Our Board & Staff

Born and raised in Napa, Laurie brings a lifelong love of local food and community to the board. She holds a degree from UC Santa Cruz and an MBA from Sonoma State University. Currently, she serves as COO of MuseMinded, an accounting firm focused on helping e-commerce businesses thrive. A dedicated farmers market regular, she shops the market every Saturday with her son, stocking up on seasonal produce and catching up with friends. Laurie is passionate about eating fresh, local food and joined the board because of the market’s work to make good food available to all. She has previously served on the boards of EO San Francisco, the Pueblo Vista Parent Faculty Club, and the Napa Valley Vine Trail.

Imane is a first-generation New York City native currently living her untamed dreams in Northern California. With a Bachelor’s degree in Geography & Urban Studies and over 15 years of hospitality & production experience under her belt, she landed in Napa in 2018 in pursuit of diving deeper into a career in wine and getting her hands dirty in the vineyard and cellar. The path to her present sojourn began in the nonprofit sector following her graduation from Temple University bolstering a passion for an equitable & just food system, sustainable agriculture and on the other side of the spectrum: food & beverage. Over the years, her exposure to farmers, producers, chefs & sommeliers illuminated her track toward a career in wine. Imane now works for her longtime heroes at Matthiasson Wines, which serves as a leader in upholding values and practices rooted in environmental and social sustainability, responsibility and equity.

Ben has over 32 years of professional accounting and financial management experience and has focused his career exclusively on helping non-profit organizations since 2006.  Ben is the CFO of the Union Square Alliance in San Francisco where he has served since 2009. Ben holds an accounting degree from the University of Iowa and graduated from the Leadership Napa Valley program in June of 2023. Originally from Iowa, Ben moved to San Francisco in 1998. He met and married his wife, Katie, a Calistoga native, in 2014 and they moved to Napa in 2020. After relocating, Ben immediately became a Napa Farmers Market regular and supporter and can be found on most Saturday mornings perusing the market with his wagon.

Wendi is Community Engagement Coordinator for Abode Services in Napa, part of a team that is working to end homelessness in our community. Her Napa Farmers Market roots sprouted 26 years ago when, new to town, she came to the market with her toddler in search of healthy veggies (and a break from the mundane) and discovered that its stalls held the best this Valley had to offer, and much more — nutrition education, ecology, art, small business incubation, community-connection and story time! She brings years of fundraising and board leadership experience. Wendi served on the Blue Oak School Board of Trustees for six years, three as chair; was board president of the St. Helena Cooperative Nursery School and of the Vichy Elementary School Parent Club. She is a UC Berkeley alum and earned her Masters in Latin American Studies from New York University.

Cara Mae leads the Napa Farmers Market in strategic partnerships, fundraising, marketing, community engagement and planning for a permanent home for our market. She brings with her inexhaustible energy, and has been working to improve public health, increase wellness, and grow community in Napa County since 2007. Cara Mae believes the Napa Farmers Market is a unique asset that encourages us to grow community around local food. She works to ensure our market is a welcoming, accessible, inclusive, and safe environment for all. Cara Mae represents the interests of farmers market operators on the California Department of Food & Agriculture Certified Farmers Market Advisory Committee, the California Alliance of Farmers Markets Steering Committee, and World Farmers Market Coalition.