

Ellie previously worked with BRWIA as a Double Up Food Bucks Ambassador where she raised awareness of the program throughout App's campus. She later worked as the Double Up Food Bucks Summer Associate VISTA where she developed a closer relationship with the Boone community. Her work as an Americorps VISTA member inspired her senior thesis in which she explored various barriers and solutions for increasing participation in local food equity programs.

In her free time, she loves cooking, going on nature walks, and gardening. Ellie is very excited for her new role and is looking forward to a career in sustainable food systems.​

Shannon ​Carroll

Finance Coordinator
shannon@brwia.org

Shannon grew up in the Piedmont area of NC and moved to Boone in 1983 after spending a year teaching Biology on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona.

​She has 30+ years of experience providing leadership and support for instructional technology for Watauga County Schools. She retired from Watauga County Schools in 2013 and is currently dividing her time between three part-time positions - being the Finance Coordinator for BRWIA, helping with the Lettuce Learn at Parkway School, and helping her husband, Terry, with his SunCatcher Passive Solar Greenhouse business.

She also recently earned her Master Gardener certification. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, traveling to visit her sons, and going for long walks.​

Taylor Griffis

Food Hub Assistant
taylor@brwia.org

Taylor grew up in Jacksonville, FL where she gained a deep appreciation for the diversity of the Florida landscape. After graduating from the University of Florida with a Bachelor's degree in English and Education, she moved to Atlanta to pursue a career in the Arts where she worked as a Gallery Administrative Assistant for ABV Agency and Art Gallery. 

Over the Summer of 2020, she took her first trip to the Mountains of NC and was captivated by the magic of the mountains in every sense. Since settling here, she has gained a deep appreciation for organic and sustainable agriculture through her work as a Biodynamic Gardener and as an assistant at the Food Hub.

She strives to be part of an agriculture renaissance, where younger generations are encouraged to move back into more rural and underdeveloped areas to cultivate the land left by their ancestors. She believes that through access to fresh organic food and a love for the land, a community can withstand anything.

In her free time, you can catch Taylor sculpting at her new studio at High Country Clay, experimenting with nature photography on her long hikes throughout the mountains, and dancing any chance she gets. 

Kali Cannon

Farmers' Market Assistant
kali@brwia.org

Kali was born and raised in Savannah, Georgia. As a child she loved gardening and cooking with her father. Gardening and southern cooking practices have been passed down through her family, which has generated a deeply rooted love for food in her life. 

She moved to Western North Carolina with her family in 2013 and has since then fallen in love with the mountains. In 2017, she began her journey at Appalachian State University as a Nutrition student with a focus on Dietetics. 

After taking a Community Nutrition course, she started getting involved in the local food system of Watauga county. In 2019 she became a Double Up Food Bucks Ambassador and ever since then she has been passionate about community outreach and food equity. 

Kali is excited to be apart of the BRWIA team to help provide all community members with a safe and welcoming Farmers’ Market to enjoy and support local farmers.

AmeriCorps VISTA Service Members

Megann Southworth

Local Food Markets & Community Connections Designer
AmeriCorps VISTA
megann@brwia.org

Megann is from Greensboro, NC, and spent much of her childhood either outside or with her nose in a book. Not too much has changed since then, and she can often be found exploring the trails around Boone, gardening, or reading.

When she arrived in Boone in 2016 to pursue a degree in Sustainable Development at App State, she wasn't sure where her journey as an environmentalist would take her. Fortunately, she discovered the local food movement after interning with the King Street Market in 2019 and is so excited to continue increasing access to all the amazing local products the High Country has to offer.

​Megann considers the local food movement to be about way more than just getting delicious meats and produce from local sources (although that's definitely a positive!) and she can't wait to learn more about how environmental justice, sustainability, and community can all connect to create a vibrant and equitable food system for all.

Marisa Bumgardner

Producer Support Designer
AmeriCorps VISTA
marisa@brwia.org

Marisa grew up in the North Carolina Piedmont, where she spent her childhood in horse barns and 4H programs. After coming to Boone for college in 2012, she connected with BRWIA as a volunteer, and served as the Farmer Outreach Intern in 2015. Through this internship, Marisa had the opportunity to meet area farmers and local food advocates while helping to create the Blue Ridge Farm Book. This experience fueled her passion for local, sustainable agriculture, food justice, and community development, which guided much of her coursework and research for the remainder of her education. 

After spending a few years in Colorado working on a guest ranch, Marisa returned to Boone in 2019 to complete her BS in Sustainable Development. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking with her dog, riding and training horses, and experimenting in the kitchen. Marisa is excited to return to BRWIA, where her passion for local food advocacy began, to serve the community that has had such a significant impact on her personal and professional development.

Interns

Carlisle Poteat-Deblock

Local Foods Systems Intern
carlisle@brwia.org

Carlisle grew up in Charlotte, NC, spending a lot of her childhood being raised by her grandparents learning how to cook Southern cuisine and how to conserve and use all parts of food, not letting any of it go to waste. She spent a lot of her youth volunteering through her local church where she soon realized she wanted to pursue social work. Carlisle graduated from Appalachian State in Spring 2020 with a Bachelor's in Social Work and is now in the Master's program. While working within the school system in spring of 2020, the pandemic hit and she saw how the High Country community responds and comes together during uncertainty and tragedy. During this time, she also saw firsthand how food insecurity and the lack of access to fresh, local food can affect individuals and families. 

​Carlisle is super excited to be a part of local food advocacy and outreach this year. In her spare time, she enjoys baking and creating different (sometimes weird!) dishes all while listening to a good podcast. Carlisle hopes to bridge the gap between social work and local food advocacy and hopefully pave the road for future social workers to continue this work with BRWIA. 

Ben Pluska

Spring 2021 CRAFT Intern

Ben grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina before moving to Boone last year to attend Appalachian State to pursue a degree in Sustainable Development with a focus in Agroecology. Bens’ research and career interests lie in food sovereignty, indigenous agriculture resiliency, and the Land Back movement. Since coming to Boone, Ben has fostered a passion for community-driven development and grassroots organizing. Currently, Ben is a part of the Climate Action Collaborative, a climate action group fighting for climate justice, a just transition from extractive industries, and environmental justice. Ben also works with the local composting co-op Born Again Dirt (B.A.D) to help cultivate a more sustainable waste system in Boone.

Outside of academics and advocacy, Ben enjoys cooking with locally sourced vegetables from the Food Hub and baking vegan pastries. Ben also hikes quite a bit and enjoys learning about forageable plants that grow in the southern Appalachian region and finding ways to incorporate them into dishes. Ben also enjoys reading quite a bit as well.

Ben is extremely excited to be working with the BRWIA within the CRAFT program to help grow small scale agriculture systems in Boone.

Jessica McClelland

Spring 2021 Food Hub Intern

Jess is originally from Spokane, Washington, but now calls Boone home! She is a senior at Appalachian
State studying Sustainable Development and working as a research assistant. She has spent the last four
years working in the outdoor industry as a guide and photographer, and her passion for nature has
fueled her interest in sustainability and environmentalism. Conducting research into the High-Country food system’s responses to COVID-19 sparked her interest in becoming directly involved with building
local food systems, and she is excited to be part of the BRWIA team as a spring 2021 Food Hub intern!

​In her free time, she can be found cooking, climbing, or running with her dog. She looks forward to a
career working with non-profits and community development.