The members of Just Harvest’s Board of Directors serve three-year terms. Elections are held annually, usually in May. To vote in the next election become a Just Harvest member.
Paul Seif, President
Paul lives in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood, with his wife and two children. Paul has observed that in Bloomfield fresh, quality food can be hard to affordably access – especially outside of farmers market season. Paul also has personal experience with fresh and quality food scarcity, having lived on state assistance for part of his childhood, and growing up in Portland Oregon, where stark divides persist between the quality and freshness of foods available across ethnic and socio-economic divides. Paul worked for 10+ years as a development officer in Portland. At that time Paul also served on two boards. Paul is glad to be serving alongside the Just Harvest board members, staff, and volunteers to “feed” Pittsburgh’s vibrant and diverse future.
I. Kristine Bergstrom
Kristine is a staff attorney at Neighborhood Legal Services, providing direct representation to low-income clients in elder and consumer law programs. She came to Pittsburgh from Nevada, where she managed a law office that provided free legal services in programs covering housing, public benefits, bankruptcy, consumer rights, tax controversies, family law, economic development, and prisoner reentry. A graduate of Cornell Law School, she has also practiced disabilities rights law.
Tamika Berry
Tamika is the program supervisor at Pittsburgh Mercy, a part of the Trinity Health System. She has more than twenty years of experience in program administration, colleague development, colleague management, investigative, medication administration, policy and procedure development, and supportive services. Her emphasis is advocating for vulnerable persons, such as those who are diagnosed with intellectual disabilities and/or mental illness, by way of education, collaborating, self-centered plans, and training. She received a bachelor’s degree from LaRoche University in leadership and is currently enrolled in the Healthcare Administration Master’s program at Rasmussen University. She is a current Pittsburgh resident and is dedicated to serving as a quest to all persons to ensure all people are living rewarding, satisfying everyday lives by utilizing positive approaches, respect, and dignity for all of humanity.
Sr. Barbara Finch
Sister Barb has been a Sister of St. Joseph for more than 40 years. She remains committed to changing institutional structures that cause oppression, hunger, poverty, or the diminishment of human dignity. Formerly nurse at the Allegheny County Jail, Sister Barb is well known throughout the justice and peace community as well as the interfaith community. Her greatest gifts are consensus building and networking.
Jeannette Hickman
Just Harvest is an organization that Jeannette has admired over the years because “it’s a nonprofit that fights economic injustice issues in a holistic way. The clear vision that free income tax preparation is as important to eliminate poverty as access to a caseworker or the ability to go to a farmer’s market with food stamps for fresh produce is inspiring” and why she is glad to have the opportunity of rejoining the board. Her community involvements include the Civic Leadership Academy-City of Pittsburgh and being a member of the Allegheny County Green Team, which supports sustainability efforts within the County workplace. Her favorite quote, of Jane Addams, is on every email she sends out: “The good we secure for ourselves is precarious and uncertain until it is secured for all of us and incorporated into our common life.” It’s a sentiment that she wholeheartedly agrees with. Jeannette lives in Pittsburgh’s East End.
Suzanne McDevitt
Suzanne has a PhD and taught in social work programs at the University of Northern Iowa and Edinboro University of PA following a number of roles at Allegheny County Children and Youth. Her research has focused for a number of years on food assistance, primarily SNAP and the operations of the informal food assistance network, particularly food pantries.
Becca Smith
Becca is a proud Pittsburgh native and North Side resident who has recently returned after living in New York City for five years. She is a live events and touring professional, with over ten years of experience in producing and promoting events across the globe, from Broadway to London’s West End and numerous countries across five continents. Becca received her bachelor’s in communication and theatre arts from the University of Pittsburgh. She has personally benefited from food assistance programs and is passionate about giving back to her community. Participating in volunteer work and the betterment of life for the people of Pittsburgh has always been a part of her life, and she is honored to be serving on the Just Harvest board alongside this incredible team of individuals.
Stephanie Tsong
Stephanie is a multi-disciplinary Taiwanese-American DJ, artist, designer, and creative community leader who performs as “Formosa” and as half of the monthly Pittsburgh queer party, Jellyfish. They are heavily involved in local creative programming and events with organizations such as Associated Artists of Pittsburgh, Jaded, Honcho, Carnegie Museums, Pittsburgh Zine Fair, among many more. Throughout their twelve years living in Pittsburgh, they have developed a strong passion for helping their local community thrive – be it through collective dancefloor healing, skillsharing, or access to resources. Before living in Pittsburgh, Stephanie received a BFA in Printmaking and Art History at Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore and grew up in Northern Virginia. Stephanie has had extensive experience in event organizing, fundraising, and networking and is looking forward to applying their skills to support Just Harvest.
