EXECUTIVE TEAM
OUR TEAM IS LIKE A SEED- WE PLANT IDEAS THAT GROW
Selena Darrow
Executive Director
Selena is a cheese head by birth and has been cooking up a storm since she was young child. She has spent her career feeding her passion for food and brings a wealth of food industry knowledge and experience to Rooted In.
As the founder and Executive Director, Selena has led the development of the mission, values and seed to table programs. She believes that we are better together, and partnerships are key to the impact Rooted In will have to fight food insecurity and reduce food waste in our community. Through her lived experience as a single mother, she has walked in the shoes of those she serves and is driven to build community one meal at a time.
In addition, she runs her own culinary consulting business, Culinary Innovations, which specializes in creative content development and technical R&D Chef support for the food service industry.
Selena is also the Local Northeast Wisconsin Food Coordinator, REAP Food Group, to support the new statewide Farm Fresh Atlas publication.
Board of Directors
Andrea Werner, Emplifiy
President
Andrea Werner serves as the Chief Population Health Officer for Emplify Health (formerly Bellin Health and Gundersen Health System), an integrated, healthcare delivery system, serving Northeastern & Southwestern Wisconsin, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Southeast Minnesota, and Northeast Iowa. As the Chief Population Health Officer, Andrea is leading the system transformation into a population health organization. Prior to this, Andrea served as the Senior Vice President for Population Health Strategy & Transformation at Bellin Health. She provided oversight to several areas, including Business and Community Health; Digital Care Strategies; Marketing and Communications; Learning and Innovation Center; Care Beyond Walls; Contact Center; and Lifestyle Medicine.
Before stepping into her role as the Senior Vice President for Population Health Strategy & Transformation, Andrea served as the senior leader of cardiovascular care, orthopedics and sports medicine, neurosciences, and system diagnostics for 13 years at Bellin Health. Andrea has her BSW from Marquette University, MSW from The University of Iowa, and completed The Improvement Advisor Training Program with The Institute for Healthcare Improvement in Boston, Massachusetts. Andrea has worked at Bellin Health for 27 years.
Lynn Kitslaar, Emplify
Secretary
Lynn is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist with Emplify Health (formerly Bellin Health) since 2001. Prior to that she worked with Women Infant Children Program. She and her husband have two adult children. She enjoys reading and hiking in her free time.
Emily Lo, Business Development and Strategic Leadership Consultant
Treasurer
Emily is passionate about food and helping organizations succeed. Previously, she ran operations for the French Pastry School and was the Director of the Illinois Small Business Development Center at the expansive Make City small business incubator in Chicago. She worked for a global bank in Chicago, New York, and London, and has experience in the hospitality, management consulting, and aerospace industries. She holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Caltech. Growing up in New Orleans, Emily has traveled to and lived in great food cities all over the world. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering to help the food insecure
Sierra Filson, Fickle Bea LLC
Communications Director
Sierra is a food photographer and baking blogger based in Green Bay. After spending several years working in bakeries, she developed a passion for using food as a way to make connections with others and strengthen community. Those connections lead to thinking critically about our food systems and the impact they have on our lives and environment. When she isn’t baking or taking pictures, she’s reading a book, tending to her tiny balcony garden, or spending time with her husband and their rescue cat.
Quincy Fassbender, On Broadway Inc.
Digital Marketing
Quincy is the Digital Media Manager at On Broadway, Inc. She graduated from St. Norbert College in 2019 and has since built her expertise in Social Media and Digital Marketing. Her role involves leveraging her communication and people skills to engage with our community and promote initiatives effectively. In her free time, she coaches a high school dance team, a role she has cherished for the past eight years.
Hung Nguyen, Autumn Moon LLC
Philanthropy
Family is everything for Hung Nguyen. He has been married to his wife for more than 20 years, and together they have three children: Grace, Autumn, and Neville. Hung has a longstanding commitment to serving non-profit organizations, focusing on Planning, Marketing, and Resource Development as a way to give back to the community. He is an active member of the boards and committees of organizations dealing with recovery, where he contributes to building an eco-system that supports individuals in their recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.
In his professional life, Hung works as a fractional executive, providing executive coaching to help young leaders refine their skills and strategies. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his extended family, reading, woodworking, fixing broken items, and raising Buff 74 Orpington chickens.
Katherine Jo, DURR
Nourishment for All
Katherine is a process engineer in Green Bay. For as long as she can remember, she had an interest in cooking. She considers community and health to be two of the most important factors in life. Since everything is connected, she believes that many areas of the community will improve by strengthening the community’s health and wellness. She likes to fill her free time with things that nourish her soul such as reading, journaling, working out, running, walking, and hanging out with friends and family.
Scott Martel, Nature’s Way
Chef’s Table
Scott worked in food service for many years focusing on scratch cooking. During that time, donating food to the local shelter became routine, and a passion for growing food. Now he has a garden with more square feet than an average house, and a passion to learn more about sustainable agriculture. He likes nothing more than providing a good meal to anyone that will sit at his table.
Gary Daughtry, Rawhide Boys Ranch
Jackson Elementary Seed to Table School
Gary is a podcaster and crisis specialist. After spending several years in the retail industry, he discovered a niche for volunteering. He has been volunteering for food banks for a number of years and found a strong passion in service and helping those in need and not in need. He enjoys volunteering at school sporting events and loves mentoring. In his free time, he likes new adventures, hiking, building great relationships, working out, and artwork.
Jayne Black, Moms Clean Air Force
Past President
Jayne is the Wisconsin Delegate for Moms Clean Air Force, serves on the City of De Pere Sustainability Commission and is the reigning Mrs USA Earth Air. Jayne graduated from the Wisconsin Women’s Public Policy Institute in Madison and helped spearhead and write the first Indoor Air Quality Bill AB434/SB444 for schools in Wisconsin.
ADVISORY TEAM
SUPPORTING OUR MISSION FROM SEED TO TABLE
Andy DiMezza- Rooted In Inc Incorporator, Neighbor Works Green Bay
Dawn Rentmeester- NWTC
Linda Tarlton- Sunrise on Main Boutique
Kirsten Larsen- NOAA
Deb Polster- -Business Development Executive
Micayla Dabeck- Speech Language Pathologist
Jess Johnston- Metal Ware
Lyn Gilligan- Business Management Specialist
Marta Ehlert Cisler- Associated Bank