OUR VISION, MISSION, AND VALUES
Vision: A Healthy Hunger Free Tulare County
Mission: To promote equitable and dignified access to nutritious, healthy food while also addressing the root causes of hunger through education, advocacy, and food systems change
Values: Trust, Collaboration, Respect, Compassion, Food with Dignity
Meet the Board
Rie Reniers
Board President
Rie has served on the board since 2016. She is a registered nurse and self-titled “professional volunteer” who is passionately engaged with many community benefit efforts as well as her family’s foundation.
David Terrel
Vice President
David, originally from Pixley and board member since 2015, is the Athletic Director at Mission Oak High School. He is passionate about reducing food waste and supporting FoodLink’s vision to end hunger in Tulare County. He enjoys biking with his wife and cheering his teams on to victory
Alma Torres Nguyen
Secretary
Ms. Torres Nguyen has a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and a Masters in Public Health. She has over 20 years of experience coordinating public health programs. Currently she is a Program Coordinator for the Community Outreach Department at Kaweah Delta Health Care District. Alma believes in the power of prevention, the importance of building community, and civic engagement.
Lee Johnson
Board Member
Lee joined the board in 2020 after retiring from the Kings County Department of Public Health as the Supervising Environmental Health Officer. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and a Master’s in Public Health and is interested in resource sustainability and social justice issues.
Bridgette Bechtel
Board Member
Bridgette started with FoodLink in September of 2020. She has a bachelor’s degree in food and nutrition with a concentration in food service management. She grew up locally in Visalia and currently resides in Tulare. Bridgette has a passion for helping others and also provides transportation in the community through another local nonprofit called Hands in the Community. In her spare time, Bridgette enjoys cooking and sharing food and nutrition tips.
Mary-Alice Nichols
Board Member
Mary-Alice Nichols is originally from the Bay Area, and moved to the Valley in the Fall of 2018. Philanthropic work has always been a big part of her life, and most recently she worked at Salesforce.org in San Francisco helping nonprofits accelerate their missions by adopting cloud technology. Now, working in the Ag and Food industry, she is passionate about healthy eating and nutrition, and making sure everyone has access to nourishing food and wholistic nutrition education.
Our Staff
Nicole Celaya (she/her), Co-Executive Director
Andrea Kelly (she/her), Co-Executive Director
Tracey Pinuelas, USDA TEFAP Program Manager
Harlye Sanchez, Relief Services Program Manager
Gabriel M. Navarrete, Warehouse Manager
Brenda Gutierrez Mora (they/them), DEEP Roots Program Manager
brenda@foodlinktc.org
Genna Kules (she/her), DEEP Roots Program Assistant
genna@foodlinktc.org
Judith Weese, Inventory Specialist
Arturo Garcia Trejo, Program & Warehouse Assistant
Christopher Ramirez, Program & Warehouse Assistant
Nai Saechao, Program & Warehouse Assistant
Karla Maldonado, Program & Warehouse Assistant
Nathanel Chappell, Program & Warehouse Assistant