Executive Director
Kelly Church
Kelly Church is an experienced nonprofit leader with more than 15 years of leadership, fundraising, and community-building experience. Throughout her career, she has focused on strengthening mission-driven organizations, building meaningful relationships, and bringing people together around a shared purpose.
Previously Kelly served for eight years as School Director at The Denver Waldorf School and for four years as Executive Director of Colorado Springs Assets for Youth. Most recently, her work has focused on philanthropy and development, where she has built strong partnerships with donors, community members, boards, and organizational leaders to advance mission and create lasting impact.
Kelly has been fortunate to call Colorado home for most of her life. She grew up in Colorado Springs, earned her B.A. from the University of Denver, and returned to Colorado after graduate school to make her home in Manitou Springs. She and her family recently relocated to Salida, where she is enjoying all that the central mountains have to offer, including biking, camping, hiking, and fishing. An outdoor enthusiast and amateur gardener, Kelly is also looking forward to learning much more about agriculture; perhaps picking up a few tips from our awesome farmer,T.J. McDaniels, along the way.
CFTT's Executive Director, Kelly Church
Kelly is especially excited to join Colorado Farm to Table because of its simple and powerful commitment to growing fresh food for neighbors who need it. She looks forward to getting to know the farmers, volunteers, donors, food distribution partners, and community members who have built and sustained the organization, while helping Colorado Farm to Table strengthen its foundation and expand its impact in the years ahead.
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
Board of Directors
Allison Groom
Board President
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.
Leslee Alexander
Director
Leslee is a certified planner who spent her career defining success for small businesses and communities around the nation and across the globe. While passionate about people and place, food security has always been a part of her vision.
She began gardening as a child and was hooked, working with DUG (Denver Urban Gardens) and the food cooperative at the Rocky Mountain Peace Center while studying at CU-Boulder. She moved onto larger-scale farming as part of the team that established Stonebridge Farm in the early 1990s, the first CSA in Boulder County, CO. This evolved into a small family farm in East Tennessee that worked with local non-profits and schools to promote regenerative agriculture, a native plant nursery, and an heirloom seed farm.
Leslee believes the best food is fresh food, and that a gardener is one of the most hopeful people out there. She is a certified Master Gardener in Colorado and Tennessee, and also holds a Masters in Environmental Management from Duke University. When she’s not transplanting starts or sowing seed, she loves trekking through the mountains of Central Colorado and traveling with her family.
Dan Mackenben
Director
Dan and his wife, Karen Donohue, joined the Salida community in 2025, moving to Colorado from California. In August of that year, Dan retired from a career in higher education fundraising, communications, and student affairs. He served as a senior assistant dean for development at the University of the Pacific, leading a multi-million-dollar campaign to build a state-of-the-art Makerspace, along with raising funds to advance diversity initiatives; scholarships; and other strategic priorities. Dan had previously served as chief development officer at American University’s School of Public Affairs and assistant vice president of development at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital.
A native of Illinois, Dan received his B.S. from Illinois State University and Ed.D. from the University of San Francisco. He first lived in – and fell in love with – Colorado when completing his M.Ed. at Colorado State University. Dan and Karen are both avid trail runners, hikers, and mountain bikers, plus have enjoyed exploring the wilds of Colorado in their new-to-them campervan!
Dan was first exposed to Colorado Farm to Table by picking vegetables at the farm and was instantly inspired by the depth and breadth of the organization’s impact on families throughout Colorado. As a board member, he hopes his experiences in fundraising and communications can help raise even more funds to support Colorado Farm to Table’s mission and vital services.
Patricia Murphy
Director
Patricia (Trish) retired in 2024 from Arizona State University where she taught magazine production and creative writing for 31 years. Murphy earned her B.A. in English and French from Miami University and her MFA in Creative Writing, Poetry from Arizona State University. During her three decades in Phoenix she volunteered with many organizations focused on poverty alleviation including UMOM New Day Center, Arts Heals Arizona, and the Aris Foundation.
Originally from Cincinnati, Trish enjoyed living in the Southwest during her long career as an educator. She now splits her time between Arizona and Colorado. She enjoys yoga, weightlifting, hiking, biking, rafting, pottery, mahjong, and traveling. She is honored to support Colorado Farm to Table’s mission of growing and donating healthy vegetables to those in need across Colorado.
Tory Stephens is a finance and accounting professional currently working
on the accounting team at a renewable energy independent power producer.
Her career spans finance and accounting roles across public, private, and nonprofit organizations in the environmental sector, with a particular focus on conservation and clean energy. She holds an MBA from Colorado State University. Originally from Upstate New York, Tory has called Colorado home for over ten years, relocating to the Salida area in 2025. An avid skier and hiker, she can often be found exploring the local trails and the Arkansas Valley with her dog, Charlie.
Tory Stephens
Director
Patric Hardin
Treasurer
Check back for Patric's bio soon.
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.