Elisa Worland is the chair for the Wayne County Food Council and the Community Development and Health & Human Sciences Extension Educator for Purdue Extension in Wayne County. She holds a Masters in Social Work and spent a number of years working with adults with severe and persistent mental illness prior to coming to Extension. She is passionate about improving communication across health systems and increasing access to services. At past jobs, Elisa has served as food bank representative and connected with her clients over cooking healthy dishes.

Jess is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Community Health Worker and has worked in community/vulnerable population serving positions for many years. She believes that giving back to the community is one of the most important things she can do in her career. Jess is fueled by collaboration, communication and most importantly – hope. She states that the community has significant needs and food insecurity is one of them. While Wayne County has several food resources, hunger continues to grow. This board gives Jess the opportunity to make an impact on a different level and to strategically implement strategies and projects that reduce food insecurity and maximize the resources our community has available.

Lindsay is the Family Self Sufficiency Program Coordinator with the Housing Authority of the city of Richmond, (HACR) where she is building Richmond's branch of this nation-wide program and offering its benefits to Richmond's public housing residents and recipients of Section 8 vouchers for the first time. She has previously worked with the Richmond Farmers Market, taught high school Spanish, and worked in health care.

Deborah Slack volunteers as a board member. She works at the Reid Health PACE Center as the registered dietitian nutritionist. Deborah has volunteered in the food access arena for over 30 years. She is a creative problem solver and was instrumental in securing the funding for a mobile grocery store in a food desert in Montgomery County Ohio. Deborah’s vision is to see adequate food for everyone in Wayne County.

Dr. James 'Jay' Barbre is a Professor in the School of Education at Indiana University East where he has served various roles since coming to Richmond in 2008. As a career educator, Jay has seen the challenges that food insecurity brings through his time as a middle school teacher and in higher education. Creativity and pragmatism are core tenets of his practice and approach to collaborating with others. He is passionate about problem-solving and generating value-added outcomes that benefit others in the community and schools. He is the founder of the Mary Scott Community Orchard and Living Classroom in Richmond and partners with teachers and students through educational outreach and service-learning to maintain and improve this outdoor learning site for the benefit of the community.

Deanna serves as a Student Advocate at Indiana University East. She is honored to serve on the Board of WCFC with a mission to create a caring community where partnership is valued, and to achieve goals to serve not only those in need but those who are working tirelessly to provide valuable resources. Deanna finds it so rewarding to support initiatives and work together to ensure that no member of our community goes hungry.

Since 2021, Forrest Foust has been the General Manager at Rose City Nursery and an integral member of the recruiting team at GoJet Airlines. He began his professional flying career in 2006, undertaking corporate missions across the Southern US and the Bahamas, while also contributing to landscape design at VerdeGo Landscape. Forrest joined GoJet Airlines as a Pilot in 2007. He holds a BS in Horticulture from Purdue University (2001) and completed the CAPT program at Embry-Riddle in 2006.

Kyle was on the Board of Directors at Circle You Help Center for 7 years before taking over as Executive Director. Kyle’s focus is to work towards finding solutions to put an end to hunger and food insecurity and to break the cycle of poverty, by feeding the body and ministering to the soul of every individual.

Ashlee joined WCFC because food insecurity and hunger have been close to her heart since she was a child. At a young age, she would collect what she could to donate, and would volunteer at various food pantries and shelters. With a professional career in the food service industry, Ashlee feels she has an avenue to be able to help our community!

Eric Peschel volunteers as a board member He has been serving in his local church, Oak Park Pentecostals, since 2017. Most recently, his wife and he have been running their food pantry – Bread Box, since it opened in 2023. Eric is a creative thinker when it comes to finding ways to help the food insecurity issues in Wayne County. Eric has a background in creative arts and marketing.

Tara Peschel volunteers as a board member. She has been serving in her local church, Oak Park Pentecostals, since 2017. Most recently, Tara has teamed up with her husband to run their food pantry – Bread Box, since it opened in 2023. Tara is passionate about helping others and solving the food insecurity issues in Wayne County. Tara has a background in administration and finance.