Board of Directors
Food AND Medicine has an all-volunteer 15 person Board of Directors. Board Members are elected by our members at the Annual Meeting, serve three-year terms, with no term limits. Our Board Members all play an active role in our programs and events.
Erin Oberson, President, of Old Town, is a Registered Nurse at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center, and steward in Maine State Nurses Association (NNU). She is also Vice President of Eastern Maine Labor Council, and is active in issues around worker rights. Erin and her husband have four children. She was elected to the Board in 2019; the Board elected her Vice President in 2020 and President in 2021.
Dr. Kate Corlew, Vice President, of Hampden, is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at University of Maine, Augusta. Her expertise is on the psychology of poverty, both on the effects of being poor and how the poor are treated by others. Kati manages a community garden on campus and has organized an on-campus food pantry for students, and is the faculty coordinator for the university’s Office of Civic Engagement. She was elected to the Board in 2017, and the Board elected her President in 2020; Kati served as Secretary in 2021-2022. Kati has been Vice President of the board since 2023.
Marc Cryer, Treasurer & Steering Committee, of Glenburn is the Director of the Bureau of Labor Education at the University of Maine, a department dedicated to providing education, information, and research to workers and labor organizations in Maine. He is a California licensed attorney with a background in public sector labor relations, collective bargaining, and workplace conflict resolution. Marc has been involved with FAM for several years and often speaks about labor issues at FAM events and was elected to the Board in 2018.
Sarah Sholes,, Secretary, of Monroe, is a Registered Nurse and member of Maine State Nurses Association. She was elected to the Board in 2023. Full bio coming soon.
Molly Slotznick, Steering Committee, of Bangor, supports Food AND Medicine’s work to strengthen its organizational structures and processes. Molly works in the Office of MaineCare Services at the Maine Department of Health and Human Services; she has also worked in the areas of food and nutrition insecurity, climate resilience, and international development. Molly joined the Board in 2019; she is a past board VP.
Nancy Peckenham, of Lubec, worked for ten years as a communications director for a labor union then worked as an executive producer for a nationally known cable television news network and founded an online news site. She also spent several years making documentary films and currently runs an online news publication focusing on life as we age. She has served on the Solidarity Harvest Committee for several years, in charge of coordinating with farmers about their crops and making the purchases for the harvest baskets. Nancy joined the Board in 2019.
E. Darcy Cooke, of Ellsworth, was a staff Organizer for Food AND Medicine for three years, focusing on public transit, food justice and our electoral program. She left our staff in July 2021 to pursue other interests and is currently the state coordinator for Maine Network of Community Food Councils. Darcy is a 2021 graduate of Emerge Maine, a talented musician and trained chef. She joined the Board in January 2022, and is a past Steering Committee member.
Dawn Neptune Adams is a member of the Penobscot Nation, and works to educate others about the atrocities inflicted on Native Americans by the United States government. Dawn is a consultant and activist for Racial Equity & Justice, an environmental activist, film maker, collaborator with Upstander Project, and facilitator at Red Empress Foundation. Dawn joined the Board in January 2022.
Dr. Sonja Birthisel, of Orono, serves as Director of the Wilson Center for Spiritual Exploration and Multifaith Dialog at UMaine, in addition to conducting applied research on climate change resilience in agriculture. She is passionate about sustainable agriculture, food security, and building inclusive communities in which all people are empowered to be their full selves and know that their voice matters. Sonja also serves on the Orono Town Council ; she joined our Board in January 2022.
Brian Markey, of Kenduskeag, works for Maine Department of Transportation and is an active member of Maine Service Employees Association, SEIU local 1989. He's a Trustee of the Eastern Maine Labor Council, and has volunteered with Solidarity Harvest for several years. Brian joined the Board in January 2022.
Maulian Dana Bryant, is the Penobscot Nation Ambassador and President of Wabanaki Alliance. She has spoken at several FAM events on issues facing Maine's Indigenous people, including Tribal Sovereignty. She was elected to the Board in January 2023. A more detailed Bio coming soon.
Eamon Laskey, Steering Committee. Eamon is currently a student at University of Maine, Orono. He worked part time for us in fall 2022 and was elected to the Board in 2023. Full bio coming soon.
Laura Supica, Steering Committee, of Bangor is serving her second term in the Maine House of Representatives, and is a former Bangor City Councilor. She has spoken at several FAM events. She was elected to the Board in January 2023. Full bio coming soon.
Abagail D'Alessio, Steering Committee, works at Health Equity Alliance in Bangor. Abby is very active in the local recovery community, and brings great energy to everything she does. A more detailed bio will be added soon. Abby was elected to the board in 2024.
Chuck Fraser, of Newburgh, is a longtime FAM Member, and has participated in Solidarity Harvest and the Eastern Maine Labor Council in his role as former president and business agent with International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1253. Chuck is now enjoying retirement from the IBEW. He was elected to the board in 2024.