Meet the Board
2023 Elections
The Board of Directors are local Co-Owners who volunteer their time to the co-op. The Board meets bi-monthly & acts on the community’s behalf to bring the cooperative vision to life. Applications for the 2023 Board of Directors Election are now open. All applications are due by January 22, 2023, at 11:59 PM CT to be considered a candidate. All Co-Owners vote for the incoming Board of Directors.
Ellery Richardson
President
Ellery is an environmental attorney and owner of a small farm in Whites Creek.
Ellery helped found the Nashville Food Co-op because she believes in supporting local businesses to better our community. She believes that if we want a resilient and sustainable food system, we have to vote with our dollar.
William Crenshaw
William is a finance, strategy, and transaction advisor for privately held businesses and assets. He is also a recovering CPA.
William joined the Nashville Food Co-op because he believes in equal opportunity to healthy food options, the importance of sustainable agriculture practices, and the generational implications of supporting Nashville’s underserved, all for the benefit of our future. He supports the initiatives that further the vision of the Co-op: strengthening our communities and building upon our local farmers.
C.J. Sentell
C.J. is the CEO of The Nashville Food Project.
C.J. joined the Nashville Food Co-op to help build a food system in Nashville where everyone has access to the food they want and need. Prior to the Food Project, C.J. served as the curriculum director of Brightwater: A Center for the Study of Food, and was the founding farmer operations manager of the Grass Roots Farmers’ Cooperative. C.J. began farming in 2009 in Joelton and currently owns and operates a grass-fed cattle concern in the Ozark Mountains.
Ursula G. King
Ursula King, MSc in an ecologist, specializing in soil and water health particularly in agricultural and river systems, ecological education, policy, and advocacy. Ursula is a member of the planning committee of the TN Local Food Fund.
Ursula joined the Coop to ensure that there would be a stable place for farmers and other local value added food makers to sell food to the community and for the convenience that would bring beyond Farmers Market hours.
Andreas Bastias
Andreas is a frontline worker in the solidarity economy, a student of co-operation, and an organizer.
Andreas joined the Nashville Food Co-op because he believes in the transformational power of community co-ops to create a just, equitable, and sustainable society. He is informed and inspired by 7+ years of service at Three Rivers Market food co-op and his graduate studies through the International Centre for Co-operative Management.
John Haubenreich
John is a partner at the law firm Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis.
John joined the Nashville Food Co-op because he wants to support local and sustainable food sources as a means of building community as well as addressing environmental and social injustices such as food deserts, non-sustainable farming practices, and corporate control of food systems. He is an avid gardener, cook, and baker and lives with his wife, 2 children, 6 chickens, 1 dog, and 1 cat in East Nashville.
Alex Abels
Alex currently works as the Director of Sponsorship for the Nashville Chamber of Commerce and looks forward to spending more time invested in the community and creating a better Nashville.
Alex started his career as a small business owner in his hometown in Ohio, and ran a car repair garage for three years. He then moved to Nashville and took up banking. After five years of being a banker, Alex found an opportunity with the Nashville Chamber Of Commerce.
Alex joined the co-op because he believes in facilitating a way to provide high quality food options to our local community.
Board interest
Serving on the Board of Directors
Interested in participating on the Board? The Board is elected by the Co-Owners of the co-op. Elections generally take place in February of each year. For further questions, reach out to us at info@nashvillefood.coop to find out more!