Luke Elzinga
Chair
Luke Elzinga is the policy & advocacy manager at the Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) Food Pantry Network, which last year assisted over 65,000 people facing food insecurity in Greater Des Moines. Luke works to advocate for policies that strike at the intersecting root causes of poverty and food insecurity.
In addition to serving on the board of the Iowa Hunger Coalition, Luke serves on the Iowa Food System Coalition’s Local Food Policy Network priority team, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services’ Healthy Iowans Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL) Work Group, and the national leadership team for Closing the Hunger Gap. He recently completed his Master of Public Policy through the University of Northern Iowa. Luke lives in Des Moines with his partner, child, two cats, and dog.
Nicole McAlexander
Vice Chair
Nicole McAlexander is the Executive Director at Southeast Linn Community Center, a rural human services non-profit. The organization’s largest program is a weekly client-choice, no limit food pantry which is used by 11% of the community. For the last 6 years, Nicole has managed a volunteer-run garden to grow fresh produce for the pantry. Nicole also serves as a Board member for the Housing Fund for Linn County, and is passionate about addressing the intersecting issues of housing challenges and food insecurity.
John Boller
Secretary
John Boller (he/him) is the Executive Director of the Coralville Community Food Pantry, an anti-hunger nonprofit providing critical food assistance services to the greater Coralville community. He was co-founder and former director of Grow: Johnson County, a hunger-relief and educational farm program. John lives in Iowa City with his partner and two cats and is passionate about food justice, cooking, gardening, and Iowa Women’s Basketball.
Tara Kramer
Tara Kramer is a Jewish disabled queer community advocate, volunteer and organizer living in Des Moines, Iowa. She has gone from experiencing homelessness to living independently to helping others who’ve experienced similar struggles. She lives with a rarely diagnosed connective tissue disorder called Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. She finds gratification and purpose in connecting those in marginalized communities with resources that enable them to live a better quality of life. Tara also serves on the Board of Directors at DMARC as well as the Des Moines Roller Derby.
Larry Linnenbrink
Larry Linnenbrink worked at the Scott County Health Department for 44 years as an environmental health specialist and environmental health coordinator before retiring in 2015. He became interested in the Food Rescue Partnership after attending an Iowa Environmental Health Conference where there was a session he attended on Food Rescue Initiatives at the University of Northern Iowa. He has been involved with the Food Rescue Partnership since then, and now serves as a community member. His interest is in seeing food rescued and delivered to those individuals who are food insecure.
Anneke Mundel
Anneke Mundel (she/her) is Community Impact Director of United Way of Story County. She is passionate about addressing food insecurity, including by working for systemic changes. At United Way, Anneke convenes the Story County Hunger and Food Pantry Collaborations, organizes a large annual countywide food drive, supports food/nutrition programs (including summer meals), etc. Prior to joining United Way, Anneke provided leadership and instruction for adult basic education and high-school equivalency programs for nearly 20 years. She taught in various settings, including tribal communities, a county jail, and a community college. Food – whether rescued or donated – was important in her classrooms since it’s hard to learn with an empty belly. Anneke has a BA from Trent University in Canada, a MA from University of California, Davis, and a MAT from Drake University.
Kaila Rome
Kaila Rome is the Executive Director at the North Liberty Community Pantry, located in Northern Johnson County. Her work in food insecurity over the past seven years has prepared her for a role on the Iowa Hunger Coalition Board of Directors. She operates a full-service, client-choice food pantry along with several community outreach programs including the pantry’s Growing Together Garden, partners in summer lunch feeding programs, community meals, and a collaborative Veggie RX program. Working directly with families in need, her unique perspective brings a welcomed level of advocacy to IHC.