BIO: Iesha Siler is a Senior Policy Associate for the LA Food Policy Council, acting as the staff liaison to the Food Waste Prevention & Rescue and Good Food Purchasing Policy Working Groups. While in the Urban Agriculture Working Group, she facilitated the establishment of the Urban Ag Incentive Zone in LA City. She also was involved with the Farmers For All Working Group, where the most recent policy win was passing an ordinance requiring EBT acceptance at all farmers’ markets in the City of Los Angeles. Prior to joining the LA Food Policy Council, Iesha worked as a legislative deputy for City of Los Angeles Councilwoman Jan Perry, where she worked on policies focused on food access, public safety, and parks and recreation. Her multi-ethnic background sparked her interest in exploring and working across cultures, taking her into communities throughout Los Angeles, Washington D.C., New York City and abroad in Chile, India, and Morocco. Iesha holds a B.S. in Public Policy, Planning and Development from the University of Southern California, and a Masters in Public Health, with an emphasis on Urbanism and the Built Environment, from Columbia University. Her graduate thesis was focused on how Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) could serve as a way for low-income communities to increase their access to fresh, local, organic produce and connect with local farmers. She was born and raised in Pasadena, where she is still a resident and an active member in Transition Pasadena and the New Horizon School Peace Garden.