About the Council
In partnership with individuals and organizations across the 21-county Central Texas region, Central Texas Food Bank is working to build a Central Texas Regional Food System Council (CTX RFSC).
Mission
The CTX RFSC’s mission is to address broad challenges across the Central Texas food system by fostering the coordination of data, resources, education, policy, and advocacy, to advance innovative solutions in our communities.
Vision
We envision a thriving, sustainable, and resilient Central Texas food system that supports access to fresh and nutritious food for all, local production, a robust supply chain, and economic stability.
Values
Collaboration: We believe in the power of working together, leveraging diverse perspectives, skills, and experiences across industries and sectors to achieve shared goals and drive meaningful change.
Innovation: We embrace creativity and continuous improvement, encouraging new ideas, approaches, partnerships, and technologies to solve problems and drive progress in our communities.
Sustainability: We are committed to promoting fiscally responsible and sustainable programs and policies that support the long-term health of our communities, resources, and environment for current and future generations.
Respect: We value the people, animals, and resources involved in the food system and are committed to promoting programs and policies that ensure they are treated with dignity and fairness.
Shared Opportunity: We strive to ensure that everyone has access to the resources they need to access and grow the food that will help communities and local economies reach their full potential.
Integrity: We uphold honesty, transparency, and accountability in everything we do, ensuring trust and respect in our work.
Roles
Advocacy and Education: Promote policies and practices through public education and advocacy at local, regional, and state levels, applying a non-partisan approach. This does not include detailed policy drafting.
Collaboration, Coordination, and Convening: Serve as a regional hub for bringing together diverse stakeholders to share information, align efforts, and build collective capacity.
Resource Mobilization and Backbone Support: Support local and regional food system initiatives by securing and aligning funding.
Research Prioritization: Identify and support key research needs to inform practice, policy, and investment strategies across the food system.
Leadership of Regional Initiatives: Lead or coordinate high-impact regional efforts that advance coalition goals, particularly where cross-sector leadership and coordination are needed. This role does not include the direct management of specific local food council initiatives.
Structure
The CTX RFSC operates under a three collaborative body structure designed to facilitate inclusive partnership, strategic alignment, and effective action across the region. These three bodies include:
Steering Committee for strategic governance. Learn more about the Steering Committee below.
Permanent Workgroups for ongoing advisement. Click here to learn about the two current groups: the Local Coalition Collaborative and the Data and Research Advisory Group.
Special Initiative Task Forces for efforts that are time-bound and issue-specific. These groups will be formed on an ad-hoc basis based on regional priority setting.
Geographic Focus
The Council focuses on Central Texas Food Bank’s 21-county service area, which includes Bastrop, Bell, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Coryell, Falls, Fayette, Freestone, Gillespie, Hays, Lampasas, Lee, Limestone, Llano, McLennan, Milam, Mills, San Saba, Travis, and Williamson counties.
Map of Texas with Central Texas highlighted
Map of Central Texas
Steering Committee
The Steering Committee provides strategic direction, sets regional priorities, approves Council policies, and serves as the public voice of the CTX RFSC.
See the table at right for an overview of the types of experience and expertise represented.
The leaders helping build the CTX RFSC are listed below.
County-Level Food Coalitions
Bell County
Alicia Jallah
Executive Director, Helping Hands Ministry of Belton
Bell County Hunger Coalition
Hays County
Isabella Vigil
Behavioral Health Coordinator, Hays County Health Department
Healthy Hays Coalition
Backbone Organization
Dr. Tracy Ayrhart
VP of Research + Strategic Partnerships, Central Texas Food Bank
Funder
Susana Morales
Senior Learning and Evaluation Officer, St. David's Foundation
Local Government Representatives
Dorthy Jackson
Community & Economic Development Manager, Heart of Texas Council of Governments
Louie Minor
Bell County Commissioner Precinct 4
Food Industry Stakeholders
Karen Christensen
North America Lead, Amazon Fresh/Amazon Go
Frank Gomez, Jr.
Assistant General Manager, Segovia Produce, Ltd.
Agriculture
Laura McDonald
Executive Director, Texas Farmers Market
Kimberly Ratcliff
Owner, Ratcliff Premium Meats
Community Member
Heather Frazier
Community Representative
Data & Research
Dr. Natalie Poulos
Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Austin – Dept. of Nutrition Sciences
Rotating Subject Matter Experts (to be recruited based on regional priority setting)
As of September 2025, we are still recruiting for a Local Government Representative and a Food Industry Stakeholder.
Would you like to recommend someone else for the Steering Committee?
Would you like to apply directly to be considered for the Steering Committee?
Central Texas Food Bank’s Role
Charitable models exist to fill the gaps of a broken food system. For this reason, food banks generally work downstream of food system initiatives. However, Central Texas Food Bank believes that every Central Texan should have access to nutritious food, which requires working upstream. In recent years, Central Texas Food Bank has expanded its business model to invest more upstream, including in agriculture, retail, culinary, and “food is medicine” solutions, aiming to reduce reliance on traditional downstream charitable solutions.
Central Texas Food Bank’s role as the backbone organization for the CTX RFSC is a natural progression of its previous work and new strategic vision. The CTX RFSC is crucial to helping execute that vision, and Central Texas Food Bank is ready to lead and invest in convening this council. With a 40-year history of addressing food insecurity and building a vast network of partners, Central Texas Food Bank’s current operations touch every part of the food system. Central Texas Food Bank holds strong relationships with supply chain partners, works with both public and private sectors, and has infrastructure to support food system initiatives, including its 4,200-square-foot commercial kitchen and 135,000-square-foot facility with a warehouse, loading docks, and fleet.
Staff Support
Mia Burger
Research Manager, Central Texas Food Bank
Director of Food System Planning, Central Texas Food Bank