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Current Fellows
Food Systems for Health
Mara Gwin
Bloomberg Fellow
Mara Gwin is the Food Access Facilitator at Lake County Build a Generation (LCBAG) based in Leadville, Colorado. In her role, she facilitates LCBAG’s Food Access Coalition in operationalizing their vision for a just and resilient regional food system through research, collaborative leadership, and collective advocacy. In her tenure at LCBAG, Mara has led numerous efforts to increase access in Lake County’s food system, including community agriculture, hunger relief programming, emergency feeding, policy advocacy, supporting small food retailers, food systems research, strategic planning, and more. In 2023, LCBAG’s Food Access Coalition completed the first iteration of their strategic, multi-year food systems plan, the Lake County Food Action Plan. Moving forward, the Food Action Plan will act as a framework to enable collaboration between those experiencing food insecurity and entities with the power to change important policies, manage effective programming, encourage investment, and build a long-term strategy.
Lake County Build a Generation (LCBAG) is a nonprofit organization located in Leadville, Colorado, dedicated to building a movement for community health and well-being throughout the county. We work with community members on the issues that matter most such as access to food, safe and affordable housing, accessible childcare, and tenants’ rights in manufactured home neighborhoods. We believe a healthy community is best created by the community’s own residents working together.