Sandra Murphy,
Director – has served as volunteer, board member and employee on several educational farms for the past 30 years, including
eleven years at Gorman Heritage Farm. Sandra is a published writer of environmental essays and poetry, and has conducted workshops on the local, state and national levels. She has been designated by the National Association for Interpretation as a Certified Interpretive Manager, and also serves as a consultant to other educational farms.
smurphy@gormanfarm.org
Vicki
Foster, Marketing & Events Manager - Vicki brings a diverse
background of government, corporate and volunteer service to Gorman Farm.
With a strong background in customer service and logistics, she's ready to
tackle all the details of festival events at the farm. Vicki's goals are
to increase awareness, membership and local support of Gorman Heritage Farm.
When she's not at the Farm, Vicki enjoys sailing on Lake
Erie, and visiting her kids in Columbus.
vfoster@gormanfarm.org
Mike
Roman, Education Manager and Summer Farm Camp Director -
His love for the outdoors is evidenced in his past employment at
the farm, his interest in ecology while a student at Xavier University, and his
self-directed learning in the subjects of permaculture and organic gardening.
His own backyard mini-farm includes a perennial flower garden, organic vegetable
garden, berry patch, fruit trees, composter, and chicken coop. Mike first
worked at GHF as an agricultural intern, camp counselor, and office assistant
during the summers of 2002-2004. He has spent the last two years at GHF building
the school field trip program and summer camp program to be a leader in
farm-based education. He was recently nominated for the Merlin G. Pope, Jr.
Diversity Leadership Award for his work integrating GHF’s land-based education
programs into local schools, specifically Lincoln Heights Elementary. He is
committed to continue the Farm’s growth as an excellent place for people to
learn about food, farming and care of our world.
mroman@gormanfarm.org
John Hemmerle,
Head Gardener - John’s wish to grow healthy, organic, food for the
community brought him to Gorman Heritage Farm. He earned an Urban Planning
Bachelors degree from the University of Cincinnati, and after serving two years
in Americorps at Gorman Heritage Farm as an educator, John became our gardener
during the summer of 2010. John combines his education experience with his
biointensive and four season harvesting knowledge to create a living laboratory
for visitors to see and learn how they can grow their own vegetables, too.
jhemmerle@gormanfarm.org
Chris Gordy,
Farm Manager - Chris has spent most of his life working with
educational and historical sites and farms. Beginning his career at an 1840s
living history farm for seventeen years, Chris went on to earn his B.A. and M.A.
from Eastern Illinois University. Since then he has worked and volunteered for
farm sites in Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana, Kentucky and Kansas and has been a
long time member of the Association for Living History, Farms and Agricultural
Museums as well as the Midwest Open Air Museums Coordinating Council. For the
past few years, Chris has spent his time demonstrating, educating and
interpreting historical agricultural and gardening practices. Chris is excited
to bring his passion for historic agricultural practices to the continued
success of sustainable farming at Gorman Heritage Farm.
cgordy@gormanfarm.org
Mare
Warner, Volunteer Coordinator - Mare Warner is excited to be
part of the 2010/2011 class of Public Allies, and even more excited to be placed
at Gorman Heritage Farm. Even though she graduated from the University of
Cincinnati with her Bachelors in Architecture, she had always had an interest in
food production and nutrition. She is looking forward to learning as much as
she can about the farm and also teaching school groups through farm-based
education. She most recently worked at Clark Montessori High school as an
Instructors Assistant, but has worked with kids of all ages though CISV, an
international peace education program.
mwarner@gormanfarm.org
Jamie
Clark, Educator - After
earning a BS in graphic design from the University of Cincinnati, working for
various types of companies, living and teaching on organic farms in Belize, and
working with coffee farmers in Guatemala, Jamie decided to continue her passion
for agriculture, food and teaching at Gorman Heritage Farm. Her desire is to
live sustainably, to educate others, and to harness people’s passions in
creating a socially and environmentally sustainable lifestyle for all people.
She lives for the next adventure and delights in the small intricacies of life
and the natural world.
jclark@gormanfarm.org
Jan Bogle, Administrative Assistant - Has been a
jack of all trades. She's decorated cakes, worked in the hardware business,
directed summer camps, and much more. But she is very organized, and if you have
seen our office lately - we think she's a good fit at Gorman Farm. Jan grew up
on a 10 acre farm in Tennessee with chickens. She enjoys crocheting, walking her
dog, and spending time with her husband.