Amanda Shafton, Board President
Amanda is the Senior Manager, Commercial Product Management for Q2 Banking Solutions. She is a proven leader in the payments industry with a strong focus on product development, program management, vendor relations, and team building. She relocated to Colorado to work for Elevations, having spent most of her career in financial services product development for both start-ups and larger companies globally. She was previously part of a team who formed a charitable community garden and loved seeing how kids and families could work together to learn about growing healthy food. She is excited that her own kids get to participate in GTT’s Lafayette’s school gardens.
Jessica Schmitt, Board Vice President
An educator at heart and researcher by nature, Jessica currently works as a freelance writer, including all manner of copy editing as well as writing marketing materials for companies striving to do good in the world. Jessica is a National Board Certified Teacher with over a decade of teaching experience nationally and internationally. In 2007, she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to teach in Germany. Since returning to Boulder, she has taught middle school English, served as the department head, served on the accountability committee, and co-developed the English content standards to meet or exceed Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and BVSD standards. She holds a B.A. in humanities with a minor in German, and a M.A. in Education. As a Colorado native who grew up spending as much time outdoors as possible, Jessica believes gardening is one of the best activities to do with young people (her children included). She is honored to work with so many talented and passionate people at Garden To Table.
Elizabeth O’Connell, Board Secretary
Elizabeth O’Connell is a professional fundraiser, currently working as a Donor Relations Officer for Western Resource Advocates. Elizabeth has dedicated her career to the outdoors, working as the Publisher for a free Colorado publication, Elevation Outdoors, for five years and then stepping into work on climate change and conservation issues in the West with WRA. Her main interests are sharing the natural world, and protecting this gorgeous place that we call home here in Colorado. Elizabeth is thrilled to serve as a board member for Garden to Table, and accepted the role in Fall 2021. In her free time, Elizabeth enjoys being outside with her family, including hiking, skiing, mountain biking, and learning to garden with her 2 year old.
Sowmya Surapur, Member at Large
Sowmya is currently a healthcare project manager with a focus on digital health and is passionate about increasing interoperability in healthcare data. After growing up in the midwest, she moved to Denver in 2016 and settled in Erie in 2021 after falling in love with sunny Colorado. Prior to, Sowmya worked at the Center for Regional Food Systems at Michigan State University throughout college, served as an AmeriCorps Garden Educator and completed a BS in Nutrition & MS in Crop and Soil Science. More recently Sowmya taught Soil Ecology at a community college. Sowmya is looking forward to making an impact on school garden education, and hopefully getting her hands a little dirty in the process.
Stephen Brown, Member at Large
Steve has lived in Boulder over 35 years and has been part of multiple community organizations including board positions with Boulder Parks & Recreation advisory board, North Boulder Little League and the Boulder Rugby Football Club. He has been in executive leadership in multiple technology companies and currently works with SAP Concur as a VP in global technical sales. He has lived and worked in China and New Zealand and has traveled in more than 40 countries enjoying food and experiences in all of them. He currently spends his spare time with his family, mountain biking, snowboarding, gardening, and attending international rugby matches.
Deron Dempsey, Member at Large
Deron is a career public servant, having worked as a coroner investigator for nearly 20 years in Boulder and Jefferson Counties. Before that he was a residential youth counselor, volunteer firefighter, and wrestling coach. A midwest transplant, Deron moved to Boulder after college in 1999 and loves all the outdoor activities the mountains offer. His interest in gardening and mindful food production was sparked by his children devouring fresh-plucked tomatoes from the neighbors’ vines and happily grazing in raspberry patches. You can find him harvesting flowers and veggies in his home garden; tending to his compost worms; delivering plants, eggs, and bread to neighbors; coaching youth rugby; or enjoying a cup of coffee on the patio. He hopes to share his passions for gardening and soil and environmental health with the Garden to Table community.