2012 Board of Directors
Wendy Aeschlimann
Wendy has practiced law as a litigator for over thirteen years. She learned to eat locally and sustainably from her grandparents, who were locavores before there was such a word. Wendy is an editor and the wine and spirits writer for TheLocalBeet.com. A longtime CSA subscriber and home preserver, she is committed to local eating and drinking year-round.
Cortney Ahern
Cortney is passionate about food. As an apprentice on an organic farm in Upstate New York, she learned about kohlrabi, flea beetles, and how to drive a 1950’s Allis Chalmers tractor. At Colgate University, Cortney combined her background in social justice with her love of food, eating her way through Southeast Asia. She currently works at the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Cortney is thrilled to join the board of Slow Food Chicago, and to learn more about the local food system that has welcomed and fed her.
Ryan Burk
Ryan hails from a small farming community outside of Rochester, NY. Ryan has always had a passion for all things local, especially when it comes to food (and beer!). Ryan is particularly interested in food policy and ethics and believes that good, clean and sustainable food is a right, not a privilege. Ryan has also worked with the Chicago Food Policy Advisory Council, Family Farmed, The Chicago Greater Food Depository, as well as Food & Water Watch.
Jennifer Breckner
Early on, Jennifer was influenced to cook and to appreciate the act of eating together by her grandmother, Julia Ryznar Breckner, as well as her entire family. Since then she is increasingly interested in how food serves as comfort, sustenance, and history and as an instigator of conversation. For years Jennifer has curated and planned events at arts institutions in Chicago. From 2008-2009 she co-organized Sunday Soup Brunch, a monthly communal meal that served as a funding source for micro-grants for artists. She currently works in the Department of Architecture and Design at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Jeannie Boutelle
Jeannie developed a passion for ingredients in classes at the Peter Kump Cooking School in New York City. After 15 years in financial sales she now applies her sales skills to Edible Chicago magazine. Part food activist, blogger, social media hound, what she loves about Slow Food is that the focus is local but it is part of a bigger, global picture, and reminds us that we are all connected.
Robert Gardner
Robert picked Tulane Law so he could eat in New Orleans. Forsaking his legal education, he built a career performing business background investigations. He remained, however, always interested in his next good meal. He lent his knowledge to the Slow Food Guide to Chicago and co-founded LTHForum. Rob eventually discovered the way to eating bliss was by eating local. Beyond pleasing the palate, Gardner and his family discovered other benefits from eating local. Wanting to share, he helped launch thelocalbeet.com to provide a “Practical Approach to Local Eating”. Since then, Rob has worked closely with a variety of groups to advance the causes of better foods and good eating.
Holly Haddad
Holy is passionate about Good Food and sharing the joy of inspired and mindful meals with family and friends. Holly has worked for the Program on Agricultural Technology Studies at the University of Wisconsin, managednew program development at a Community Action Program in Washington, and conducted community development corporation research in Washington, D.C. She is currently a consultant for FamilyFarmed.org. Holly is an avid rooftop gardener, soap-maker and cook – a lifestyle inspired by her childhood garden and meals around the table.
Liz Jarvis LeBreton
Liz joined the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as a Presidential Management Fellow, and she now serves as Program Director for Building a Healthier Chicago, a coalition of more than 150 organizations working to improve nutrition, increase physical activity, and prevent, detect and control high blood pressure. With her background in public health, Liz is passionate about food and social justice efforts, including ensuring access to healthy food in schools. In her free time, Liz loves running, commuting via bicycle, and enjoying good meals with friends.
Eve Lacivita – Co-President
Eve has more than 15 years experience developing telecommunications products for consumers throughout the world. Her love of good food and belief in sustainable, accessible food brought her to the Slow Food community. She holds degrees in international relations, international business and linguistics from the College of William and Mary, University of Chicago and Northeastern Illinois University.
Megan Larmer – Co-President
Joining the board Slow Food is the confluence of many paths for me. I’ve worked nearly every position possible in restaurants from Maui to Chicago, where I saw the soulful act eating can be. As an artist, educator, gardener, and board member (The Mill Theater, Chicago Rarities Orchard Project) I have sought to improve our present and future. Food is the most palpable way to do this. Each meal is a chance to practice being generous, thoughtful, patient, creative, and kind. I hope to create opportunities for all people to gain this practice and carry its lessons into the wider world.
Diane Osgood
Diane Osgood is a recognized global expert in corporate sustainability and works with Fortune 500 companies to create value through sustainability. She brings to Slow Food Chicago two decades of experience working globally on food, agriculture and biodiversity issues. She is currently building a global program on sustainable consumerism in response to what she considers to be one of our most pressing global concerns. She is passionate about enabling more people to enjoy locally sourced fresh food, both at home and through large institutions such as company cafeterias, schools and hospitals. She runs Osgood Sustainability Consulting and maintains a small farm in the south of France.
Jennifer Sandy
Jennifer became involved with Slow Food Chicago through the preSERVE project, a community garden in North Lawndale. A native Hoosier, she has lived in Chicago for five years and works for the National Trust for Historic Preservation. As a professional in that field, she believes that the revitalization of our historic neighborhoods, farms, and rural areas is inextricably connected with sustainable food production and the path to food – and communities – that are good, clean and fair.
Christopher Vernon
Christopher’s fascination with the natural world was born spending summers on a family cattle ranch in Wyoming. His belief in a Slow Food lifestyle stems from his love of nature, appreciation for the work of producers, belief in sustainable practices and joy sharing meals with friends and family.
Jeannine M. Wise
Jeannine is the principal at Jeannine M. Wise, Culinary Consultant. She was an economist for the federal government, but returned to the culinary field as this is her true passion. She has been volunteering with the Chicago Honey Co-op for several years due to her passion for urban beekeeping. She believes food equals community and love and is looking forward to the opportunity to spread Slow Food values and awareness.
