Steering Committee
The Steering Committee is the WHIN Food Council’s leadership team, comprised of 10-15 community members who oversee and facilitate the development and implementation of all organizational activities. Steering Committee members are residents of the neighborhood interested in committing to at least one year of service working with our organization. Members have the option to join a committee/coordinator role based on their skills and experience. The committees to choose from include Strategic Planning, Gardening, Community Partnerships, Membership Engagement, Grow from Classroom, Farm Share, and Scholarships.
Meet Our 2024 Steering Committee Members:
2024 Steering Committee Members: Can Ersoy, Chris Nickell, Hannah Patterson, Danielle Bagley, Valeria Cortez, Emma Moore, Caitlin Castelaz, Maya Talwar-Herbert, Janki Patel, Jessica Stretton, Sam Checo, Yaddy Valerio; CUMC Food Fellow Hadiya Ghumman
2022-2023 Steering Committee Members: Eman Faris, Can Ersoy, Juan Carlos Medrano, Chris Nickell, Hannah Patterson, Amanda Barnes, Danielle Bagley, Valeria Cortez, Emma Moore, Caitlin Castelaz, Maya Talwar-Herbert; CUMC Food Fellow Janki Patel
2021-2022 Steering Committee Members: Eman Faris, Can Ersoy, Carmen Espinal, Juan Carlos Medrano, Shannon Conley, Anabel Perez, Caroline Aronin, Danielle Bagley, Valeria Cortez, Yelitza Aguilera, Sally Fisher, Caitlin Castelaz, Mio Alba, Kristina Bustos
2020-2021 Steering Committee Members: Eman Faris, Can Ersoy, Carmen Espinal, Caroline Aronin, Danielle Bagley, Valeria Cortez, Yelitza Aguilera, Sally Fisher, Caitlin Castelaz, Alexis Agliano Sanborn
2019-2020 Steering Committee Members: Catarina Rivera, Emma Conroy, Sally Fisher, Hilda Perez, Can Ersoy, Eman Faris, Tyreek Jackson, Kate Lehmert
2018- 2019 Steering Committee Members: Catarina Rivera, Emma Conroy, Christopher Burch, Sally Fisher, Erica Christensen, Samantha Cinnick, Evan de Luna, Hilda Perez, Katy Whyte, Leanna Scatoloni, Can Ersoy
2017- 2018 Steering Committee Members: Catarina Rivera, Emma Conroy, Christopher Burch, Sally Fisher, Erica Christensen, Samantha Cinnick, Farrah Brensinger, Juliani Acosta, Sudan Bey
Founders Committee
The Founders Committee is the first group of dedicated individuals who spearheaded the founding and organization of the WHIN Food Council from 2016-2017. During their first-year tenure, they helped to implement many of the practices, activities, and partnerships that defined the role of the WHINFC in Upper Manhattan. With the Founder Committee’s support, the WHIN FC developed a mission statement and values. As WHINFC Founders Committee members and current Steering Committee Member, Sally Fisher says, "Once a founder, always a founder!" These individuals will remain active in an advisory capacity and will continue to support the growth of the organization.
Founders Committee Members: Catarina Rivera, David Lundquist, Alexis Agliano Sanborn, Andrew Lassiter, Christopher Burch, Doug Levy, Eileen Liang, Farrah Brensinger, Hector Carrasco, Kathleen Delgado, Sally Fisher, Shawn Mishra
OUR TEAM
Danielle Bagley (she/they)
Project Director/Administrative & Scholarships Coordinator
Sam Checo
Strategic Planning Coordinator
Maya Talwar-Herbert (she/her)
Strategic Planning Coordinator/Farm Share Distribution Coordinator
Caitlin Castelaz (she/her)
Community Partnerships Coordinator
Emma Moore (she/her)
Membership Engagement Coordinator
Jessica Stretton (she/her)
Finance Coordinator
Can Ersoy (he/him)
Garden Coordinator
Chris Nickell (they/them/Chris)
Community Partnerships Coordinator
Hannah Patterson (she/her)
Grow From Home Coordinator
Valeria Cortes-Rivera (she/her) Membership Engagement Coordinator
Janki Patel
Grow From Home Coordinator
In Memory of Sally Fisher, Co-Founder of WHIN Food Council
Excerpted from the service for Sally held on January 21st, 2023 at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine:
Sara “Sally” Fisher, the longtime, fierce and unstoppable community advocate for environmental, public health, food security, arts and cultural initiatives passed away at home in New York City in the presence of her loving family on Tuesday, November 29th after a courageous battle with cancer. She was 65 years young.
Sally cared passionately for the welfare of the people and natural resources of her Upper Manhattan community. Among other things, Sally organized efforts to restore and protect Manhattan’s last natural forest and wetland; launched the Monarch Project which established pollinator gardens across the community; coordinated multiple park and neighborhood clean ups; and ran the annual Earth Day festivals. Sally was a co-founder of Friends of Inwood Hill Park, a founding member of Washington Heights, Inwood Food Council, and a member and the treasurer of Manhattan Community Board 12. In recognition of her groundbreaking work, Sally was the recipient this year of the Senator Jackson 2022 Woman of Distinction Award.
When remembering Sally, former Manhattan Borough President and current NYC Councilmember Gail Brewer wrote, “Sally was beloved for her brilliance, her compassion, and her knowledge about the environment, food, the arts and many other topics. I was honored to appoint her to Community Board 12 and it was always fun to see her pick up on points that other members had missed or mis-stated. She was elected to the position of Treasurer because her integrity was never questioned; it was held in high esteem.”
And from current Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine:
“I witnessed her advocacy to address mental health and substance abuse disorders, inequities in the provision of public health services, and environmental issues, such as waste reduction, water quality, green infrastructure, food justice, urban agriculture, and community gardening. That I was able to proclaim Sunday, November 13, 2022 ‘Sally Fisher Appreciation Day’ in the Borough of Manhattan as the Manhattan Borough President is but a small contribution to the accolades she deserves. It will be difficult to imagine civic life in Upper Manhattan without her presence.“
As a keen observer of all forms of city life, Sally was also a documentary photographer of street scenes, nature subjects, and found objects.
Sally will be dearly missed by her family, colleagues, friends and community for her boundless energy, tenacity, formidable intelligence and sharp wit, straight talk and authentic love for the causes she represented.
Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, Sally grew up on the banks of the St. Johns River in the Mandarin section and graduated from Jacksonville Episcopal High School. She received her B.A. from Yale University and an MBA from the Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania).
From her college days onwards, Sally was passionate about politics she was an intern with Elizabeth Holtzman, former Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York’s 16th District and volunteered for Washington, D.C. Mayor Marion Barry’s first campaign. Her early professional career focused on health care policy analysis, holding positions at the Lewin Group
in Washington D.C. and HCA in Nashville, Tennessee with later positions at Shearson Lehman, Dillon Read and UBS in San Francisco and New York.
Sally was the beloved mother of Will Fisher, a brilliant international champion chess player who preceded her in death at a tragically young age. In the face of this unimaginable loss, in addition to donating his organs, Sally made the bold and brave decision to donate Will’s face, changing forever the life of a very deserving young man.
Sally leaves behind two sisters, Ellen DePasquale (Robert) and Prudence (David Lowenthal); a brother, Frederick; two half siblings, Amy Meeker (David) and Kurt; six nieces, two nephews and numerous cousins.