Ellen Mortfield Co-Chair
Ellen lives in Sydenham and is currently working as the Office Manager for the Kingston & District Agricultural Society (Kingston Fall Fair). Previously, she managed the food bank and family services at Southern Frontenac Community Services. She spent many years in Thunder Bay, as the Executive Director of an environmental not-for-profit, EcoSuperior, and was very involved in the development of the Thunder Bay & Area Food Strategy. Ellen has always lived rurally and grew up on a small farm in Elginburg where they raised most of their own food! Ellen joined the Food Council because she believes local food access is a critical issue. Her education and work history has focused on communications, media and marketing and she hopes to help move the council's priorities forward using those skills.
Rupa Patel, MD Co -Chair
Rupa is a family physician currently working at the Kingston Community Health Centre and Queen's University Department of Family Medicine. She has been a family doctor for over 29 years and feels that healthy and accessible food is essential for one’s well-being. Both physical and mental health improve when one has a connection to real food, local food systems and eating with others. Food is medicine!
Bill Saunders - Treasurer
Councillor Saunders is the Deputy Mayor of Frontenac Islands. Although his background is in
manufacturing his interest in politics stems from his several years serving as the CEO of the Belleville
Chamber of Commerce where he regularly interacted with elected officials at all levels of government. He
served 4 years as a member of the Loyalist College Board of Governors developing a sound knowledge
of proper procedures to ensure good government. He is looking forward to using his skills and knowledge
to the benefit of the residents of both the Township and County through his work on the Food Policy Council.
Kristen Lowitt, PhD
Kristen is an Assistant Professor in the School of Environmental Studies at Queen’s University. Her research program is devoted to working with communities to build capacity for social and policy change towards sustainable food systems and food sovereignty. She moved to Kingston in 2020 and is excited to support food systems partnerships and research in the region as a member of the Food Policy Council.
Michelle Kehoe, MA
Michelle has spent the last 15 years working in non-profit and community-based health organizations, and has worked specifically with Indigenous communities for over 12 years in the areas of sport, health, and mental health. She currently works as a professor at St.Lawrence College in the Faculty of Allied Health. She is an advocate of local food systems and believes in the power of food as a source of community, connection, and care. Michelle is excited to bring an equity, and social justice lens to to the Food Policy Council.
Ruth Noordegraaf
Ruth is the Director of the Community Development, Wellbeing and IIDEA department with the City of Kingston. Her portfolio includes areas such as Food Security, Aging Friendly, Community Safety, Wellbeing and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. The work focuses primarily on the various system wide social issues that communities in Canada are facing, and the preventative actions municipalities can take. Ruth is passionate about striving to building communities where all are safe, healthy, nourished and welcomed.
Omamuyovwi “Dante” Gbejewoh
Dante is a 2nd year PhD Candidate at the School of Environmental Studies, Queens University. His research interests include food systems sustainability, food systems transformation, agroecology, food sovereignty, food policy, food security, and food system governance. He holds previous degrees in sustainable agriculture and soil science. His interest in food systems and food policy comes from an understanding that systemic problems require systemic solutions, and he joined the Food Policy Council for this reason. He hopes to continue to advocate for systemic policy solutions to food issues after his PhD program.
Spencer Lanthier
Spencer was born and raised in Kingston and currently works as a Community Development Worker with Kingston Community Health Centres. He has a strong passion in engaging community members and working towards reducing social isolation and loneliness through barrier-free community programming. The work of the Food Policy Council directly relates to community engagement as a healthy community is one with access to fresh, affordable food for all.
Rachael Mather, RD, BASc
Rachael is a Public Health Dietitian at KFL&A Public Health. Rachael’s work activities focus on healthy food systems and food insecurity. Rachael completed her nutrition degree at the University of Guelph, her dietetic internship through the Northern Ontario Dietetic Internship Program, and her Masters in Nutrition for Global Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Rachel is currently on parental leave.