Each July, DC Central Kitchen starts our new fiscal year with a process that sounds formal and procedural but in fact reflects deeply held personal relationships and affirmations of our core values: thanking our outgoing slate of Board Members and welcoming our new one.
This year, we are welcoming five new Board Members—but none of them are new to DC Central Kitchen’s work and mission. We’re delighted that they’ve chosen to bring their time, talent, and insight to our organization’s leadership at this pivotal time for the DC community.
Justin Edwards, Emma’s Torch. A 2007 graduate of our Culinary Job Training program and student of our beloved Marianne Ali, Justin is now the Teaching Chef for our allies at Emma’s Torch. Check out our blog to hear more about this native Washingtonian’s inspiring journey and meaningful leadership role training refugees for culinary careers.
Sonya Hoo, Boston Consulting Group. A Managing Director and Partner of BCG based in Washington, DC, Sonya focuses on agriculture development and sustainable food systems. Raised in restaurants, Sonya earned degrees from Swarthmore College and Harvard Business School before identifying DC Central Kitchen as an ideal fit for her expertise, experience, and passions.
Jen Lawrence, The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation. A Program Director at one of DC Central Kitchen’s most generous and long-standing partners, Jen directs investments aimed at bolstering food security, health equity, and career mobility, community building. A graduate of Temple University who previously worked at the Council of DC and Events DC, Jen has been a go-to thought partner for DC Central Kitchen’s leadership team since the peak of our pandemic response efforts and planning phase of our new home.
Zach Leonsis, Monumental Sports & Entertainment. The President of Media & New Enterprises, Zach finds time in his busy schedule overseeing all of Monumental’s media and network operations to help lead monthly volunteer shifts of Monumental staff at DC Central Kitchen. With degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and Georgetown University Business School (Hoya Saxa!), Zach has been named one of Washington Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 and was recently inducted by Sports Business Journal into their Forty Under 40 Hall of Fame.
Jessica Zielke, Hilton. The Senior Director of Community Engagement and Strategic Partnerships, Jessica has helped lead Hilton’s philanthropic and workforce development collaborations with DC Central Kitchen since she joined Hilton in 2023. Along the way, she has also served as a Culinary Job Training program graduation speaker and chili cook-off judge! A graduate of Rutgers University, Jessica brings high-level government relations and public sector experience, particularly in the areas of diversity and inclusion, social and human rights, and environmental policy.
Jessica steps into this new leadership role as our dear friend, Mike Hollman, SVP, Treasurer, and Head of Strategic Finance for Hilton, completes his six years on our Board. As our Board Treasurer, Mike led us through the upheaval of the pandemic and our successful Bringing the Kitchen Home Campaign. Joining Mike in wrapping up a transformational Board tenure is food is medicine consultant Maggie Biscarr, who has served as our Board Secretary and brilliant advisor on community health and corporate collaborations. Maggie first found DCCK as a grant officer at a major philanthropy and has been a regular volunteer in our kitchen and signature events for years.
Please join us in thanking these dedicated community leaders for their outstanding service to DC Central Kitchen!