The Nashville Food Project Announces New CEO, C.J. Sentell | Eater Nashville

"I see The Nashville Food Project as a community-focused nonprofit founded in 2011 by Tallu Schulyer Quinn that I view as entering a new stage just in time for its 10th anniversary with C.J. Sentell hired as the next CEO. Sentell arrives with years of nonprofit leadership and social entrepreneurship, has actively farmed for the last decade, and even incorporated a study of “the relationships between freedom and food through the intersection of slavery and agriculture” into his doctoral work. The board praised his strategic vision, his ability to diversify boards and staff, and his track record of leveraging resources to support BIPOC-led and -focused nonprofits. My impression is that his primary aim is to build on Tallu’s legacy by continuing to bring people together to grow, cook, and share nourishing food to cultivate community and alleviate hunger, while also expanding TNFP’s work to address root causes of food insecurity—through public policy, capital access, education, workforce development, food entrepreneurism, and infrastructure—so all Nashvillians can meet their own food needs. I also note TNFP’s holistic, collaboration-driven approach: using good food and shared meals to build community, strategic partnerships with local farmers and nonprofits, volunteer-run programs and gardens that foster deep connection to land, and a sustainability ethic that seeks solutions benefiting both present and future generations." - Eater