Monica is a culinary and community food systems professional deeply committed to building a more equitable, just, and culturally grounded food system. With a formal education in Restaurant Management and Culinary Arts, as well as hands-on experience through farming apprenticeships, her career has been rooted in the belief that food is more than sustenance—it’s connection, culture, and power. Food has always been central to her life. Her childhood exposed her to a rich tapestry of food cultures, and summers spent with her grandparents offered firsthand experiences of where food comes from and how it grows. Her professional journey began as a chef and manager in restaurants, hotels, and private clubs across Ohio and Chicago, before making St. Louis home over two decades ago. Passion soon led her from professional kitchens to the broader field of food education and community nutrition, particularly through local farm-to-school programs. She developed and taught culinary and nutrition-based curricula that centered gardening, cultural foodways, and the sacred relationships between the earth and our shared human experiences. Today, in her role as Manager of Community Food Systems at Operation Food Search, she focuses on improving the nutritional, economic, and environmental health of communities impacted by poverty and limited food access. This work centers on relationship-building and strengthening local food sovereignty—especially by connecting disinvested BIPOC farmers to the communities they are uniquely positioned to nourish. “I believe food has the power to root, connect, and heal, and that access, education, and cultural respect are the foundations of a thriving food system. Supporting the mission of Rustic Roots Sanctuary is a natural extension of my life’s work and personal values, because this is the kind of work that changes lives, from the ground up”.