Board Members

Rich Larochelle serves as the Chair of the Rappahannock Education Farm. He is committed to the goals of REF, particularly its mission of growing produce that can help to reduce hunger and improve nutrition in our community. Rich believes that the power of collaboration and cooperation can be transformative for our local community and for our global environment.

As a founding director of the Fredericksburg Food Co-op, Rich has been deeply involved in the essential aspects of helping to make the Co-op a reality for Fredericksburg – from raising funds to recruiting new members to planning events to volunteering at the Farmers Market and representing the Co-op before numerous community groups. He was also part of the team that helped Downtown Greens purchase and preserve 56 acres – the last of its kind – in the City of Fredericksburg.

Rich serves as chair of the Cooperative Development Foundation, a 501 (c ) (3) that supports cooperative development that improves social and economic opportunity. He also serves as a member of the board of the Food Co-op Initiative. During his career, Rich worked for 40 years for co-op organizations, mainly in the utility and finance space. He retired as Senior Vice President of the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC). In 2017 Rich was inducted into the Co-op Hall of Fame.

Rich has been an Adjunct instructor on Cooperative Business at the University of Mary Washington (UMW). Rich and his wife, Linda have two sons, including Jeremy who is a professor of Spanish at UMW and David who lives in California and is an IT professional.

Subsequently, he spent almost 15 years in a variety of roles in ministerial and religious settings in northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. before returning closer to his roots to work three years as Director of Education at The Mariners’ Museum in Newport News.

His non-profit career path then led him to the Beaumont, Texas area, where he served as Vice President for Development & Communications with Catholic Charities of Southeast Texas for four years, followed by nearly eight years as CEO of the Southeast Texas Food Bank within the Feeding America network.

Dan moved within the Feeding America network, returning to Virginia to began serving as President/CEO of the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank in January of 2021.

Candice Armstrong, MSW, PhD is the Executive Director of Virginia Community Food Connections (VCFC). As a social worker for more than 13 years, a devoted educator, and a faithful volunteer, Candice is deeply committed to issues related to poverty and hunger. From grassroots organizing to federal social policy administration, Candice has a diverse history of experience advocating for food and nutrition security on every level.

Candice has been living and working in the Fredericksburg region since 2014 and has been serving as VCFC’s Executive Director since 2021. She is wholeheartedly dedicated to her professional role of advocacy and nonprofit leadership, in addition to her other critically important role as a parent to three wonderful children.

Mr. James Miller, a Gulf War veteran, served the United States Marine Corps for over 26 years, retiring in April 2004 as a Chief Warrant Officer 4 (CWO4). As a Personnel Officer, he acted as a senior HR manager, ensuring accurate pay and benefits for Marines while streamlining administrative operations. His assignments included reconnaissance, infantry, engineering, aviation, headquarters groups, and the Marine Corps’ Inspector General, earning him two Meritorious Service Medals, two Navy Commendation Medals, and two Navy Achievement Medals. A key achievement was establishing one of the first consolidated administrative centers at Camp Lejeune under the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, serving 3,500 Marines and their families, comparable to optimizing a corporate HR system.

After his military career, Mr. Miller served as a civilian government employee at Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, Washington, D.C., retiring in December 2023 after over 20 years of service. His roles included Administrative Officer for the Strategy and Plans Division (2004–2006), Administrative Officer for the Deputy Commandant (2006–2008), and Deputy of the Security Cooperation Section (2008–2023). In this final role, he oversaw Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Administrative and Financing budgets, managing funds for international defense programs, akin to a corporate financial director. His work ensured fiscal accountability and supported global partnerships, earning him the Navy Superior Civilian Service Award in 2013 and the Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Award in 2023.

Throughout his life, Mr. Miller has been driven by a deep commitment to service, which he has extended to the Fredericksburg community and regional environment in retirement. He actively volunteers with the Friends of the Rappahannock (FOR), supporting their oyster restoration program to rebuild oyster reefs in the Chesapeake Bay and surrounding waterways, earning him and his wife the prestigious “Oyster Guardians of the Year” award from FOR in 2025. Additionally, Mr. Miller contributes to the Rappahannock Education Farm (REF), which grows and donates vegetables to combat hunger and food insecurity while promoting agricultural education. His dedication to these causes reflects a renewed purpose to enhance the local community and protect the regional environment, continuing his lifelong legacy of service.

Beyond her real estate career, Januari has been in sales her entire adult life. She is known for her ability to work with clients, understand their needs and goals, and to help them achieve their home ownership dreams.

Januari currently acts both as a real estate broker and investor throughout the Greater DMV, and she teaches real estate classes to aspiring agents. She enjoys working with home sellers and buyers, and has a developed expertise in directing challenged credit prospects to the appropriate lending specialist to address their circumstances successfully. She also enjoys working with renters and guiding them onto the path of eventual home ownership.

Januari is a second-generation real estate specialist and your go-to resource for all things Real Estate. So whether your needs involve real estate investing, or purchasing or selling commercial and residential properties of any sort, Januari, and the strong team behind her, can make it happen for you.

Ben Litchfield is an attorney practicing federal banking, consumer protection, and housing law in Washington, D.C. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from The George  Washington University and a Juris Doctor from Howard University School of Law. His professional work focuses on federal housing policy and financial regulation affecting access  to economic opportunity. 

Ben lives in Stafford County with his wife and two children. In his spare time, he is an avid gardener and community advocate interested in addressing poverty and food insecurity through  sustainable agriculture and local food systems. He has pursued additional academic study in Sustainable Food and Farming at University of Massachusetts Amherst and Agricultural and Food Law through the University of Arkansas School of Law.

• Native of E. Liverpool, Ohio. 1965 graduate of E. Liverpool High School 
• USAF enlisted veteran 1966 – 1970. Electronics technician with top secret security clearance 
• BS degree from Kent State University 1974 (communications major) 
• Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio police officer/detective 1977 – 1991 (I left this career to follow my wife’s career. She retired as Executive Vice President/Treasurer of the US Postal Service) 
• Approximately 15 years of antique aircraft restoration work, both full-time and  volunteer, while living in Ohio, Minnesota and Missouri 1991 – 2000 
• Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum volunteer 2000 – 2020, aircraft  restoration technician and museum tour guide 
• Charter Vice President and past president Greater Falls Run Lions Club 2005 Lions District 24L Cabinet Chairperson for Canine Companions since 2005 
• Board Member & Past President, Lions Project for Canine Companions, a 501c3  Lions foundation 
• Volunteer Puppy Raiser for Canine Companions, 2002 – 2020 (Ten service dog puppies raised) 
• Progressive Melvin Jones Fellow (Lions Founder) 
• Life Member of Lions Clubs International 
• Lions University Bachelor’s Degree, 2024 
• Virginia Lions Humanitarian Award 
• 2024 recipient of Lions International President’s Leadership Medal 
• Two-time recipient of Virginia Lions Council of Governors Distinguished Service Award. Various other Lions Club awards and certificates. 
• 2026 recipient of Allen, Allen, Allen and Allen Hometown Heros Award

Trenton Stinson is a nonprofit leader, finance professional, and community advocate  dedicated to creating innovative solutions that address food insecurity and strengthen local  communities. Based in Fredericksburg, Virginia, he serves as the Finance Director for Salem Fields Community Church, where he oversees financial operations and stewardship for multiple ministries and initiatives serving the region. 

Stinson is the founder of The Hub of HOPE, a nonprofit organization committed to combating food insecurity across the Greater Fredericksburg region. The organization’s  mission—Helping Other People Eat (HOPE)—drives strategic partnerships, meal distribution programs, and community engagement initiatives designed to ensure veterans, seniors, and families facing hardship have consistent access to nutritious meals. Since 2021, The Hub of HOPE has provided more than 1 million freshly prepared meals to individuals and families facing food insecurity. 

To expand the reach and sustainability of this mission, Stinson helped launch HOPE Heroes  Southern Kitchen, a social enterprise designed to merge hospitality with community impact. The restaurant operates as a for-profit partner to The Hub of HOPE, reinvesting a portion of its profits back into programs that provide meals and support to those in need.  This innovative model allows customers to support the fight against hunger simply by dining, transforming everyday meals into opportunities for community transformation. 

In addition to his nonprofit leadership, Stinson plays a key role in financial management and strategic development across several organizations and community initiatives. His  work combines financial stewardship, operational leadership, and a passion for  service, enabling ministries and nonprofits to operate sustainably while expanding their  community impact. 

Stinson’s leadership is grounded in both professional expertise and a deep commitment to faith and service. His work continues to inspire partnerships between nonprofits, churches, and businesses to create practical, scalable solutions to food insecurity and community needs. 

Education

Stinson holds two business degrees, including an Executive MBA from Georgetown  University with a cognate in Global Finance, reflecting his focus on financial leadership,  global markets, and strategic organizational growth.

Els van Wingerden and her husband Andrew Craig moved to Fredericksburg in 2003 after living and traveling all over the world. They now live on the beautiful Rappahannock River and love this small but active community.

In March 2023 she was asked to join the Rappahannock Education Farm Board. She comes from a farming family, first in the Netherlands and then the US. She firmly believes that people need access to healthy food and that it’s unacceptable that there’s so much food insecurity in our area.

She hopes to inspire people to volunteer with, donate to, and support our farm, so that we can provide the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank and food pantries with fresh vegetables and fruits for those who cannot afford it.

Before retiring, she worked primarily for and with multilateral organizations such as the USAID, the World Bank, WHO, UNDP and others with a mission to improve conditions in developing countries. Later, when living in New York, she was involved in educating children who are on the Autism Spectrum; and she was active on the Fredericksburg Walk to End Alzheimer’s Committee for three years. She’s been on the board of the Fredericksburg Food Co-op since 2019.

Gwyn has a deep understanding of the life changing nutritional benefits of healthy fresh foods and is committed to REF’s mission of growing and donating fresh produce to reduce hunger and food insecurity.

Gwyn brings substantial skills to her new position as REF board member. She is the founder and CEO of GreenFare LLC and GreenFare Health and Wellness, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit

Ms. Gwyn Whittaker is a senior executive leader with a broad base of over 35 years of experience in the Intelligence Community (IC). Her advancement of the National Reconnaissance Office’s (NRO) Mission Intelligence Directorate (MID) front office in support of the IC Information Technology Enterprise transition as well as Director of National Intelligence (DNI) special study efforts illustrate her superlative team-building and management application capability.

Ms. Whittaker served as general manager/vice president for LinQuest’s Mission Intelligence Integration (MI2) business unit. LinQuest acquired Mosaic, Inc., a firm Ms. Whittaker founded and served as CEO for over ten years. There, she created teams of senior technologists and strategists focused on Big Data/Data Analytics across multiple programs and agencies in the IC, with the specific focus of post-911 counterterrorism. The senior support staff’s expertise was leveraged across agencies with knowledge of enterprise IT. Through Ms. Whittaker’s leadership, Mosaic doubled its revenue annually for five years, earning the firm a place in Inc 500’s “Fastest Growing Private Companies in the US”. At the time of acquisition, Mosaic was performing in all agencies in the IC, and was the largest subcontractor on the DNI CIO’s biggest contract. Mosaic implemented the first cloud computing environment at the Agency, prior to the Amazon acquisition.

Ms. Whittaker’s previous experience includes a long and upwardly mobile career in technology companies serving the U.S. IC including Cray Research, Inc. and Silicon Graphics. As Director of Special Programs at NCR Teradata, she led a team of senior staff across the country focused on leveraging commercial enterprise data warehouse capability into the classified space with the successful implementation of the IC’s largest data warehouse. Later, she served as an executive Vice President of a venture capital-funded startup company providing enterprise managed services.

Ms. Whittaker earned her BS in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech. She also completed coursework toward an MS in electrical engineering at the university. She is a 4-time elected member of the AFCEA Intelligence Committee serving for nine years. She led teams of technologists in successful implementation of these competitive assets to improve National Security. Her team installed the first cloud computer at the CIA under a sole source contract with the CTO.

After the acquisition of Mosaic, Ms Whittaker turned her attention to the field of health care, after the loss of a partner to heart disease. The documentary Forks Over Knives inspired her to reach out to a leading cancer researcher in the film, T Colin Campbell, who sponsored a 10-day project on diet change with 45 people, with profound life changing results. She opened the educational GreenFare Organic Café six months later with the purpose of delivering a 21-day program from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) called 21 Day Kickstart, which includes classes, community, and 21 days of organic, whole plant food. Over 1000 people, including three dozen medical professionals and senior leaders from the Intelligence Community have completed this program. Multiple doctors refer patients to the GreenFare to enable weight loss, reduction of pain and/or medication through this program.

In July of 2019, she founded a non-profit, GreenFare Health and Wellness to provide an integrated and holistic health care practice for nutrition, traditional medicine, yoga, massage, exercise, and meditation with plant-based partners. Organizing and delivering the Fairfax Veg Fest with a senior team of volunteers, she has produced a all-star lineup of speakers, vendors, and bands to deliver a message of nutritional knowledge to the local community.  Ms Whittaker utilized the non-profit to deliver a 28 day program to reverse diabetes in African Americans and produced a video detailing stories of success: https://youtu.be/5cJjw8pbtCI

Ms Whittaker is a committed environmentalist with home including a geothermal system, a solar roof, a yard of native plants with foodscaping and an electric vehicle since 2013.  Her organic certified café pays a living wage, uses renewable energy and compostable products. 

Her talks at Google Federal, Amazon Web Services, and AARP include nutritional benefits of a plant-based journey as well as the lower environmental impact.

Board of Directors:

• HawkEye360 Board of Directors, 2015 – 2020
• Technology Management Associates, Board of Directors, 2015 – 2018

Nonprofit Boards:

• Special Studies Group, a DNI initiative, 2010 – present
• PCRM President’s Council, Chair 2020 – 2022, 2017 – present
• Chair, Governance Committee, Humane Rescue Alliance (formerly Washington Humane Society), Board of Directors/Executive Committee/Vision Committee. Elected 2012 – present
• Board of Directors, DC Environmental Film Festival. Elected 2019 – present
• Board of Advisors, NorthWest Federal Credit Union, Elected 2019 – present
• Board of Directors, JK Community Farms, 2019 – present
• President, Sycamore Ridge Homeowners Association Board since 2014, Board since 2011, present
• Fairfax County Small Business Commission, June 2019 – Mar 2023
• Board of Directors, Herndon Environmental Network (HEN), Elected 2015 – 2019
• AFCEA Intelligence Committee, elected for 4 four year terms. Served 2002 – 2022
• Board of Directors, VA Tech Hume Center for National Security, Elected 2014 – 2016

Education:

• (in progress) Masters of Science, Nutrition Education from American University, Washington, DC
• Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA
• Financial Management, Darden School, U VA
• Certified, Plant-Based Nutrition, Cornell Center for Nutritional Studies, 2015
• Food For Life Instructor and Educational Alliance Partner with PCRM, 2016
• 10 Day Dr. McDougall Wellness Program, 2015
• 5 years Continuing Medical Education on the Holistic Cruise, 2013 – 2020
• Certified Master Gardener, VA Tech Extension, 5 years

Lectures:

• Good Shepherd Church, January 2023
• DHHQ, October 2022
• St Thomas Catholic Church Presentation, Aug 3, 2021
• Million Cups Presentation, Aug 11, 2021
• American Federation of Teachers Presentation, July 13, 2021
• AARP Employees, March and May 2021, Jan 2023
• Appian lecture, April 2021
• Wellness Fare, Holy Comfort Church, October 2019
• Amazon Web Services Women’s Day, March 2019
• Northern VA MIT Alumni, March 2019
• Reston Leadership Breakfast, December 2018
• New Horizons CEO Network, April 2018
• Sustainable Food Forum, George Mason University, April 2018
• Fredericksburg Vegetarian Society, January 2018

Fairfax Veg Fest:

• Organized the first Fairfax Veg Fest in 2019 with speakers including T Colin Campbell and Dr. Neal Barnard, bands, and cooking demonstrations and over 80 vendors, 5,000 attendees
• Led two virtual Fairfax Veg Fests in April 2020 and 2021
• Promoting the 5th Fairfax Veg Fest on April 23, 2023

TV/Radio/Podcast Appearances:

• Be Green With Amy, March 2022
• American Black Cardiologists, Feb 2022
• Chef AJ Show, July 21, 2021
• Laurie Marbas MD podcast, April 2021
• Chef AJ podcast, March 2021
• Exam Room podcast, March 2021
• Plant Yourself Podcast, September 2019
• Exam Room Podcast, March 2019
• WJLA TV guest on Julie Wright, February 2019
• Carbon Radio, January 2019
• Business Scale Insights: Women in Small Business Radio Show, October 2018
• Lawrence Williams TV, September 2018
• Delegate Ken Plum TV Show, August 2018
• That Anita Live! TV, May 2018
• Green TV, May 2018
• Foodie and the Beast Radio, March 2018
• Good Things DC Podcast, November 2017
• Executive Leaders Radio, March 2016

Films:

• The Game Changers, Executive Producer, September 2019
• Eating Our Way to Extinction, Executive Producer, 2021
• Diet Fiction, Co-Producer, January 2019 (brief role)
• PlantPure Nation Major Donor, September 2016

Washington Post Mentions:

• https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/a-tech-expert-now-works-to-keep-people-from-terrorizing-themselves-with-toxic-foods/2017/12/26/e46db79a-e979-11e7-b698-91d4e35920a3_story.html?utm_term=.f89173506204
• https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/i-will-eat-healthier–and-this-time-i-mean-it/2018/12/11/033fa7e4-fd67-11e8-83c0-b06139e540e5_story.html?utm_term=.e03b4ee61735
• https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/one-month-in-the-battle-to-eat-healthier-is-real-but-the-results-have-been-good/2019/02/05/01e9a2a8-2960-11e9-b011-d8500644dc98_story.html?utm_term=.285283e496e1
• https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/my-mom-was-right-eat-your-broccoli/2019/03/26/e58dbb62-4fe3-11e9-88a1-ed346f0ec94f_story.html?utm_term=.0343db9b40ad
• https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/eating-better-getting-better-and-finding-a-new-community-along-the-way/2019/07/30/1e2efd12-b2e2-11e9-8f6c-7828e68cb15f_story.html
• https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/calling-personal-foul-on-the-food-ads-this-football-season-and-changing-the-game/2019/09/10/cc8143b2-d3e8-11e9-9610-fb56c5522e1c_story.html

Partnerships:

• PCRM Educational Alliance Partner, since 2016
• USDA Organic Certified restaurant by CCOF, since 2016, 1 of 6 in the U.S.
• Fairfax County Green Business Partner, since 2017
• EatREAL.org, since 2017, only restaurant in VA certified at Platinum level, 1 of 5 in the U.S.

Health Application:

• GreenFare SkinnyShop, in the Apple App Store in January 2019