Board of Directors

Since 2001, when Ouita Michel and her husband, Chris, opened the Holly Hill Inn in Midway, Ky., she has made locally grown ingredients a priority in her world-class cuisine. Her restaurants (Holly Hill Inn, Wallace Station, Windy Corner, Smithtown Seafood, and Midway Bakery) have purchased more than $2 million of Kentucky-grown meats, dairy products, fruits and vegetables over the last 16 years. Ouita is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. She is a member of Slow Food USA; Les Dames d’Escoffier; deacon and free community supper programs coordinator for Midway Christian Church. She, Chris and their daughter, Willa, live in Midway. She has been a Board Member since FoodChain was founded in 2011.

Asona McMullen, is a Lexington native, who is first a mother, community servant, professional marketer, and serial entrepreneur. She is a passionate advocate for identifying and addressing the unmet needs of our community, working to reduce barriers of access for all individuals; specifically for marginalized and underserved members. Through her various initiatives (LEX Project Prom) and organizations (EMON Event Co.), she is dedicated to creating opportunities and representation for those in need, ultimately striving to uplift and empower the communities she serves. 

Shawn believes all people in the Lexington community should have access to nutritious, delicious food, employment opportunities. Most importantly we need to gather as a ‘Community’ over this bounty of wonderful Central KY food. He brings his skills in large volume food purchasing and operations to the FoodChain board. His work on the board includes generating capital on the Fundraising Committee and providing cash flow and profitability insights to the Financial Committee.

Ieasha is a California native, a wife and devoted mother, and marketing professional turned entrepreneur with a dedicated focus on philanthropic initiatives and improving intercommunity relations.

After graduating from the University of Kentucky, she continued her education at Midway University, where she received her MBA and now site on their board of trustees.

In 2017, she opened Creaux, her first business with partners, a New Orleans’ inspired jazz bar and restaurant in downtown Lexington. What to many was seen as another bar in Lexington, Creaux quickly became a beacon of hope, ambition, and togetherness that could be achieved between different communities. Her current project, The Melroy, is set to be an oasis in downtown Lexington, blending history, diversity, and distinctive dining experiences to elevate Lexington’s social scene.

It is Ieasha’s focus to continue to support organizations that fulfill substantial gaps that improve the quality of life within the community.

Ryan D. Foster is a Vice President/Commercial Lending with Traditional Bank, Inc and a local real estate investor. A graduate of Tates Creek High School and The University of Kentucky, Ryan has spent his entire life in Lexington. Ryan’s passions include U.K sports, camping, kayaking, travel and drafting his first book, Always Pick up a Penny. He joined FoodChain’s board in Fall of 2015.

Agnes Teresa Marrero Rosa was born and raised in Puerto Rico. Growing up in kitchens meant she washed dishes on a stool at the age of five, and graduated to cooking red beans and rice at age seven.  She is the Executive Chef at Smithtown Seafood. When asked why she cooks she says simply “Because I am Puerto Rican” and her love of the art shines as big as her smile. “Farm to table, sustainability and ending hunger go hand in hand” she says, and it shows in the work she does. As a FoodChain board member Agnes advocates for food justice as well as volunteers her time towards our efforts.

Christina has over a decade of experience building strategies and cultivating relationships with various types of member communities. She began as a student worker building databases and managing membership initiatives and volunteer engagement for the UK Medical Alumni Association and UK HealthCare Philanthropy. She later worked at Quest Oracle Community, becoming their Director of Customer Learning where she gained experience in strategic planning, event management, community engagement, content creation and budget management.

In her current role as Director of Strategic Stakeholder Events, Memberships and Administration, Christina leverages her expertise to support the strategic initiatives of the organization.

Emily Spencer is a food systems advocate, mother, eater, grower, and educator from Lexington, KY. She has spent her professional career working in Kentucky’s food system in various capacities. As an Extension Associate for the Center for Crop Diversification at the University of Kentucky, Emily works with farmers across the state to figure out where and how to sell their products in a way that makes sense for them. Prior to this, she worked as a Program Manager for Guahan Sustainable Culture in Guam, where she created a place-based food curriculum for elementary and middle school students and worked to expand food sovereignty. She is passionate about the ways that food connects us to our land, our bodies, and each other.

Shawn is a Pikeville, KY native that began a banking career in 1996. Shawn has been with BB&T since 2005 and is currently serving as a Market Leader and Small Business Development Officer. Shawn lives in Lexington with her husband – Henry, her son – John, and their four dogs.