
Deron Dempsey, Board President
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.
Jessica Schmitt, 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. 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.
Sowmya Surapur, Secretary

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, Board 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.
Phil Smith, Board Member at Large

Phil is a Regional Manager for Elevations Credit Union. He began his career in the financial industry as a teller in Iowa. After moving to Colorado, he continued to advance his career, progressing from a Senior Financial Solutions Guide to Branch Manager, and ultimately to his current role. Phil is an influential leader, encourager, and motivator, demonstrated by the success he and his team achieved in winning Elevations’ Summit Council award as Branch Manager. Phil’s passion for gardening embraces the connection with nature and the positive impact proper land stewardship can have. To complement his gardening efforts, Phil raised chickens and worms, and loved watching them contribute to the ecological well-being of the land. In his free time, Phil likes to enjoy the mountains (hiking, camping, kayaking, skiing), spending time with family and practicing Kung Fu, where he is close to master level.
Alyssa Harding, Board Member at Large

Alyssa Harding is a 10+ year sustainability professional with a background in ESG strategy and nonprofit management. She is currently the Director of Sustainability for Estée Lauder Companies, where she manages global programs including renewable energy procurement, product circularity, and green buildings. She has a long history of volunteerism in Boulder County, including serving as a member of the City of Longmont’s Equitable Climate Action Team, and has recently joined the GTT board to support environmental education for students as part of fostering a more equitable and sustainable food system.
Saadia Aurakzai-Foster, Board Member at Large

Saadia has worked in community programming, civic engagement, and youth development for over 25 years in various capacities through the nonprofit, private, and local government sectors. She is currently a VP of Community through the YMCA of Northern Colorado and Southern Wyoming where she is responsible for all early learning, camps, and community programs. In this role, she helped create preschool and school age family gardening and nutritional educational programs to ensure all kids have equitable access to food. Her passion is civic and community engagement, and she currently also serves on the Town of Superior Park and Recreation Advisory Board focusing on DEI initiatives. Saadia grew up going to local Farmers markets with her family in the Bay Area in CA and she still loves to do this today in Boulder County. When she’s not working, she spends most of her time volunteering, traveling and hiking in National Parks with family and friends!
Lisa Goodson, Board Member at Large

Lisa is currently a health coach for Joyful Balance who works with clients to help them find their optimal health. Previously she has worked as a Labor and Delivery nurse and in schools and hospitals. She originally moved to Boulder from the midwest to attend CU and later attended Regis University for nursing school. She fell in love with the outdoors and passion the people of Colorado have for spending time outside. She discovered Garden to Table as a parent volunteer and loved that the mission of the organization aligned with her goals of helping people learn about health, helping the planet, advocating for good nutrition, and hands-on learning for all children. In her spare time she enjoys skiing, hiking, cooking, running, and gardening with her family.