Board of Directors
Paula Schnese
President/Co-Treasurer
Paula grew up in a family of nine siblings in a small Wisconsin town surrounded by farms. With so many growing children to nurture, she learned at a young age the value of locally produced, healthy, fresh foods. Longing to spread her wings as she grew older, Paula set her sights on California, specifically Santa Barbara where she earned her degree in professional photography. Following graduation, she moved to the Bay Area where she established a successful commercial photography studio.
Living in California, surrounded by the abundance of healthy, flavorful and local food choices, only increased Paula’s interest in health and nutrition. In 1992, she read John Robbins’ book, Diet for a New America. Embracing Robbins’ connections between food, health, diet and environmentalism, Paula immediately became a vegetarian, an eating style she has maintained. Nurturing body and soul had become her mantra.
Following the birth of her 3rd child, she formally closed her studio in order to focus on nurturing her children. Living near Berkeley at the time, she had access to a variety of natural food stores where she could get the foods she wanted for her family. However, moving to Benicia in 2013, she immediately noticed a food void and decided to do something about it! (Read “Our Story.”)
Paula uses her “outside the box” thinking and organizing skills as a photographer and her analytical bookkeeping skills (she’s the account manager at her husband’s law firm) to lead this grass roots effort to establish a food co-op in the Benicia/Vallejo area. Passionate about the food co-op, Paula is patient and determined, envisioning Cultivate Community Food Co-op’s grand opening when it reaches 1200 owner members.
Since Covid-19, Paula has dedicated herself to a daily yoga and meditation practice. In her free time, she enjoys walking her dog, playing her fiddle, sailing with her husband and doing pretty much anything with her close family.
Feel free to reach out HERE
Dave McAdams
Vice President
Video Team Director
Although I recently became an owner of Cultivate Community Food Co-op, I’ve worked with CCFC since 2018 on video productions. I’ve had the pleasure to interact with other owners and board members at social events leading to an understanding of the need for a local grocery store. Not only a store, but a destination for people to gather to create a strong community of respect and understanding.
But it’s not enough to attend events. I want to contribute to the vision and see it succeed. As a 22-year-US Air Force veteran, with over 750 hours of formal leadership and management training, I’ve had the opportunity to work with a diverse group of individuals to complete the mission. After the service, I worked in manufacturing and shipping utilizing techniques of Just-in-Time Inventory Management and Continuous Improvement concepts.
But my interests lie in video production. This is where I believe I can make the best impact to help CCFC reach their goals. Document the process/journey. Create interest to attract new owners. Keep current owners informed of the progress CCFC is making to open the doors. If you feel my experience and skills would benefit CCFC, as a two-year board member, then I am happy to serve.
Feel free to reach out HERE
Shay Miles
Board Member
I am a Vallejo native and I’ve proudly been an owner of Cultivate Community Food Cooperative (CCFC) since March 2023. I have been interested in community-led ownership programs for several years. Beyond my ownership in CCFC, I’ve had the privilege of engaging with similar models — like Vallejo Community Land Trust — attending conferences, workshops, and networking events that are organized by Northern California Land Trust, Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative, and Urban Habitat.
I am a former award-winning corporate marketer and made a career transition to social entrepreneur in 2019. Today, I focus on urban strategy, social innovation, alternative ownership models, and opportunity zones. I would love to utilize my skills to help drive CCFC’s marketing, social media, strategy, and events, as well as expand my knowledge and experience. Additionally, my experiences have reinforced my belief in community ownership programs as powerful tools for incredible sustainability, equity, community empowerment, and in CCFC’s case the outstanding bonus of having a positive impact on our local food system and supporting this organization’s triple-bottom line.
I’m deeply passionate about increasing my involvement with CCFC as a board member, to explore new avenues to promote cooperative principles and support our growth and success through efforts like:
Engaging in community outreach and education programs.
Expanding our partnership and product offerings with local farmers and producers, and introducing new sustainability initiatives.
Based on the performance of cooperatives in East Portland, OR and Oakland, CA, I’ve seen how they foster a sense of ownership, shared responsibility, and democratic decision-making among members. It’s inspiring to see the positive impact of cooperative principles that put community economic development in the hands of the community.
Feel free to reach out HERE
Megan Buck
Co-Treasurer
Volunteer Coordinator
Hello, my name is Megan Buck and I became a Cultivate Community Food Co-op owner in July of 2023. My husband, Ben, and I have been Benicia residents for more than 10 years and we have two sons, 8 and 5 years old. Professionally, I have an MBA with emphasis in Strategic Human Resources Management and have worked in Human Resources for most of my career. Currently, I run my own HR Consulting business. I wish to leverage my education and professional experience to help develop the co-op to fruition and success, both as a way to contribute to our local communities and to bring a source of fresh, local, organic food and nutrition education, that is owned and controlled locally, to the community in which I am raising my children. My hope is that Cultivate Community Food Co-op becomes a cherished source of clean nutrition, education, community, and sustainability that feeds our communities and sets a positive example for future generations.
Feel free to reach out HERE
David Lindsay
Secretary
I’m excited to join the Board of CCFC. I became an owner in 2017 and have volunteered for outreach activities many times, but I decided it was time to make more of a commitment to help CCFC reach the goals we all share. My wife Maggie and I moved to Benicia 16 years ago. The first things we did after moving here were to find a CSA for local produce and to get a plot at the Swenson community garden to grow our own vegetables. Maggie led the transition of our yard into a (mostly) native plant garden. I am a retired chemical engineer (since 2015) and have served on other boards of nonprofits. My professional experience provides me with the organizational and collaboration skills needed to make progress and facilitate thoughtful decision making. I’m looking forward to working with other Board members and owners and also learning about the details of getting our work done. I enjoy helping Maggie with our yard, biking, hiking, and backpacking.
Feel free to reach out HERE