Our Board

  • Angel Mendez - Interim Board Chair

    Angel Mendez is the Executive Director at Red Tomato and has been with the company for 22+ years. He is a longtime food systems innovator and an integral part of the food community in the Northeast and nationally. He serves as a Food Systems Leadership Network mentor, Interim Chair on the board of the Urban Farming Institute, member of the Rhode Island Food Policy Council, and board member for the Equal Exchange banana company.

    Professional in Strategic Planning, Operations Management, IT Management, Logistics/Supply Chain Management, Financial Management, Systems Management, Consulting, Mentor

    Specialties: Non-Asset based distribution and handling of perishables, Product/Farm Development, Quality Control, Warehouse Management, Internal Controls, Systems Management, Networking, Finance & Metrics

  • Lucia Santini Field - Interim Treasurer

    After holding various roles at the company, Lucia is now a Managing Director for Boston Trust Walden an employee owned investment company. She is a member of the Board of Directors and serves as President and Director of the firm’s investment advisor subsidiary. She is Chair of Audit & Risk Committee and a member of the ESG committee. Her investment career began at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Lucia has a BA Cum laude from Connecticut College and an MBA from Boston University. She was awarded the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and she serves as the Financial Advisor to the Unitarian Universalist Association.

  • Jennifer Hashley - Clerk

    Director of New Entry Sustainable Farming Project in Lowell Mass. New Entry trains farmers in the business and practice of farming. Jennifer teaches in the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Agriculture Food and the Environment Program. Jennifer also runs an organic pastured poultry operation. Jennifer will bring her extensive farming and farmer training expertise to the Board.

  • Greg Maslowe

    Greg is the Farm Manager of Newton Community Farm (NCF). He has managed NCF since its inception in the spring of 2006. Before coming to NCF, Greg was a doctoral student in Boston University’s Science, Philosophy and Religion interdisciplinary program. His research focused on the ethics of genetically modified crops. He took a terminal Masters degree when he left the program to farm full time. Greg also has a Masters of Theological Study from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in systematic and philosophical theology. He lives at NCF with his wife and two children.

  • Tamika Francis

    Tamika is a public health professional, a chef, food enthusiast and has deep training in international agriculture. She has also held positions in education and marketing. She was Executive Director of theMove, and a Senior Community Marketing Officer in St. Lucia. Tamika completed a graduate practicum in Protected Areas Development in the Caribbean. She trained as a chef at Boston University’s culinary arts program and has a Master’s of Art in Sustainable International Development from Brandies and a degree in Non-Profit Management from Marlboro College Graduate & Professional Studies.

  • Abdi Ali, Ed.D.

    Abdi Mohamed Ali, Ed.D is the Executive Director of WriteBoston. This caps a 25 + year classroom career teaching English to students from elementary to high school. A longtime Roxbury resident, Ali is a founding faculty member of the Boston Arts Academy where for 13 years he co-designed an interdisciplinary humanities and writing program. He holds degrees from Harvard Graduate School of Education, Boston University and the University of MA Boston. He is dedicated to the use of “learning to foster creativity and agency”. An author, an educator extraordinaire, a committed community builder, and someone who is there for his children and ALL our children — he exemplifies Black Excellence. His writing, his interest in urban farming, the land, African & African American Literature, and beauty, make him an extraordinary addition to the UFI Board.

  • Lawrence Barriner II

    Lawrence (he/him) is a Black Queer storyteller, narrative strategist, writer, and liberation worker who values love, justice, community, and transformation. His paid work includes coaching, consulting, and facilitation via his organization, lqb2&co. His unpaid work includes visionary fiction, (r)evolutionary uncling, community-focused healing work, and creating post-patriarchal futures. He came to live on occupied Massachusett and Pawtucket territory (aka Cambridge, MA) by way of earning undergraduate and graduate degrees in City Planning from MIT. He hopes one day all universities will be collectively-owned and democratically-controlled (or made obsolete). His parents professionally were a pastor and teacher. He has one younger brother and 24 nibblings (23 here and 1 returned). His ancestors lived in the Southeast United Status (Florida, Georgia, South Carolina) and his earlier ancestors are West and Central African. Lawrence is a revered communicator who will help UFI share its story and speak to our communities.

  • Foloshade Solomon Ed. D

    Folashade Cromwell Solomon is an Associate Professor of Education at Framingham State University, and a Senior Scientist at TERC, a STEM think tank. She has over 25 years of experience in education serving in many roles including elementary classroom teacher, faculty professional developer, whole school change coach, and researcher. Her teaching and research focuses on learning, identity and exploring the connections between the arts and STEM. Her recent National Science Foundation-funded project, Embodied Physics: Using the Lenses of Physics and Dance to Investigate Learning, Engagement, and Identity Development for Black and Latinx Youth, is a three-year national research study that partners with community-based dance organizations in Boston, New York City and Gary, Indiana. This research investigates approaches for teaching physics through dance, paying special attention to the funds of knowledge Black and Latinx students call upon. This study will be featured a Journal of Learning Science special issue. She received a PhD in Administration, Planning & Social Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2011. She also holds an MS in Education from Wheelock College and a BA in Theater Arts from UMASS Boston. Folashade looks forward to bringing her strong love of her community and skills in education, and her newfound love of farming to the UFI board. She is a 2021 graduate of the Farmer Training Program.

Board Emeritus

  • Dave Madan

    Dave Madan is the founder and ED of theMOVE, an organization that connects youth groups with farming and food. He is also a real estate developer with degrees in business and urban planning,and additional experience as an environmental justice educator.Dave will bring his own experience in organizational development as well as land use and real estate.

  • Mel King

    Mel King, Founder and Director of the South End Technology Center. Mr. King was active across the landscape of neighborhoods and politics of Boston for over 55 years as an educator, youth worker, social activist, community organizer, elected official, and author. As an adjunct professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a pioneer of Boston’s community gardening effort, Mr. King was responsible for creating a number of community programs and institutions for low-income people in Boston. The Mel King Institute was recently founded in his name to bring community development professionals and volunteers the skills they need to be effective in their positions in the community.

  • Willie Brown

    A longstanding resident of Highland Park, his commitment to our community was unwavering. In addition to the Cooper Center Inc., he served on the Highland Park Association, the National American Friends Committee and the Concerned Black Men of Massachusetts. A consummate gardener, he maintained a plot that was a gold standard of the ELCCC. He was also a neighborhood leader whose grill was the first on the sidewalk during the Linwood Square Block Parties which he and his wife sponsored annually. His history of community building is a lasting example to the institutions, neighborhood and residents that he worked so tirelessly to empower.

  • Glynn Lloyd

    Former Vice President of UFI and Executive Director Minority Business Enterprise Initiative at Eastern Bank. After serving over 20 years as Co-Founder and CEO of City Fresh Foods, Inc. brought his extensive experience growing businesses and in food sustainability to his former role as Managing Director of Boston Impact Initiative. Mr. Lloyd, has served on several boards including the Red Tomato, The Food Project, Dorchester 4 Corners Association and most recently on the Boston Mayor’s Food Council.

    He is currently a Fellow at Boston Rising, an anti-poverty initiative of the Ethos Foundation and on the Advisory Board Lead Boston—an organization that focuses on social justice. Mr. Lloyd is also co-founder and interim Chief Executive Officer of City Growers, LLC.

  • Klare Shaw

    As National Director of Programs, Klare Shaw works with the foundation President and staff to oversee Liberty Mutual Insurance Group’s corporate giving in Boston, and around the country. Liberty’s foundation makes significant investments in community initiatives dedicated to empower individuals who are experiencing homelessness, advancing access for people with disabilities, and expanding educational opportunities for underserved students. It is among the largest corporate donors in Boston.

    Klare joined Liberty in 2014, after a three year stint working at the Boston Public Schools as Senior Advisor to former Boston Public Schools’ (BPS) Supt. Carol R. Johnson. Prior to that position, she worked with EdVestors’ leadership, the BPS and key donors to shape the BPS Arts Expansion Initiative.

    ​For a decade she was a Senior Advisor/Program Officer for Education, Arts & Culture at the Barr Foundation. Before holding that post, Klare was Executive Director of the Boston Globe Foundation at the Boston Globe Newspaper Company. Earlier, Shaw was in charge of Boston contributions for the Bank of New England, NA. She was also head of a department at the state arts council--now called the MA Cultural Council. Klare brings expertise from nonprofit and community experiences with Action for Boston Community Development, the Boston Children's Museum, and the YWCA. She is active on several boards most notably the Urban Farming Institute of Boston, BEDF, New England Black in Philanthropy and the League of Women for Community Service. A native of Dorchester and Roxbury she is a member of Bethel A.M.E. Church.