Board of Directors:

Meet the board of directors.

Christopher Spoke, manager

Chris grew up in northwest Iowa and obtained a business degree from Michigan State University. He has 10 years experience managing a subsiduary of General Mills before he decided that he could make more of a difference working directly with people. He is on the MACV (Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans) and has served with them for 14 years when the position at Local Harvest became available. He has been the manager here for 4 years and still serves part-time for MACV. Chris enjoys fishing, football, and spending time with his new baby daughter.

Kelly Combs, pastor and counselor

Kelly has always worked in a field where she could help people. She grew up in Glenco Minnesota and received her masters from the University of Minnesota. She then decided to obtain her pastor license and she serves as a volunteer at the Harriet House, a shelter for battered women in Fridley Minnesota. She has worked as a counselor for abused women, the homeless, and GLBTQ homeless youth for nearly 30 years, but only in the last 7 years has she joined with Local Harvest. Kelly enjoys reading, music, and gardening to relax. She has 16-year-old twins and an elderly german shepherd mix.

Jaunita Calebras

Jaunita grew up in south Phillidelphia Pennsylvania where crime was commonplace. After graduation she she decided to study nursing and received her license from Louisianna State University and after obtaining experience at several clinics she found herself in Minnesota working at Mercy hospital in Coon Rapids. She began volunteering with Local Harvest in 2012 and has been with us ever since. Jaunita was recently married and she enjoys cooking, family, and motorcycles.

Ravi Cheema, PHD of mathematics and account

Ravi is originally from New Delhi India, but gained a exchange student scholarship to come to the United States to study when she was 12. She completed school while living with relatives in Edina Minnesota. She excelled in mathematics and enrolled in the statical theroretical computations courses at the University of Minnesota after graduating high school. With the increased persecution of Muslims right after 911, she returned home where she continued her education and obtained her P.H.D in mathematics. She returned to Minnesota in 2010 and applied for citizenship, which she received in 2015. She volunteers at two different animal rescue groups as well as keeping the books for us. She also works part-time with the Mayo clinic on statistical and computational biological genetics.