Leadership Changes

CAFF is California's leading membership organization representing sustainable agriculture, with a membership that links farmers and consumers to transform agriculture. This year we are launching several program initiatives with increased emphasis on community organizing, membership, and building links between farmers and consumers. With our commitment and motivation to make strong and effective advances in our program work, came the realization that we also needed to make changes in our leadership.

Jim Tischer has resigned from his position as CAFF's executive director. A few of CAFF's accomplishments during Jim's more than two-year tenure include: successful completion of a strategic planning process and an increased emphasis on regional activities; establishing many new and improved internal management protocols and procedures, especially financial management systems; development of new relationships with several state agencies and nonprofit organizations; implementation of an effective committee structure for the board of directors; and presence in Sacramento and around the state on sustainable agriculture issues. We are indebted to Jim Tischer for his dedicated service.

CAFF's Board of Directors initiated a search for a new executive director. We will be looking for candidates with a background in nonprofit organizations, a commitment to sustainable agriculture and local food systems, demonstrated fund-raising expertise, and knowledge of grassroots organizing and community activism. Please contact the CAFF office at 530-756-8518, ext. 28 if you would like an information packet. You can also find more information at our Web site, www.caff.org. We need the help of our membership in our executive director search. Let us know as soon as possible if you have any suggestions!

To help us bridge this leadership transition, Michelle Mascarenhas, a member of CAFF's Board of Directors from 1998 through 2001 and board president in 2000 was hired as CAFF's interim director. Michelle brings an enormously valuable background to CAFF. For the past five years, she was the director of the Center for Food and Justice at Occidental College where she helped develop successful farm-to-school programs, convinced the city of Los Angeles to sponsor programs and conferences to increase access to local food, and led technical assistance and evaluation programs. She also worked on food and farming issues for seven years and played a leadership role in many social justice campaigns in Los Angeles. We are very fortunate that Michelle is available to serve with us during this leadership transition.

CAFF's board and staff are excited about the opportunities that these changes entail. Our renewed clarity in vision and program direction brings us confidence that the executive director search will be successful.