Chair – Gary Granata

Gary is a New Orleans-based Nutrition and Exercise Scientist, Cook, Gardener, Teacher and Writer. Gary holds a PhD in Exercise Science and Sports Nutrition from Georgia State University, where he was a student of Dr. Dan Benardot during Dr. Benardot’s tenure as Nutritionist to the 1996 Olympic gold medal winning USA Gymnastics Team. He has been Registered Dietitian (RD) with the American Dietetics Association since 1988 and is a Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist (LDN) in the State of Louisiana.

Co-Chair – Don Boyd

Don a native of New Orleans with roots that run deep going back a few generations.  Growing up later in Plaquemines Parish along the Mississippi River slow food was a way of life.  From his family’s camp on the bayou where hunting, fishing, trapping and cooking was the way towards a life long passion with food and the source.  The interest in food production was compounded with a family farm in Southern Mississippi that raises livestock, chickens, and rabbits and grew seasonal vegetable crops.   He has supervised over seven million meals in his 30 years as a culinary professional and looks forward to being part of Slow Foods NOLA and to promote the de-evolution of food.  His interests are to promote restaurants that support slow food movement and have them recognized by the Snail of Approval program.

About ten years ago Don decided to parlay his professional knowledge into social entrepreneurial projects first with Café Reconcile New Orleans and in 2009 he co-founded Café Hope.  Both programs work with at risk youth to offer a path to self sufficiency through hospitality job training, life skills training and job placement with work place advocate support.  Café Hope strongly embraces the slow food movement with a sustainable menu that can trace its food to the roots.  Don also manages Hope Haven Farms that grows products to support to the Café Hope program and is sold in local farmers markets.  His interest here is to develop a network to link farmers with markets, chefs, and other food service providers.

His affiliation includes Louisiana Restaurant Association, Louisiana Hospitality Foundation, and American Culinary Federation. Don is also on the Board of Director for Louisiana Youth Rugby Foundation and New Orleans Rugby Foundation to help promote youth sports programming.  Publications include Southern Living Annual Cookbook and the Times Picayune Cooking up a Storm.  Don was a proud recipient of the 2006 James Beard Legacy Chef of New Orleans Award and member of the Ceremony and Reception Gala chef team.

Treasurer – Cheryl Golich

Cheryl Golich has been a resident of New Orleans for 15 years. She has worked in the banking and accounting fields for over 24 years. She received her BA in Qualitative Economics and Decision Science from University of California, San Diego. Passing the CPA exam in 2005 enabled Cheryl to further her accounting career and eventually establish her own CPA firm. Prior to receiving her CPA license, she worked for Harrah’s Casino, managing their construction accounting department during the construction of the casino and the hotel, and for Neill Corporation as their controller. Establishing her own firm, CA Golich CPA LLC, in 2006, she specializes in Federal & State Tax, small business financial accounting and assisting new businesses establish and maintain quality accounting procedures. In addition to owning her own CPA firm, Cheryl co- owns, manages and teaches at Balance Yoga and Wellness, a yoga and wellness studio located in Mid-City New Orleans.

Secretary – Addie K Martin

Raised in Southern Louisiana, Addie grew up in a culture that put food at the center of life. Her mother was an avid home cook so she grew up exposed to great home cooking. As a natural out growth of this, Addie became involved with the Slow Food movement as a way to actively participate in the food and eating belief system she ascribes to.

Addie earned her B.S. in Culinary Arts from the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University in 2002. After college she worked in several restaurants in various management capacities in both Columbus, Ohio and New Orleans. In 2007, she earned a M.S. degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management and moved out of the restaurant industry. For the next few years Addie worked at a local ad agency with a focus on account management and online advertising.

Since mid-2012, Addie has been working full-time as a writer and recipe developer, focusing primarily on her own website, culicurious.com. Via culicurious.com, Addie helps her readers lead deliberate, meaningful lives by focusing on clean, delicious recipes that nurture and nourish both the body and soul. Addie also does freelance work related to recipe development and epicurean writing. Finally, she also volunteers with the Second Harvest Food bank and the Historic New Orleans Collection. Addie has resided in New Orleans since 2004.

Membership – Christina Murphy

Christina discovered a passion for cooking while pursuing a bachelors degree in Entrepreneurship at the University of Miami. She then went on to the Italian Culinary Academy in Manhattan, where she was mentored by Chef Paolo Amadori from ALMA in Parma, Italy and Chef Claudio Cesena in Piacenza, Italy. In 2010, she moved to Charlotte, NC where and cooked at Blynk Organic and Sur la Table. In 2012, she was employed at Fern – Flavors From the Garden, Chef Alyssa Gorelick’s restaurant where seventy-five percent of the produce is sourced daily from local farmers. Christina has recently brought her talents to New Orleans and plans to sell artisanal pastas and sauces to local markets.

Tess Monaghan

Tess Monaghan’s interests lie at the intersection of food, community development, and social entrepreneurship. As co-founder of Build Now, a post-Katrina rebuilding organization, she grew the non- profit from a concept to a vibrant player in the New Orleans community. The unique case management and construction program she developed has resulted in the construction of more than 70 homes in New Orleans’ flooded neighborhoods.

After four years, she transitioned to an advisory role with Build Now. In 2011, she co-founded PPX New Orleans, a pop-up restaurant and catering company with a focus on local food. WIth PPX, she built relationships with farmers and expanded community awareness around local food. She now works as an independent strategy and marketing consultant.

Tess graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University, and before moving to New Orleans worked as a consultant at Bain & Company in New York City.

Webmaster – Ronald R. Ferrucci

Originally from New Haven, Connecticut, Ron has Bachelor and Master degrees in Biology, and Master and PhD degrees in Human Genetics and Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, respectively. His PhD work was on genetic structure in human populations. Ron is currently a web designer and developer in New Orleans. Ron is an avid bicyclist, mechanic, and two wheeled advocate. He also enjoys cocktails, Italian wines, and craft beer. Currently experimenting with Italian amaros as a cocktail ingredient.