Meet the Team
Sheryll Durrant, Board President
Sheryll is an urban farmer, educator, and food justice advocate. She has been the Resident Garden Manager at Kelly Street Garden since 2016, and is also the Food and Nutrition Coordinator for New Roots Community Farm, managed by International Rescue Committee (IRC). Her work has included developing community-based urban agriculture projects, providing expertise and technical assistance for gardens within supportive housing developments, and she currently serves as Board President for Just Food. Sheryll has led workshops and spoken on issues related to urban agriculture and food justice for many key organizations, and was part of the 2019-2020 HEAL School of Political Leadership cohort. As a former Design Trust fellow for the Farming Concrete project, she is now responsible for communications and outreach for the data collection platform that helps urban farmers and gardeners measure their impact. Prior to her work in urban agriculture, Sheryll spent over 20 years in corporate and institutional marketing.
Sia Pickett, Board Treasurer
Sia Pickett, affectionately known in her community as Chef Sia, started with Just Food as a Community Chef in 2011, eventually moving into the treasurer role through her commitment and dedication to the organization’s mission. Sia brings 30+ years of experience in fiscal oversight as a business owner, culinary/nutrition instructor, wellness coach, facilitator, management and mentoring, curriculum development, project/event coordination, marketing, business technology application, business consultation, and business development. She has worked in operational and sales management for various Fortune 500 companies, spent 12 years in personal banking with US Bank, and has held positions with several nonprofits. Sia currently serves as a program manager for the Business Outreach Center Network (BOC) and has worked as a project manager for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). In addition to her community work, Chef Sia owns Malata Cuisine, a “Natural Foods'' personal chef service and culinary nutrition education company in Brooklyn, NY.
Shari Rueckl, Advisory Committee
Shari grew up in the Midwest where she was surrounded by many farms. But it wasn't until moving to New York that she truly realized the value of good, fresh food and the access that everyone deserves. She was able to join the Brooklyn Bridge CSA from its start in 2010 and has been the core team leader for 7 years. She's been active in the Advisory Committee since 2018 and focused on the CSA and Farmer aspects of the Just Food Network. For the Network, she coordinates and leads the now annual CSA Forum for CSA leaders to share and learn from each other and coordinates the annual survey of Network members to keep our data and website updated. Her role as Project Coordinator at the LES Ecology Center allows her to fuel her passion for building a more sustainable and equitable urban environment.
Ruth Katcher, Advisory Committee
Ruth Katcher has been a member of the Clinton Hill CSA in Brooklyn since its first season in 2002. She’s been on the core group since 2008 and has led the core since 2014, helping to steer the CSA through enormous changes brought about by gentrification, the challenges of COVID, and food insecurity among many of our neighbors. At least two of her four grandparents grew up on farms in Eastern Europe and rural New Jersey, and she has always explored farmers markets and alternative food systems. In her other life, she edits and ghostwrites books for children and teens.