Staff

Everyone’s Harvest – Staff

 Hester Parker, Executive Director

Hester has served on Everyone’s Harvest’s board since 2016, most recently as the board president. She was first affiliated with the organization as a volunteer.

“I am honored to be chosen to lead Everyone’s Harvest in the next phase of its growth as a vital contributor to the health and vibrancy of Monterey County” said Parker, “and to facilitate the organization’s vision to ensure that every community in Monterey County has an equitable and sustainable food system.”

Hester has dedicated much of her career and volunteer work to improving local food systems. She has designed and implemented garden-based and farm-to-school education programs, taught nutrition education for Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) in the Alisal Union School District, and led a farm-to-school assessment for Monterey County that laid the groundwork for a Monterey County Farm-to-School program. Hester also has taught courses in environmental justice, environmental studies, and service learning at California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) for more than a decade. 

As a board member, Hester ensured the participation of Everyone’s Harvest in organizations designed to address social justice and food sovereignty issues in local communities, including the Nutrition and Fitness Collaborative of the Central Coast and the Pajaro Valley Food, Farming, and Health Policy Council. Parker also was a member of the Alisal Vibrancy Plan Community Health and Safety Working Group. 

In March 2020, Hester co-founded a coalition of public health and medical professionals, agricultural industry representatives, and farmworker advocates whose goal was to protect farmworkers from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. That work has expanded under the auspices of the CFMCO COVID-19 Collaborative that grew out of collective efforts to address the effect of the pandemic on the public and economic health of Monterey County.

 Hester@ everyonesharvest.org

 

Michelle Clark, Office & Finance Manager

Michelle lives in Monterey with her husband and 2 children. She grew up in southern California and has also lived in the Midwest and Desert Southwest. She is a graduate of Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business where she Studied Marketing. Michelle is deeply involved in her children’s non-profit parent teacher organization where she served as the president and now the treasurer. During her free time, she can be seen with her family outdoors hiking and exploring. She also enjoys cooking and discovering new local restaurants and markets. She deeply values youth education and nutrition and takes pride in working for an organization that holds such standards.

 Michelle@everyonesharvest.org

Photo of Lesly Morales
Uli Dueñaz, Market Program Manager

 Uli has called Monterey County home since he was 4 years of age. He was raised in the Artichoke center of the world–Castroville, California– later, moved to Marina and now resides in Salinas, CA. He is passionate about art, activism, community wealth and representation. Uli graduated from California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) in May 2023 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Humanities and Communication with a concentration in Chicanx studies. In his free time, you can catch Uli day dreaming by the ocean, especially Asilomar beach.

Ulises@everyonesharvest.org

Beatriz Espinoza, Edible Education Coordinator & Assistant Office Manager

Beatriz born and raised in Jalisco, México. She moved to Salinas when she was nineteen years old and currently resides in Greenfield, CA. She is a graduate of California State University, Monterey Bay where she studied Business Administration. She describes herself as an outgoing person who likes to talk and interact with others. One of her passions is traveling because she liketo learn about new places, food, and people.  Also, in her free time, she likes to go for a run by the beach and do hikes around Big Sur.

Beatriz@everyonesharvest.org

Alexis Collazo, Market Program Manager

Alexis has been a long time participant at Everyone’s Harvest, helping his parents sell the produce from their farm, La Milpa, but he recently joined Everyone’s Harvest as a staff member in 2022.

He has been studying engineering at Hartnell college student, and intends to transfer to SJ state to finish his degree. He likes being part of the market staff to meet the community, and he enjoys the problem-solving aspect of the job. In his free time, he enjoys hanging out with friends & playing video games. His plans for the future are to use his degree and work in Silicon Valley.

Alexis@everyonesharvest.org

Victor Rios, Market Program Manager 

Victor has participated in Everyone’s Harvest since 2019 as a jewelry vendor but joined Everyone’s Harvest in 2022 as a Market Program Manager, he has worked for different non profits in the county and is motivated by helping those in need. You can find him volunteering with different community groups, making jewelry, or at your local events and markets as a vendor. He is a senior at Western Governors University business school focusing on Marketing and Public Relations.

Victor@everyonesharvest.org

Joshua King, Market Program Manager

Joshua grew up in rural Kansas before moving to California to study at Stanford University, where he earned a B.S. in Sustainable Food and Agriculture as well as a M.A. in Environmental Communication. He is passionate about providing affordable access to healthy and sustainable foods in order to promote personal and planetary health. In his free time, Joshua enjoys cooking, playing board games, video games, hiking, and supporting Liverpool Football Club.

Joshua@everyonesharvest.org

Paid Interns 

Joanna, Paid Intern

Joanna Is a student at CSUMB majoring in CHHS with a concentration in Public Health. Joana is interning with Everyone’s Harvest in Food Navigation with a concentration in social media outreach. Joana has lived in Seaside since the age of four. In her free time she enjoys hiking and being outdoors.

Mitzi Camacho, Paid Intern

Mitzi was born and raised in the city of Marina, CA.  She graduated from Monterey Peninsula College with an associate’s degree in natural sciences. She then transferred to CSUMB as a CHHS social work major with the intention to help the local community. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, trying new recipes, traveling, and chasing sunsets.