Brigitte Moran
CEO/Executive Director
Email: brigitte@agriculturalinstitute.org
Phone: (415) 472-6100 x 109
In 2004, Brigitte Moran joined AIM, and its sister organization Marin Farmers Markets, as our Executive Director. She has over 20 years experience facilitating farmers markets, having started the downtown San Rafael Farmers Market on 4th Street in 1989. She has owned and operated a restaurant with her daughter and mother, and coordinated a diverse array of public and private events as an event producer. Brigitte is dedicated to realizing AIM’s vision of building a pavilion focused on celebrating the region’s agricultural roots, while simultaneously supporting the development and the success of our 500 local farmers, food purveyors, and artisans, and educating and connecting communities to local agriculture. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Center for Volunteer and Non-Profit Leadership, and the Farmer Market Coalition, a non-profit representing farmers markets nationwide.
Ann Huseman
Chief Financial Officer
Email: ann@agriculturalinstitute.org
Phone: (415) 472-6100 x 106
Ann’s passion is working for nonprofits whose mission she believes in: previous incarnations saw her working for a hospital, symphony orchestra and retreat center. As AIM’s Financial Administrator for the last six years, she is responsible for the accounting, human resource, information technology, contracts/permitting, insurance and corporate record-keeping functions. She enjoys working with people and does whatever it takes to make sure AIM’s operations and systems running smoothly (including making morning coffee!). Her latest agricultural interests are biodynamic farming and learning how to cook. She holds a Master’s in International Management from the American Graduate School of International Management in Phoenix, Arizona.
Brian Boone
Farm Audit & Market Manager – Sunday Marin Farmers Market
Email: brian@agriculturalinstitute.org
Phone: 415-472-6100 x 107
Brian was raised in Marin County before heading East to attend college at the University of Maryland. He obtained a B.S. in Emergency Health Services, while also training to be a Paramedic. Brian’s dedication to health is not limited to medicine. Brian believes that a full belly of hearty, nutritious foods is the key to life-long health, and working with AIM provides him the opportunity to get that message out there. Brian spends his spare time outside, whether sailing, cycling, or just meandering a hillside. As a native to Northern California, Brian has a vested interest on making “local” more a lifestyle than a simple word.
Chris Blackburn
Operations Manager & Market Manager – Grand Lake-Oakland
Email: chris@agriculturalinstitute.org
Phone: (415) 472-6100 x 112
Christopher manages our Newark and Novato Farmers Markets. He grew up in the 1970’s counter culture of Eugene, Oregon. His family has deep roots in the lumber industry, which made for interesting dinner conversations during a wave of environmental change, and continues to be a central connection to the valued traditions of his hometown. After college, Christopher served two years with AmeriCorps traveling throughout the US and neighboring countries providing disaster relief through the American Red Cross and working with inner city youth in Washington, DC and Charleston, South Carolina. After returning home from service he became a fire fighter/EMT in Florence, OR. Christopher has a strong sense of service and humor and is life-long Oregon Duck fan. An interesting fact: Christopher met his wife (Emily) at an AIM farmers market in the East Bay.
Emmett Brady
Market Manager – Newark & Novato
Email: emmett@agriculturalinstitute.org
Phone: 415-472-6100 x 101
Emmett was born abroad and grew up around the United States before he settled down on a small family farm in Tennessee. After that, he headed to Kenyon College amidst the corn fields of Ohio where he earned his BA in Anthropology with a focus on sustainable agriculture. He moved out to the Bay Area at the end of 2009 where he rose through the AIM ranks starting off as a volunteer at the Oakland – Grand Lake Market. Though his favorite food is rice, that doesn’t stop him from constantly experimenting in the kitchen . . . which isn’t always successful, but that’s what roommates are for.
Kari Zabel
Market Manager – Sunday Marin Farmers Market & Hayward
Email: kari@agriculturalinstitute.org
Phone: (415) 472-6100 x 110
Kari was born and raised in Minnesota and has lived and traveled across the United States and the world. She studied Social Work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and has been interested in issues of equity and community health for as far back as she can remember. She worked at several social justice and civil rights nonprofits in the United States, taught Jivamukti yoga, and worked in community-based health insurance prior to graduate school. She holds a Masters Degree in Urban and Regional Planning, with a focus on Food Systems Planning, from Cornell University. She is particularly interested in food security for low income communities and believes access to healthy, affordable and culturally appropriate food is a right and not a privilege. When not at work, Kari can be found running, biking, walking, yoga-ing or eating chocolate across the Bay Area.
Katy Chapman
Office Administrator & Market Manager – Stonestown
Email: katy@agriculturalinstitute.org
Phone: (415) 472-6100 x 108
Katy, a native of San Francisco, had the good fortune of growing up in North Beach. There she was dazzled by the growing culture of music, fashion, and food. Think rock ’n’ roll, bell bottoms, and the start of eating organic and raw! With a long history in the food industry, starting with a family owned restaurant during her childhood, to working posh parties on Nob Hill, followed by private catering and then back to the restaurant industry, she is excited to now be working for the people who make it all possible, the farmers! Katy has proudly passed her passion for food onto her 3 kids; they can cook up a meal to please any palate. Whether biking, hiking or kayaking, Katy’s passions are centered around family, friends and (of course) food!
Leah Smith
Director of Programs
Email: leah@agriculturalinstitute.org
Phone: (415) 472-6100 x 111
Leah Smith has served as AIM’s Director of Programs for more than 3 years, and has worked in Marin County to further the sustainable agriculture movement for more than 10 years. She previously worked with Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT) and directed EECOM’s Marin Food Systems Project. Leah attended Pitzer College where she was the first person to graduate with honors in Environmental Studies. She then received a Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholarship to live and do agricultural research in Nepal for a year. She has more than a dozen years of experience in agricultural education, community outreach, event planning and program development. She is committed to and passionate about local food and sustainable agriculture. Having worked on a farm and as lover of cooking, she finds great pleasure in the work she is engaged in.
Raylene Dohn
Accounting & Market Manager – Fairfax
Email: raylene@agriculturalinstitute.org
Phone: (415) 472-6100 x 103
Sarah Darcey-Martin
Director of Outreach
Email: sarah@agriculturalinstitute.org
Phone: (415) 472-6100 x 104
Sarah oversees AIM’s advertising, communications, and marketing efforts. Having grown up eating garden vegetables and homemade tofu, Sarah has always been passionate about local, healthy and delicious food and is thrilled to put this passion to work. Before joining AIM, Sarah spent six years in the nonprofit world in marketing, fundraising and event management roles. Sarah has a BA from Boston University and studied abroad in West Africa. Sarah enjoys exploring, traveling, hiking, dancing, and – of course – cooking and eating.
Tanya Small
Director of Markets & Market Manager – Thursday Marin Farmers Market
Email: tanya@agriculturalinstitute.org
Phone: (415) 472-6100 x 113
Tanya grew up in St. Helena, and got her start in agriculture at an early age picking grapes and helping her family make wine. She has a BA in International Studies from the University of Arkansas Little Rock, which she attended on a volleyball scholarship. Tanya worked at Folie a Deux winery, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, and was a sales representative for a medical supply company before joining AIM in 2004. She enjoys knowing and talking with the people who grow and raise her food, and loves the community feeling that comes from managing and attending the farmers market every week. She spends her free time with her family, traveling to Mexico, playing volleyball, dancing to Cajun and Zydeco music, and is known to break dance spontaneously.
Tyler Thayer
Educational Program & Farm Audit Coordinator
Email: tyler@agriculturalinstitute.org
Phone: (415) 472-6100 x 114
Tyler has been working in farmers markets for over 23 years. He has worn most every hat imaginable since he joined our team in 2000, ranging from managing markets to leading our market tour programs to keeping track of all of the permits and forms that come through our office for our over 500 members. He is now transitioning to lead our educational outreach programs. He especially loves to work with children of all ages to help them learn how to make healthy food choices by leading fun-filled farmers market tours of our Thursday market (his new nickname is “Mr. Green Jeans”), as well as engaging students by talking with them directly at their schools. Spending time with his family, taking his wonderful dog on long runs and hikes, playing tennis, and photography keep him out of trouble.