Meet Our Team

Liz Whiteman

Operations 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. 

Dave Walker

Development 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.

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.​

Kelsey Crawford

Programs Coordinator
kelsey@brwia.org

Kelsey grew up with her hands in the soil of her Mamaw's garden. She left her small hometown in the Ohio River Valley to complete her Bachelor of Science degree at Florida Southern College. Alongside her studies, she bred a passion for rural organizing and regenerative agriculture. On the day after her graduation, Kelsey took a plane (or five) to Homer, Alaska for a year of commercial vegetable and flower production. And a lot of really cool hiking. 

Throughout her travels, her mind remained somewhere in Appalachia, and Kelsey was drawn to the High Country by its vibrant farming community and drive toward a fair and sustainable food system. Whether working in knee-deep mud, inches of snow, or sweltering heat, she was inspired by her farming mentors and their contribution to our intricate local network. 

Ellie Mullis

Double Up Food Bucks Coordinator
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.​

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 Food 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.