I am honored to have just concluded my nine years of service on the board, including two as board chair. It was during these two years that long time executive director David Stockdale took a position at Walla Walla Community College and we hired Marcy Coburn as executive director. It was great to catch up with Dave at the celebration.  His responsibilities at the William A. Grant Water & Environmental Center at Walla Walla Community College continue to grow. It was also great to see the dynamic institution that CUESA has continued to grow into under Marcy over the past four years.

Under Marcy’s leadership, CUESA has expanded its reach beyond the Ferry Building to take over operations and breathe new energy into Jack London Square Farmers Market in Oakland and Mission Community Market in San Francisco's Mission District, serving diverse communities with healthy, local, and culturally relevant food and educational programming.

Across all five markets, CUESA now supports more than 180 local farms, food businesses, and restaurants, providing for new and emerging entrepreneurs with an emphasis on women, people of color, immigrants, and next-generation farmers. CUESA's youth programs serve 3,000 students with healthy food education each year, and under Marcy's leadership CUESA has expanded its public education programs to reach youth on Treasure Island and in Oakland. CUESA's reputation as a food leader on the national stage and her dream of an equitable, diverse, inclusive and just food system is shaping CUESA's strategic vision as we plan for the next 25 years and beyond.