Michael F. Jacobson, Ph.D. Executive Director: Mike is the executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest and founder of Food Day. Jacobson is author or co-author of numerous books and reports, including: Six Arguments for a Greener Diet, The Fast-Food Guide, Eater's Digest: The Consumer's Factbook of Food Additives, Liquid Candy, and Salt: The Forgotten Killer. Over the years, he has led campaigns for healthier diets and against trans-fat, salt, soft drinks, olestra, food dyes, and other unhealthy ingredients. Jacobson is the recipient of the Food and Drug Administration's Commissioner's Special Citation and Harvey W. Wiley Medal, the Food Marketing Institute's Esther Peterson Consumer Service Award, and the CDC-Foundation's Hero award.
Lilia Smelkova, Campaign Manager: Lilia worked for Slow Food International in Italy for 10 years and initiated the Slow Food network in Eastern and Central Europe and Canada. She supervised international communications and directed the launch of an international education program that birthed the first European network of sustainable school cafeterias. Lilia holds a Master's in languages from Turin University in Italy (she is fluent in Italian, Russian, and English), a Master's in environment and development from King's College London, and a certificate in environmental management from UC Berkeley, where she co-authored a nutrition education study. Email Lilia Smelkova.
Hayley Gillooly, Project Coordinator: Prior to joining the Food Day team, Hayley worked at the League of Conservation Voters to mobilize pro-environment voters and engender national support for strong environmental and clean energy policies. In 2010, she served as the volunteer coordinator in the re-election campaign of Loretta Sanchez, a pro-environment California member of Congress. She was especially drawn to sustainable agriculture and food system issues, and jumped at the chance to bring her political and grassroots organizing experience to the Food Day campaign. Email Hayley Gillooly.
Catherine Kastleman, Project Coordinator: Catherine joined the Food Day team as a Project Coordinator in May of 2011. She came to CSPI after finishing her undergraduate degree in American Studies with a concentration in Food, Health, and Environment at Yale University. As an undergraduate, Catherine was an employee of the Yale Sustainable Food Project, which helped to spark her interest in sustainable farming systems. After graduation she spent several months working on organic farms in France and then as an EBT/SNAP outreach coordinator at her hometown farmers' market in Carrboro, North Carolina. Email Catherine Kastleman.
Avi Schlosburg, Project Assistant: Avi joined the Food Day team in April 2012. He came to Food Day after completing a Master’s in Gastronomy with a focus in food systems and policy from Boston University, where he wrote his thesis on the Theory and Practice of Food Studies at the High School Level. While in grad school, he interned for Slow Money, an NGO working on investing in local food systems, and co-led a panel at the Real Food Challenge’s Northeast Food and Justice Summit on Redefining the Food Studies Vocabulary. Avi is excited to bring his passion and experience to Food Day to work towards a more cohesive, equitable food movement. Email Avi Schlosburg
