Board of Directors

Ellen Merrill

Board Nominee

Ellen brings 25+ years of experience in research and program management, with a focus on leading complex initiatives, overseeing strategic projects, and taking programs from initial conception through execution. She is a passionate advocate for sustainable, community-based food systems. Serving on the Board of Directors would allow her to leverage her professional background to help expand local food accessibility and foster community wellbeing.

Ellen is deeply committed to supporting local farmers markets, participating in CSAs, and practicing the art of slow food cooking with ethically sourced ingredients.

A proud mother of two college-aged sons, she enjoys gardening, kayaking, and exploring new trails with her yellow lab, Marley.

Rachel Meketon

Board Nominee

Rachel lives in Maynard with her family. She brings experience in cooperative business development, including start-up support for a co-op grocery store in Dayton, Ohio. After returning to the area in 2022, she was excited to see the Assabet Co-op Market successfully launch and open its doors to the community.

Rachel believes strongly in resilient food systems and community ownership of local assets. In addition to her experience in food retail, she has followed her spouse’s career as a vegetable farmer and understands both the importance of local food businesses and the challenges they face. As a member of the Board, she hopes to help strengthen the Co-op as a hub for food and community in our region.

In her downtime, Rachel enjoys spending time with family and friends, playing outside with her toddler, and eating delicious food.

Jason Brady

Board Nominee

Jason is driven by a deep commitment to community service, and the Assabet Co-op Market reflects values central to his life and work: democratic participation, member economic control, and support for local businesses and farms.

His cooperative experience spans multiple roles and models. As a founding member of the Nickel City Housing Cooperative in Buffalo, he helped identify, purchase, and rehabilitate a 12-bedroom cooperative home. He has also been an active co-op member at the Mariposa Food Co-op in Philadelphia, where he volunteered in store.

Professionally, Jason’s career is rooted in environmental and community organizing. He currently works with the Cooperative Development Institute, supporting the development of resident-owned manufactured housing communities and training residents on cooperative membership and board participation.

Leah Ciappenelli

President - Outgoing

Leah Ciappenelli is a 15+ year resident of Sudbury and lifelong resident of the metro-west area. She has been a member of the co-op since 2017 and actively involved since 2020 as a member of the hiring committee. Over the span her 25+ year HR career, she has worked for companies in various industries, from behavioral technology to public relations. As Board President, Leah has served ACM since 2021, shepherding the co-op through its opening in May 2023 and helping build the foundation for its continued growth. She is proud to be part of a movement that is already making a meaningful difference in the Maynard community and across the MetroWest region.

Amanda Sutliff

Vice President - Incumbent

Originally from New York, Amanda has called Massachusetts home for 20 years. She lives in Acton with her husband, Todd and their son, Jack. She is passionate about building community through food – from volunteering at local farms to supporting local food businesses. She is always rooting for any venture that helps connect people with local makers and producers.

As a professional, Amanda has held a variety of marketing roles throughout her career. She pivoted from international education to working with B2B technology companies in 2012 and has been working in software ever since. Today she leads analyst relations for a cybersecurity company called Secureworks. When not working, Amanda can be found in the mountains (white or green!) hiking, skiing or camping with her family and friends.

Donna Brown

Treasurer - Incumbent

Donna is a lifelong resident of the area and a wife, mother, and grandmother. Her greatest strengths are her strong community ties and wealth of experience. She earned her MBA while raising two children and working full time at a private school, serving in various roles in the finance office as well as the summer program. Donna has been a co-op member since 2017 and served on the Capital Campaign Committee that raised over $2 million. She has previous board experience with a housing co-op and currently serves as a board member for both Assabet Co-op Market and Sunshine Nursery School.

Mark Lo

Secretary - Outgoing

Debby Andell

Director

Leah Wang

Director - Outgoing

Leah lives in Maynard with her husband, Kevin, and their cat, Miso — and has been so excited for the Co-op to open its doors – the time has come!

For the past 10 years, she has been working and volunteering in agriculture, local food systems, and food security. These days, she works to advance criminal justice reforms nationwide as a researcher and analyst. So many values she holds dearly are now converging under one roof — to her, serving on the Board represents an incredible opportunity to ensure the Co-op is a functional, thoughtful, and socially just enterprise.

Outside of work, she is puttering in her garden, rock climbing, or fermenting things.

Andrew Cohen

Director

Andrew has lived in Maynard part-time since 2014 and full-time since he retired in 2021. He and his wife selected Maynard as a place to live because it has a wonderful, walkable downtown and a strong sense of community. They enjoy traveling, spending time with grandchildren, and hiking and walking in the many conservation areas nearby.

After graduate school at Michigan State University, where he studied neutrino physics, Andrew embarked on a career in technology, working for a national lab and large and small companies in the financial industry. He is excited to help make Assabet Co-op Market a successful business and community resource, achieve operational excellence, and meet all of its business and community goals.

John LoVerso

Director - Outgoing

John and his wife raised three children in Southborough, where they’ve lived for over 30 years. They’ve always had a large vegetable garden, supplemented by CSAs. They’ve loved supporting local farms and businesses (all of their children have worked at small farms in Framingham) and are excited for the Co-op to open to help bring more local products to the community. Now retired, John spent his entire professional career in Massachusetts working as a software engineer. He currently dabbles in home automation, as well as volunteering for Meals On Wheels.

As a member of the Co-op since 2018, John has volunteered at many tablings and currently serves on the Strategic Planning Committee. He would like to help the Co-op at the next level as the store opens and begins operations. John will bring his time and technical acumen to the board of this vibrant Co-op community.

Jen More

Director

Jen lives in Stow with her husband and their two young children. Outside of work, they enjoy traveling and tending to their hobby farm. Her professional background is rooted in the tech industry, and she previously served as board president for an animal rescue organization in New York’s Capital Region. Jen is passionate about supporting local farmers and artisans, promoting environmental stewardship, and helping to ensure that the Co-op remains an inclusive and welcoming space for all. She is excited to bring her experience, energy, and commitment to further strengthen the Co-op’s mission and vision for the future.