meet Our Leadership
Kendal Parker (she/her/ella)
Elected term: May 2022 - May 2025
Kendal@kingstonfoodcoop.com
Hi, I’m Kendal! I was born & raised here in Kingston, NY and I have a degree in Sociology from the illustrious Howard University. A little background - I went on my first missionary trip at 15 years old, and since then, I knew community development was my passion. I’ve spent the last 7 years serving others in any way possible. This has led me to volunteer in the Dominican Republic, Peru, and Southeast DC. I also spent 2021 with AmeriCorps, teaching at an elementary school in Baltimore. This past fall, I finally returned to my hometown to give back to the community that made me who I am today! I now work with multiple non-profit organizations, including Thrive On! Network and Seasoned Gives.
I joined the Kingston Food Co-Op because I truly believe in a more sustainable, inclusive future for our city. I’ve watched Kingston transform before my eyes these past few years - as I’ve seen happen in many other cities - and I want to see these changes work in favor of Kingston residents, rather than against us. I see the Kingston Food Co-Op as an opportunity for us to take some power back, and work together toward a brighter future. I hope to see this model utilized in other aspects of our community as well.
Candace Lindenlauf (she/her/ella)
Appointed Term: June 2024 - June 2025
Candace@kingstonfoodcoop.com
Candace Garnes graduated from the College of William and Mary with a BA in theater and a minor in marketing. After graduation, she moved to the DC metro area to begin teaching theater and running a sales office at a major regional theater. Her love and passion for working with kids and serving the community led her to Exploration Summer Programs, Inc. (EXPLO) in 2013 as a seasonal employee and starting full time as a Program Manager for the high school program just a couple of years later. After 9 years, Candace moved onto working with graduate students at Brown University. Candace recently relocated to the Hudson Valley in 2023 with her husband Michael and beloved pup Lola to run a new nonprofit, THRIVE ON! Network, where she continues to serve the community and work with youth as the nonprofit’s Vice President. Her passion for equity, education, youth empowerment, and food security soon led her to working with the Kingston Food Co-op in addition to continuing to build her own nonprofit organization. She is loving all of the chances to serve and work with the community of Kingston!
Joel Mejia (he/him/el)
Appointed Term: June 2024 - June 2025
Joel@kingstonfoodcoop.com
Joél Mejia is an Afro-Latino Artivist, regenerative systems designer, and mission-driven entrepreneur. Rooted in his Taino heritage, Joél is deeply committed to promoting culture, spirituality, and equitable cooperation.
As the founder of Mi Oh My Hydroponic Farms, a worker-cooperain the Bronx, he blends his New York City upbringing with regenerative farming practices, fostering a worker-owned cooperative that cultivates both food and education.
Joél's commitment to the future is exemplified by his completion of the Next Economy MBA program, where he gained skills to drive a regenerative and sustainable economy. He envisions an economy that values well-being over resource exploitation, challenging conventional paradigms of development.
With a fervent dedication to community, Joél contributes to multiple committees and boards, including the Black Farmer Fund's Rapid Response Committee, the Association of Cooperative Educators Board as Treasurer, and the National Association of Black Cooperators. He's also a driving force behind Kingston's inaugural Community Fund, developed by the Good Work Institute.
In all his endeavors, Joél's actions reflect a profound belief in the power of cooperation, sustainability, and cultural preservation.
Elizabeth Guthrie (she/her/ella)
Appointed Term: June 2024 - June 2025
Elizabeth@kingstonfoodcoop.com
Dr. Elizabeth Guthrie is a poet and performer living and practicing in the Hudson Valley after completing her practice-based PhD in text and performance at the University of East London following an MFA from Naropa University in Writing and Poetics within a Mindfulness and Contemplative Education framework. She teaches Creative Writing and Literature at the State University of New York and is the founder of Stone Collective, co-editor of Livestock Editions, and curator of the Impossible Reading Series. She has a background in gardening, education, poetics, and social justice beginning in early childhood and running through her experience in capacities such as teaching poetry at the Park Slope Community Garden in Brooklyn, Programming at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Children’s Garden, the EOP at SUNY, and Project Yes in Boulder, CO, as well as in various roles within the food systems movement in Kingston.
She is passionate about doing her part to work toward a more equitable and sustainable future and society and is devoted to her work with the Kingston Food Co-op in Education and Development in the endeavor of strengthening the connections that makes this dream possible.
Siobhan DuPont (she/her/ella)
Communications and Vendor Relations Lead
Siobhan@kingstonfoodcoop.com
Hi! My name is Siobhan and I am a long time resident of Midtown Kingston. I became involved in non-profit work guiding youth and adolescents in high school and all throughout college, where I discovered my passion for food, health, and wellness. As the Youth Advocate for the Kingston YMCA Farm Project, I was able to gain deeper insight into the structure of our local food system and connect with multiple organizations in the community working to improve the quality of life for Kingston residents. I am enthusiastic about working to shape a more equitable and just food system here in Kingston through my work with Kingston Food Co-op. I enjoy bike riding, visiting with family, trying new recipes, and traveling.
Get in touch with us!
We’d love to hear from you! Email us at admin@kingstonfoodcoop.com.
Thank you to our former Council members for their contributions and dedication to the co-op
Katy Kondrat
Joe Greenburg
Rachel Yeager
Verónica Martinez-Cruz
Ali Toxtli
Lyndsay von Miller
Nina Stender
Keyvious Avery
Dr. Sway Rosario-Caliz
Thank you to our initial Steering Committee members for helping to get our co-op off the ground!
Evelyn Wright
Sophie Ackoff
Phil Horvath
Rayna Puglisi Clarke
Omari Washington
Sarah Wenk
Sara Sylvester
Matt Berlin