Board of Directors

Aaron Jones, Chairman. Aaron is a strategy and policy consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton.  In his current role, Aaron advises the Department of Defense on strategic policy initiatives which affect the procurement of $50 billion in healthcare contracts.  Prior to becoming a consultant, Aaron was a teacher in the Peace Corps, serving in the countries of China and Romania.  Following his service, Aaron worked as a corporate attorney at the Silicon Valley firm of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, representing both private and public companies as outside general counsel, while completing dozens of transactions ranging from equity and debt financings to mergers and acquisitions.  Aaron holds a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and a B.A. in Comparative Area Studies from Duke University.  Aaron is a supporter of Community Supported Agriculture and Farmers’ Markets in Washington, D.C.

Heidi Keller, Treasurer. Heidi has worked in the banking and finance sector for over 20 years.  She is currently an Operations Director at Freddie Mac managing a contracting and business rules team. She’s also held leadership positions in Accounts Receivable and production systems functions. Prior to Freddie Mac, Heidi worked as a consultant on domestic and international banking systems projects.  She has extensive experience in operations management including risks and controls, Six Sigma process management and improvement techniques, change management methodology, and project management.  Heidi holds a BBA in Finance from the University of Michigan – Flint.  Heidi is an avid supporter of the local food movement.

Kristen Sitchler, Secretary. Kristen is the Legal Manager and Garden Grants Manager of FoodCorps, a national AmeriCorps service program that works to reverse childhood obesity by delivering hands-on nutrition education, building and tending school gardens, and bringing high-quality local food into school cafeterias. Kristen serves as FoodCorps’ in-house counsel and manages its School Garden Grant Program, in partnership with the Whole Kids Foundation. Before joining FoodCorps, Kristen worked as a nonprofit lawyer at the Washington, DC firm of Venable LLP, and worked for a federal judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. She has advocated for kids throughout her life both as a lawyer and volunteer. Kristen is a DC Master Gardener and a dedicated volunteer at a number of school gardens, including The Farm at Walker Jones.

Kirsten Lodal is CEO and Co-Founder of LIFT. Lodal founded LIFT in 1998 and has devoted herself since then to guiding the development of LIFT’s innovative program model to combat poverty and expand opportunity for all people in the United States. Lodal is committed to bringing increased national attention to issues of multigenerational poverty and opportunity in the United States, especially for women, children, and families.  She participates in numerous poverty- and service-related working groups and actively serves as the Chair of the Board of the Homeless Children’s Playtime Project (HCPP).  Additionally, she is dedicated to strengthening the nonprofit sector as a whole through her work to coach leaders of emerging social ventures, and she is a frequent public speaker on such topics as social entrepreneurship, program evaluation, and civic engagement. In 2004, she received the prestigious Jefferson Award for Public Service and her leadership with LIFT has been featured on NBC Nightly News,The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, and CNN.  Lodal holds a BA from Yale University and has completed the Executive Management Program at the Columbia Business School’s Institute for Not-for-Profit Management.

Juli Obudzinski currently works on national sustainable agriculture policy for an advocacy organization in DC.  She recently received her Master’s in agriculture and food policy and helped to develop a policy platform for expanding local food markets in the Midwest.  She has been deeply involved in researching and promoting local and regional food systems since moving to the east coast, and has worked with several local organizations including Slow Food, Common Good City Farm, FoodCorps, and the DC Farm to School Network.  She has also worked as an apprentice on an organic farm in Virginia, and likes to community garden in her spare time.

Lauren Shweder Biel is Executive Director and co-founder of DC Greens. For a full bio, visit the Staff page. 

Sarah Bernardi is Progam Director and co-founder of DC Greens. She is a non-voting Board member. For a full bio, visit the Staff page.