Our Team

Debbie Phillips

Chief Executive Officer

debbie@ruralaction.org

Joe Brehm

Chief Program Officer

joe@ruralaction.org

740.677.4047 ext. 300

Paul Patton

he/him/they/them

Chief Innovation Officer

paul@ruralaction.org

(740) 274-0240

Alexandria Polanosky

she/her/hers

Media and Communications Director

alexandria@ruralaction.org

740.677.4047 ext. 140

Bryn Sowash

Operations Director

bryn@ruralaction.org

740.677.4047 ext. 110

Jilly Anderson

she/her/hers

Multimedia Manager

jilly@ruralaction.org

Andrea Baird

Development Director

andreab@ruralaction.org

Marcus Bratton

Building and Grounds Coordinator

marcus@ruralaction.org

740.677.4047

Paul Celi

he/him/his

Special Projects Assistant

paulc@ruralaction.org

Stephanie Elmore

she/her

HR Manager

stephanie@ruralaction.org

Lilah Gange

she/her/hers

Assistant to the CEO

lilah@ruralaction.org

740-444-9413

Jen Miller

Operations Assistant Manager

jenm@ruralaction.org

740.677.4047 ext. 150

Isaac Miller

he/him/his

Social Enterprise Marketing and Communications Manager

isaac@ruralaction.org

(740) 591-9966

Christy Pugh

Chief Finance Officer

christy@ruralaction.org

740.677.4047 ext. 130

Laura Farrell

Staff Accountant

laura@ruralaction.org

740.677.4047

Diana Goins

Grants Accountant

diana@ruralaction.org

740.677.4047 ext. 120

Tom Redfern

Senior Director of Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry

tomr@ruralaction.org

740.677.4047 ext. 600

Molly Sowash

She/Her

Sustainable Agriculture Program Director

molly@ruralaction.org

Michelle Ajamian

Appalachian Staple Foods Collaborative Network Manager

michellea@ruralaction.org

740-590-1501

Shane Benton

he/him

Food Access Manager

shane@ruralaction.org

740.677.4047 ext. 600

Alisha Bicknell

Farm to Institution Manager

alisha@ruralaction.org

Bailey Borland

She/her

Live Healthy Kids Manager

bailey@ruralaction.org

Hans Kneuss

Eastern Ohio Sustainable Ag Manager

hans@ruralaction.org

Katie Lloyd

She/Her

Whole Farm Manager

katie@ruralaction.org

Jess Fritz

Sustainable Energy Director

jessf@ruralaction.org

Gary Conley

Forestry Director

gary@ruralaction.org

740-677-4047 ext. 230

Andrea Miller

she/her

Sustainable Forestry Manager

andrea@ruralaction.org

740.677.4047

Nathan Schlater

Senior Director of Ecological Restoration

nate@ruralaction.org

740.677.4047 ext. 360

Caitlyn Park

she/her

Watershed Program Manager

caitlyn@ruralaction.org

740.677.4047 ext. 360

Matt Ledford

Water Quality Specialist

matt@ruralaction.org

740.677.4047 ext. 360

Sarah Benton

She/They

Watershed Restoration Project Manager

sarahb@ruralaction.org

Hannah Kopp

they/she

Watershed Program Manager

hannahk@ruralaction.org

740.677.4047 ext. 360

Dan Vorisek

Environmental Education Director

dan@ruralaction.org

740.677.4047 ext. 330

Carrie Vieland

She/Her

Environmental Education Program Manager

carrie@ruralaction.org

Ed Newman

Zero Waste Co-Director

ed@ruralaction.org

740.677.4047 ext. 630

Maria Bonner

Zero Waste Co-Director

mariab@ruralaction.org

740.677.4047 ext. 630

Aaron Dye

Land Bank Manager, Athens County Land Bank

aaron@ruralaction.org

740.677.4047

Jessica Dotson

Chesterhill Produce Auction Site Manager

jessicad@ruralaction.org

740.677.4047 ext. 620

Michelle Shively MacIver

she/her

Director of Project Development, True Pigments

michelle@truepigments.com

740.677.4047 ext. 350

Andi Chatfield

She/Her/Hers

Social Enterprise Director

andi@ruralaction.org

740.677.4047

Madison Donohue

Tourism Manager

madison@ruralaction.org

740.677.4047

Lindsey Long

Upcycle Ohio Manager

lindsey@ruralaction.org

(740) 447-9014

Sadie Meade

Workforce Development Director

sadie@ruralaction.org

(740) 447-9014 ext. 240

Kelly Mulvaine

she/her

Makerspace Associate

kelly@ruralaction.org

Pauline Phillips

Community Makerspace Manager

pauline@ruralaction.org

740.447.9014

Steve Rogers

Wraparound Support Manager

steve@ruralaction.org

Anthony Small

he/him

Native Plant Nursery Manager

anthonys@ruralaction.org

Jessie Thompson

she/her

Chesterhill Produce Auction Site Associate

jessie@ruralaction.org

740.554.7927

Shannon Stewart

AmeriCorps Director

shannon@ruralaction.org

740.677.4047 ext. 320

Meredith Hamsher

AmeriCorps Member Development Manager

meredithh@ruralaction.org

Johna Metcalf

She/Her

AmeriCorps Program Manager

johna@ruralaction.org