Carmen Nugent

Carmen entered the Arizona agriculture space in mid-2022 after a 10-year career in corporate healthcare, and has spent her time working to understand Arizona’s local food system from many angles: as a butcher, as a Meat and Poultry Inspector with AZDA, and most recently as a food safety specialist and the Operations Manager of Pivot Produce. In 2025, she started Refractory Farm, where she cultivates Prickly Pear cactus, Rabbits, Chickens, and more. Local food is all she thinks about! She lives on her farm in Vail, AZ, with her wife and their four dogs.

Erica Uhl

Erica Uhl is the Friends of the Farm Program Manager at the Arizona Food Bank Network, where she has spent the past three years leading a statewide farm-to-food-assistance program that supports small and mid-sized growers while helping provide fresh, local food to families across Arizona. She also leads the Farmer Development Series, an educational webinar series that connects farmers with practical resources to strengthen their operations. Before joining AzFBN, Erica managed operations for a small farm and compost service and served with the Arizona Conservation Corps. She is passionate about supporting local agriculture and strengthening Arizona’s food system.

Jenn Parlin

Jenn Parlin is the Interim Cooperative Extension Director for Pima County and the Director of The Garden Kitchen. Her work focuses on strengthening local food systems through community partnerships, nutrition security, workforce development, and support for Arizona farmers. Jennifer oversees initiatives including PLAZA Mobile Market and works collaboratively with organizations across Arizona to improve equitable access to healthy, locally grown food.

Sam Lev

Sam is Director of Programs for Activate Food Arizona, overseeing all direct-to-consumer programming, especially the Farm Express Mobile Markets. Starting his career as a pastry chef and bread baker, Sam transitioned to food access by managing farmers markets and launching a mobile produce market in Roanoke, VA. To this day, Sam loves pairing the challenges and joys of direct service with the impact long term systems change, and helping bring people together around good food. As a relative newcomer to Arizona, Sam has loved getting to spend time in the desert via running, hiking, and camping.

Zenya Ledermann

Originally from Minnesota, Zenya has lived in several corners of the country before settling in Flagstaff, Arizona. She currently works as Project Lead of Programs at the Flagstaff Family Food Center and serves as Board Secretary of Flagstaff Foodlink. Her experience spans multiple areas of the food system, with a focus on expanding food access and strengthening equitable, sustainable community food systems. She is passionate about building collaborative partnerships and developing programs that create lasting impact.

Amrita Khalsa is from Tucson and has a background as a baker and pastry cook. For the last three years she has worked as the Farmers Market Network and Advocacy Coordinator at the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, working to build a more equitable, sustainable and thriving food system. Over her career from working in commercial kitchens, and volunteering with community gardens, and now coordinating a farmers’ market, Amrita has seen the multifaceted ways in which food, culture and policy are interconnected. She dreams of joining all her experiences into her joy of cooking and baking and supporting small growers and farmers, to strengthen a future in which all can enjoy a sustainable food system.