Feeding Change

MODERATOR

Jim Krieger, Executive Director of Healthy Food America and Clinical Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington School of Public Health

Jim Krieger, MD, MPH is Executive Director of Healthy Food America and Clinical Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington School of Public Health. He is an advocate who is passionate about making policy changes to promote healthy eating, increase access to healthy food, challenge food industry marketing and sales of unhealthy, ultra-processed food, and advance health equity. He has contributed to the implementation of King County’s menu labeling regulation, adoption of Seattle’s sweetened beverage taxes, and programs that provide funds to people with low incomes to buy fruits and vegetables and food for their children when school is not in session. He also teaches and conducts research at the University of Washington School of Public Health.

PANELISTS

Yamila Sterling, Director of Food Access & Education, Solid Ground

Yamila Sterling (she/ella) is the Director of Food Access and Education at Solid Ground, where she has worked for over five years. She leads initiatives focused on food resources, nutrition education, and community capacity building, overseeing programs like the Seattle Food Committee, Farm to Preschool, Marra Farm, and Cooking Matters. Yamila also manages one of the Emergency Feeding Assistance Program (EFAP) contracts, supporting 30 food banks. Her team provides logistical, financial, and educational support, emphasizing an anti-oppression lens in Seattle-area food providers’ work. She also serves on the South Seattle Community Food Hub advisory group and is a participant in Leadership Tomorrow Class of 2025.

With 15+ years of experience across nonprofit, corporate, and higher education sectors, Yamila has held roles including Project Manager at Xerox, Director of Publications at the Center for Puerto Rican Studies, and Assistant Program Director at the I Have a Dream Foundation. She serves on the boards of Harvest Against Hunger and the Afrolantin@ Forum.

David Bobanick, Executive Director, Harvest Against Hunger

David Bobanick, Executive Director of Harvest Against Hunger (HAH) and member of the Rotary Club of Seattle, has three decades of experience in non-profit executive management. Since David joined in 2001, HAH has continued to expanded its impact at the local, national and international levels, resulting in the delivery of more than half a billion healthy servings of produce for those in need.

David has led the creation and development of the national Harvest VISTA program, as well as innovative and award-winning programs focusing on shortening the connections from Farm to Community. In addition, David and the HAH team continue to build and scale nationally recognized programs with partners like AmeriCorps, USDA, WSDA, Washington State University, the University of Washington and other partners to enhance food systems in communities across the United States.

David has a degree in communications from Penn State University and has studied at the Non-Profit Executive Leadership Institute at the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, as well as the Non-Profit Management Institute at Stanford University. David was also recently named a “Food Waste Innovator” by ReFED, served on the Rotary Zone 26/27 leadership team, and currently serves on the King County Regional Food Policy Advisory Council and as a board officer for four local, statewide, and regional non-profit organizations.

Stacey Crnich, CEO, GoodRoots Northwest

Harnessing over 20 years of expertise in consumer behavior, supply chain management, and marketing innovation to bridge the gap between market needs and transformative solutions. A seasoned strategist with a deep commitment to food desert solutions and economic development, driving initiatives that foster community resilience and equitable access to resources. Currently leading the charge as the visionary behind the GoodRoots Locker Network—a pioneering cold-chain solution that ensures 24/7 access to fresh, locally produced foods. This climate-controlled locker system not only addresses food insecurity but also supports local farmers and producers, creating a sustainable ecosystem that enhances food accessibility and community health. The organization as developed a proven track record of scaling operations, building cross-sector partnerships, and implementing forward-thinking strategies. Stacey is dedicated, alongside her board of directors, to creating impactful solutions that restore dignity and improve quality of life for all.

Gloria Hatcher-Mays, Executive Director, Rainier Valley Food Bank

Executive Director of RVFB since 2019, Gloria leads strategy, mission delivery, impact, vision, and partnerships. She is an entrenched community leader who formerly worked in the Seattle Mayor’s office and the Department of Human Services. Gloria was responsible for implementing financial empowerment programs for the mayor which included financial coaching, access to banking, and education on debt avoidance. She is a certified Project Manager, former Operations Manager for a Fortune 500 corporation, and former Commissioner for Fire District 10 and Director for Eastside Fire & Rescue. Gloria stewards RVFB as it continues to grow into an innovative and leading community food center of the future.

Jeremy Vrablik, Owner, Cascadia Produce

Jeremy Vrablik was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, with a brief foray to Spokane to earn a degree in International Business before accepting a temp role at a mid-size produce wholesaler in Seattle. He never left the industry. Instead, he invested decades into learning the nuances of our local food system through immersion into sales and operations. In 2017 he established Cascadia Produce. Cascadia began by aggregating local food for large-scale customers, helping small producers scale into wholesale. In 2020, the business pivoted to food security, securing our first federal contract to source, assemble, and deliver fresh food boxes statewide. By collaborating with farms, small businesses, and nonprofits, we rapidly scaled operations while driving funding back into local economies at every opportunity. State, county, and foodbank level contracts followed, with Cascadia often stepping into the partner/food supplier role for other worthy organizations, utilizing industry experience to get better buys at a scale of economy.

With fewer than seven employees, Cascadia remains an agile small business designed to live in the gaps of the food supply chain. In 2023, Cascadia began specializing in retail-rejected and farm-surplus produce, receiving over 5.6 million lbs in 2024 alone—ensuring fresh food without a sales channel is directed back into the system safely. All food received in this category was sold, donated, repurposed, or composted. Famers were paid, people were fed, and nothing was wasted. Cascadia is committed to supporting farms, ensuring affordable food access, and actively preventing food waste across the wholesale industry. Our dock accepts deliveries without appointments 24/7. We are financially reviewed, operating with transparency and efficiency from a third-party audit certified, climate-controlled warehouse in Auburn, WA.

Presented by Town Hall Seattle and Rainier Valley Food Bank