Genevieve LeBlanc, President

Genevieve is the Senior Food Policy Lead for the Blue Zones Project Monterey County. She works towards creating consistent implementation of food environment projects county-wide. She also sits on the Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (HEDI) taskforce with colleagues from different Blue Zones communities across the country. She worked in international development for Oxfam in Peru and for the International Fund for Agricultural Development in North East Brazil, where she lived for over 2 years. In Quebec City, she was part of the initial team of six people tasked with manifesting a $42M philanthropic project intended to transition the oldest monastery in Canada and the US into a non-profit wellness center. She also lectured on responsible management at Laval University in Quebec.

Genevieve lives in Carmel Valley with her partner and is a passionate gardener and cook. She created a neighborhood garden accessible to all by transforming the front yard into a place where neighbors gather, children learn, and people harvest food. She is part of the community emergency response team (CERT) in Carmel Valley.

Terri-Jean Pyer, Vice President

Terri is a lawyer, mediator, and educator who recently retired as the associate vice president of human resources at Hartnell College in Salinas. She is passionate about social justice issues, particularly those involving access to education and employment.  She was a founding member of a neighborhood conservation initiative and a literacy and book ownership program for students in Durham, North Carolina. She co-founded a community mediation practice in rural Pennsylvania, and also has been a director of communications for two educational institutions and a newspaper editor. She started gardening with her family as a young child, where she was responsible for corn and carrots.

Bruce Delgado, Treasurer

Bruce is the Mayor of Marina, former Marina City Council Member (2000-04), and Fort Ord Bureau of Land Management (BLM) botanist. Bruce’s passion is to contribute to the environmental, economic, and social health of the planet and to encourage others to find connections. He serves on the board of directors for the California Native Plant Society, Monterey Bay Youth Camp and the Chuck Haugen Conservation Fund.

Lupita Murillo, Secretary

 Lupita Murillo is passionate about breaking the language barrier, giving back to the community, and paving the way for others. She has served Monterey County for about five years.  Her expertise is in educating and coaching. As a Job Search Readiness Trainer for Monterey County Workforce Development Board under the WIOA Title I Program, she coached adults to connect them with employment. Simultaneously, she has taught English as a Second Language with the Gonzales Adult School to help adults have a voice. Earlier on, Lupita was the Program Coordinator for Everyone’s Harvest, managing and expanding the food programs for the farmers’ markets. She is always excited to learn something new and continue making a difference in the community!

Joshelyn Ramirez, MEd

Joshelyn is a Latina, first-generation professional staff member within California State University, Monterey Bay’s Student Housing and Residential Life department. She oversees a residential area that provides educational and social events to CSUMB students, as well as supports students with a variety of needs that promote holistic development. Joshelyn is originally from the Monterey Peninsula, having grown up in Seaside and Monterey and returned to the area to give back to the community that raised her. Joshelyn hopes to increase community engagement to promote accessibility to the wonderful services, as well as farmers and vendors, offered through Everyone’s Harvest.

Yasmine Elsherbini, MPH, CHES

Yasmine Elsherbini has over 13 years of public health experience with developing and implementing programs around health promotion, risk reduction, disease prevention, and behavior change. Currently, Yasmine serves as the Director of Community Health and Wellness with Aspire Health’s Population Health division, where she provides strategic direction for diabetes prevention and chronic condition management programs for adults and children and families. She drives meaningful impact in the community by bringing together services and programs that support and enhance the health and wellbeing of Monterey County. Prior to joining Aspire Health, she applied her health promotion expertise for several Fortune 500 companies and she is passionate about empowering others to make healthy choices in a way that works for them. She is a relatively new resident of Monterey County and enjoys trying local foodie spots, spending time outdoors, and exploring local hidden gems.

Leticia Hernandez

Leticia Hernandez is a Salinas native, mom, volunteer, community gardener, advocate, and educator. Leti is the FARMS Statewide Alumni and Internship Manager with the Center for Land-Based Learning, supporting youth who go through the FARMS program post-high school and beyond. Her passion for education, urban agriculture, and health for youth and community drives her work. Leti is also the founder of Local Urban Gardeners and the Community Garden and Learning Lab at Natividad Creek Park in Salinas for which she has been a steward for the past seven years. In her off time, she spends time with her kids and 2 dogs, hiking, dancing, and being silly.