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People

Richard Hicks

Richard, a committed advocate for hunger relief, volunteered for Food Forward several years ago as part of the Farmers Market Recovery Program. He now focuses on advancing Food Forward in the hunger relief space. With over 15 years of experience…

Xena Grossman

Xena grew up in the Northeast before moving to Southern California for its open spaces and warmer climate. She holds an MS in Nutrition from Boston University and a BA in Environmental Science from Barnard College. With almost two decades experience in nonprofit fundraising and program operations, Xena is excited to have found an organization that combines both of her passions—conservation and nutrition. She enjoys hiking, baking vegan desserts, and traveling light. She's clinging to the hope that one day her daughter will discover the joys of backpacking... or at least tolerate it without complaining.

Eleuterio Onofre

I was born in Morelos, México and I migrated to the United States when I was 18. I moved to Los Angeles and started to work in a warehouse as a shipper After 15 years, I began to work in…

Herb Meza

Herb’s Family comes from El Salvador, a small country in Central America. Herb graduated from Bell Gardens High School, class of 2002, and attended college at East Los Angeles college, but with three daughters by the age of 23, he…

Martha Urias

Martha was born and raised in Northeast Los Angeles, in the small town of El Sereno. As a middle child, she always marched to the beat of her own drum. She was determined not to be a product of her…

Amberlee Norris

Amberlee Norris grew up in Oregon, spending most of her time outdoors riding horses and exploring nature. Before relocating to Southern California, she lived in Denver where she embraced the outdoor culture and learned to love snowboarding, camping, hiking and backpacking. With…

Victor Tello

I was born in Guadalajara, Mexico. My biggest wish was to come to the United States and I feel very blessed to be living here in CA where I met my wife and we had a family. I have always…

Janelle Osteen

Janelle has called many places home throughout her life (Wisconsin, Nebraska, Florida, and more) but is thrilled to make roots in Los Angeles with Food Forward. Since completing her undergraduate degree in Molecular Environmental Biology in 2019, she has always…

Jim Berliner

Jim smiling in front of foliage

Jim Berliner is currently the Chairman of Westmount Partners, a wealth management firm he co-founded in 1990. Based in Century City, Westmount manages approximately $5 billion on behalf of its clients. Westmount primarily serves the investment and planning needs of individuals, families,…

Pam Schwartz

Pam smiling in front of a city backdrop

Pamela Schwartz, MPH, is executive director of community health for Kaiser Permanente. She leads the organization’s national food-security strategy and other social health priorities, including ensuring that social health interventions are integrated seamlessly into care and services provided to Medicaid members and…