Our Leadership
Mackenzie Sehlke is a passionate food systems and public engagement professional with a decade of experience leading mission-driven initiatives and teams. Sehlke began her local food journey at the Tacoma Farmers Market in Tacoma, Washington, where she supported the WIC Farmers Market program and forged a deep appreciation for the role of markets in creating thriving, connected communities. Since the Tacoma Farmers Market, Sehlke pursued this passion for local food systems as an apprentice on a small biodynamic farm, a research assistant at a leading obesity and nutrition center, a public school nutrition program manager, and through a Masters program that has led to a lifelong passion for community engagement and outreach.
In 2014, Sehlke joined the team of the 501(c)3 non-profit Boston Public Market Association in Boston, Massachusetts and became a founding staff member of the first all-locally sourced food hub in the United States. During her tenure, the Boston Public Market’s four-person startup team doubled its staff, recruited forty local farmers, fishers, and producers to the year-round market, and transitioned from a start-up to a thriving community hub welcoming millions of visitors annually.
After moving to Colorado in 2018, Sehlke began working at Boulder County Housing and Human Services, focusing on food assistance programming at the County level. Her work allowed Sehlke to nurture deep relationships with the Boulder County community, including serving on the Board of Directors at Boulder Food Rescue.
Sehlke is a passionate advocate for local food systems and believes that growing and producing food locally is a critical social, environmental, and economic investment in our shared future here in Boulder County. With this important mission in mind, Sehlke’s focus as Executive Director is strengthening relationships across our community and reducing barriers to producing and accessing local food.