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
Lesly Morales, Fresh Rx Coordinator & Market Program Manager
Lesly Morales worked as an assistant market program manager with Everyone’s Harvest last year, and we are thrilled that she will be returning to work full-time with us. Lesly was raised in Los Angeles, CA, and moved to Monterey County to attend California State University, Monterey Bay in 2017. She graduated with a degree in Communications in the summer of 2021 and worked as an AmeriCorp VIP after graduating. She has also worked in various non-profit organizations in the Monterey Peninsula during her time here and is very passionate about serving the community. During her free time, she enjoys plant shopping, walking at the beach, and painting with watercolors.
Lesly@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 likes to 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
Ulises 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 is completing his Bachelor’s Degree in Humanities and Communication with a concentration in Chicanx studies at California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB). In his free time, you can catch Uli day dreaming by the ocean, especially Asilomar beach.
Ulises@everyonesharvest.org