Staff
Thomas (T.J.) grew up and worked on the family farm in Kansas. For five years he also worked on a farm with a large diversity of vegetable, berry, and fruit crops. After graduating from the University of Kansas with an English Literature degree, T.J. worked on a large market farm until joining Colorado Farm to Table in 2014. T.J. was drawn to Colorado Farm to Table's unique farming and hunger relief mission, and was impressed with the professionalism, passion, and vision displayed by the founder. After working full-time with Mr. Madone as the assistant farm manager, gaining experience with high-altitude farming and learning about the unique challenges inherent to nonprofit farming, in 2021 Thomas stepped up as Colorado Farm to Table's farm manager. As the second farmer in Colorado Farm to Table’s 25-year history, Thomas is thrilled to advance the mission of this farm into the future.
Farm Manager and Director
Thomas J. McDaniel
Executive Director
Laurie Kari
Laurie joined the organization as Executive Director in January 2023. Her position will include administration, fundraising, grant seeking, grant writing and grant management, budget management and strategic planning. She is very dedicated to the CFTT farming and food distribution mission and is very excited to serve the Colorado community with the farm. She will serve alongside Thomas McDaniel, the CFTT Farm Director.
Laurie’s previous nonprofit experience will bring value to her new role. She and her late husband moved to Alaska in 1985, where she founded Family Promise Mat-Su family homeless shelter in 2002. She served as Executive Director of the nonprofit affiliate in Alaska for 11 years. Her talents there included grant writing, fundraising, program and volunteer coordinating, strategic planning, budgeting and administration.
In 2019 she moved to Buena Vista, Colorado to care for her mother and continued her grant writing and volunteering with area nonprofits.
Laurie grew up in Wisconsin and attended the University of Minnesota. She earned a Bachelor of Science in 1983. She moved to Alaska in 1985 where she worked as a Veterinary Technician for 6 years and took masters level classes at the University of Alaska.
Laurie has two children and enjoys dog agility training.
Board of Directors
Lisa McGrew Siegfried
Board Chair
In 2005, a life-threatening illness devastated Lisa Siegfried’s body. As her organs failed, she was saved by the miracle of a heart transplant. The trauma erased Lisa’s ability to move with agility and diminished the clarity of her sight, but it did not affect her heart for service or her vision for a career in the nonprofit world. Lisa’s illness ended her demanding profession as a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in Portland, Oregon. Following a long convalescence, Lisa returned to her beloved Colorado in 2013, moving to Salida.
Discovering Colorado Table, Lisa was impressed by the organization’s mission to provide free produce for people most in need across the state. She started as a volunteer farm hand and has served as volunteer coordinator, distribution coordinator, grant writer, Executive Director, and later the Board of Directors, all in a full-time volunteer capacity.
Lisa graduated from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS) with a B.A. in psychology and from Portland State University with a master’s degree in social work (MSW). Her professional career has included significant work in nonprofit, community-based human service organizations. She enjoys gardening and bee keeping, reading, and traveling.
Allison Groom
Secretary
Allison brings experience from a health not-for-profit background. As a market research consultant with the American Heart Association, she has explored motivations and challenges to living a healthy life. Nutrition security is key to optimal heart and brain health. The Colorado Farm to Table’s mission of providing fresh produce at no cost to families in need can have a life-changing impact on well-being.
Allison is a recent and enthusiastic newcomer to Colorado. Born and raised in Texas, with a brief detour in Caracas, Venezuela, she feels blessed to be a part of this community. She graduated from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, with B.S. in journalism. She earned her M.A. in advertising from The University of Texas at Austin. Her career has focused on market research in the advertising, health, and non-profit sectors. She enjoys hiking, reading, cooking, traveling, and discovering new experiences with her husband, Brad, and children, Meredith and Ryan.
Stephan Siegfried
Treasurer
Stephan is treasurer and a volunteer for Colorado Farm to Table. He is also the Global Facilities Manager for Thermo Fisher Scientific and a licensed architect in Colorado and Wisconsin with over 32 years experience in Design and Project Management. He is the designer of multiple custom homes in Wisconsin, Oregon and Colorado.
Stephan is an avid skier and a beginning fly fisherman and mountain biker.
Ron Avery
Director
After graduating High School in Pueblo, CO, Ronald Avery (Ron) joined the US Navy and served 3 tours in Vietnam. In 1970, Ron was offered work at Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant and was quickly promoted from chemical operator to crew leader to technical foreman. He remained there until the plants closure in 1989.
Reinventing himself, Ron began a career at Florida’s Daytona Beach News Journal and then at the Rocky Mountain News as District Manager of circulation. In addition to many years accrued management experiences, Ron was a CDL licensed semi driver until he was diagnosed with an eye tumor in 2002. Ron received treatment in San Francisco, but was unable to drive commercially and retired. In 2011 Ron and his wife moved to Salida where he dove into volunteerism. Despite being on oxygen Ron has served over 13 years in various roles at Christian Valley Community Fellowship and the Grainery Food Pantry.
Ron has been with us for two years as Produce Recipient Coordinator and Distribution Coordinator. Ron cares deeply about the mission to provide nutritious food options to those in need and joined the Board of Directors in October 2019.
Bob Schiermann
Director
Following a 25-year career in the high-tech industry, Bob shifted his time and energy into exploring a passion for environmental science, forestry, and all things green and growing. The farming and hunger-relief mission of Colorado Farm to Table was a good fit for Bob’s interests and skill sets. Prompted by an inquiry from Salida-based friends, he joined the organization in 2021 to assist with communications and writing. He soon discovered his penchant for business planning could be of service, too, and joined the Board in early 2022 to aid in such efforts. He enjoys new challenges, has a keen desire to learn, and enjoys leading collaborative efforts. His education includes a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science & Mathematics from Bradley University in Illinois and a Master of Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis.
Bob has a love for the outdoors and enjoys hiking in the mountains, wandering through forests, and hopping on a bike now and then. He’s grown a household garden for each of the past twenty years, and despite the ups and downs of each season his expectations are set anew with the first green shoot of the spring.
Doug Weddell
Director
Doug has lived in Colorado for over 45 years. He graduated from the University of Colorado School of Law and commenced his legal career with the District Attorney’s Office in Colorado Springs. He opened his firm in 1983 specializing in workers compensation, personal injury and social security disability. He continues to practice in Colorado Springs.
Doug is an active member of Broadmoor Community Church which supports food services for the underserved in Colorado Springs, including Westside cares and Care and Share. His church regularly has food drives and operates a food pantry. When contacted, he was interested in supporting the mission of Colorado Farm to Table.
Doug resides in Colorado Springs but has a mountain home near Chalk Creek. He enjoys skiing, biking and hiking.