EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Alisha is a fourth-generation Coloradan, born right here in Grand Junction at St. Mary’s Hospital. She has lived all over the state, but spent summers and holidays growing up in the Grand Valley. After graduating from Colorado State University with a B.A. in English, Alisha served in the United States Peace Corps as a Food Security volunteer. She spent nearly three years living off-grid in a small farming village in Togo, West Africa, where she found her passion for community development and the power of food.

After completing her service, Alisha decided to come home to work on improving food systems in Colorado. She has been working for the past 10 years in the nonprofit and local government sectors, most recently as a Senior Resource Development Specialist at the City of Lakewood. Her husband Tim is a travel journalist and copywriter; they relocated to Palisade in the summer of 2019 with their terrier rescue pup Russell, and have recently welcomed a baby girl, Olivia. In her free time Alisha enjoys practicing yoga, hiking peaks, cycling, gardening, cooking nutritious foods, and international travel.

PROGRAM OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

Chelsea has been a resident of Grand Junction since the summer of 2019. She grew up in a large family in southwestern Virginia where her family cared for chickens, ducks, goats, and horses and grew a large garden. After high school Chelsea attended Otterbein University where she earned bachelor's degrees in music and English. She moved to the valley after completing her masters degree in sociolinguistics at CU Boulder. While in Boulder Chelsea volunteered regularly at the Harvest of Hope food pantry, eventually serving as interim inventory manager there before moving to Grand Junction.

After volunteering for several months at the Community Food Bank, Chelsea was hired on as Program Assistant to help coordinate the new food box delivery program and to expand the food bank’s outreach efforts, and quickly proved herself to be a food bank rockstar! She is very excited to be working with such a wonderful community of coworkers and volunteers. When she isn’t at the food bank, Chelsea is very involved at her church, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Grand valley, or is at home with her cat Pablo and her partner Ethan.

VOLUNTEER OPERATIONS MANAGER

Katelynn is a new resident to the Grand Valley, moving to Grand Junction in August 2021 from New Paltz, NY. Katelynn graduated from SUNY Brockport in 2020 with a B.S. in Political Science. During her college years she went on various service trips around the country and completed an AmeriCorps VISTA summer program which really solidified her love for service and connecting others with service opportunities. Following college Katelynn served as a Team Leader for AmeriCorps NCCC where she participated in fire recovery work in Paradise, CA, served with FIND Food Bank in Indio, CA, and worked at an outdoor education camp in Kellogg, ID. Katelynn loves hiking, climbing, skiing, watching soccer, and reading on the weekends. She is excited to get to work and learn with such a dedicated group of volunteers and staff.

RESOURCE NAVIGATION SUPERVISOR (Habla español)

Carly hails from Joplin, Missouri and found her way to the Grand Valley in June of 2021. Growing up, Carly spent much of her time participating in programs with the Girl Scouts, the Boys and Girls Club, and People to People Student Ambassadors. These formative experiences fostered a desire to serve her community and the environment, as well as a hunger to engage with others. At Oklahoma State University, Carly studied Spanish Language and Culture. Her passion for language took her as far as Salamanca, Spain, before returning to the States to complete her education and start her career.

After college, Carly spent more than a decade working in Hospitality. Her time in restaurants expanded her understanding of her community, and especially highlighted for her the great disparity that exists in living in a rich society with so much food waste and need. Upon moving with her family to Fruita, Carly sought avenues for positive change and service outside of the restaurant industry. She is thrilled to be a part of the Food Bank team, to exercise her passion for language and public engagement, and to contribute towards the good work that lifts people up. Carly is an avid reader and cook, loves doting on her dogs Lucy Lue and Darla, and especially enjoys hiking, camping, and kayaking with her husband, Eli.

WAREHOUSE SUPERVISOR

As a trained computer specialist and retired structural firefighter of 20 years with the City of Aurora, Michelle originally came to CFB as a volunteer. As a long-time public servant, she gained an immeasurable understanding of interacting with the public, teamwork, troubleshooting, integrity, and leading. Her varied background, skills, and dedication to community service through consistent dedication to volunteering makes her a perfect fit for joining the Community Food Bank family. She looks forward to the impact she will be able to have on her community through this work and the growth she will experience in a new chapter. Michelle moved to the Western Slope, like many of us, for the incredible outdoors access — she loves to hike and enjoy the outdoors on her ofttimes.

OUTREACH & IMPACT SPECIALIST (Habla español)

Jesus has been a Grand Junction resident since 2021. He is originally from Chihuahua, Mexico, but has been living in Colorado for over 20 years. Jesus graduated from Colorado Mesa University with a B.S. in Clinical Exercise Science and has a background in Psychology, Human Development, and Nutrition. He is skilled in statistical analysis and implementation strategies, which has helped in developing new programs to best serve our community in CFB's mission to end food insecurity. Jesus is passionate about this organization as he has lived experience with hunger and food assistance programs. He's not just about work though; in his downtime, you'll find him lifting weights, shooting hoops, or battling it out in video games. And when he's not doing that, he's hanging out with his wife, three pups, and cat.

DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR

Kaydee is a dedicated advocate from the Western Slope, committed to fostering positive change within her community. She has a background in both nonprofit organizations and municipal governance, which she fostered in her time at CMU, where she earned her Bachelor of Political Science and a minor in Environmental Science. She has a passion for sustainable food systems and worked toward the implementation of the CDHE Hunger Free designation at CMU, which was granted in 2021. Now, Kaydee is using her experiences to further alleviate food insecurity in our region. Beyond professional pursuits, Kaydee enjoys playing piano, reading, being in nature, and playing with her rabbit Oreo.

DONOR REALTIONS SPECIALIST

Karen is a recent transplant from Texas, moving here in 2020 to be near grandchildren. She has 25+ years of nonprofit experience as a former CEO for agencies focused on women’s health and domestic & sexual violence. Karen holds a BA degree in Sociology and a Masters in Public Administration. Her goal in her job with CFB is to help the agency by growing financial support and community awareness of this awesome organization. Karen is active locally in the American Association of University Women, Desert Vista Garden Club, Boys & Girls Club Organizing Committee and 1st Congregational Church. She is married to Doug and has 3 grown sons and 3 grandchildren. She enjoys reading, gardening, and cooking.

OPERATIONS ASSISTANT (Habla español)

Shanna joined Community Food Bank in 2023 as an intern through the Workforce Center. At the end of her internship, she was hired on as the Operations Assistant and has continued to help the warehouse run smoothly. In her free time, she spends time with her family, which consists of her husband, 3 kids, and a bonus daughter. Her family also visits her stepson in Miami whenever possible. She likes to go to the lake on hot days and likes to have movie and game nights. She also rescues animals and fosters them until they find amazing, secure forever homes. Shanna also has a small business where she sells custom apparel/cups, self defense keychains, and safety tools.

FRONT DESK RECEPTIONIST

Renè Fox, a Grand Valley native, was honored to join the team in October 2023. Renè grew up in a large combined family in Grand Junction, and graduated from Colorado Mesa University in 1991 with a Bachelors in Marketing and Management. Her career path includes retail customer service, 10 years owning and operating a sewing machine dealership, and 17 years in grocery chain management.

Renè and her husband Dwayne have a combined family of 6 kids, 14 grandchildren, and a spoiled fur baby, “Smoochie”. She is dedicated to loving family, spoiling grand kiddos, and serving community at Canyon View Church. Renè ejoys riding wave runners, snorkeling, paddle boarding, yard sales, and repurposing projects. A commitment to serve people and her life long connection to this valley, makes this the perfect place to give back to the community she loves.