Our STAFF

Edith Murnane

Executive Director

edith@massfarmersmarkets.org | 781-893-8777

From farm to farmers markets, from restaurant kitchens to food enterprises, from school food to city government, Edith has worked to develop food systems that support farmers, food businesses and all enterprises along the food chain while creating food access for Massachusetts residents.

While a part of Mayor Thomas M Menino's administration, Edith established the Office of Food Initiatives. Under her stewardship, various food programs were launched including Boston’s Micro Urban Farming Initiative, the City’s Urban Agriculture Re-zoning work, the city's Restaurant Roadmap, the Food Truck Initiative, and the city's Food System Resiliency Initiative.

While at the city, Edith streamlined the permitting process for vendors at farmers markets, brought about permitting changes at Boston’s Inspectional Services Department, Health Division, that has allowed local, day-boat fish to be sold at Boston’s Farmers’ Markets, for the first time in decades, and launched the city's composting pilots.

On the national stage, Edith was integral in launching the US Conference of Mayors' Food Policy Task Force, positioning Mayor Menino as its chair. The task force successfully lobbied Congress, leveraging the voice of the entire US Conference of Mayors to affect policy changes in the US Farm Bill. These policies will generate a broad economic impact on cities and towns across the United State while fostering better public health.

Edith joined the Mayor's office from Community Servings, a local not-for-profit food and nutrition program that provides services throughout Massachusetts to individuals and families living with critical and chronic illnesses. While at Community Servings, Edith built a farmers' market, inaugurated the first Community Supported Fish (CSF) program in Boston, established a UN-supported demonstration garden, and oversaw the organization's school and senior meals programs.

In addition to her work in at Community Servings, Edith has worked at a variety of restaurants and catering establishments, was the chef/ owner of The Cantata in Jamaica Plain, was a frequent vendor at a number of local farmers' markets and sat on the Board of the now newly opened Boston Public Market.

Since leaving the Mayor’s Office,  Edith has consulted on a number of statewide initiatives, such as Big Picture Beef, the Local Tomato Sauce Project, Women in Meat Northeast, and the Worcester Public Market.

Barbara Slattery

Director of Finance

finance@massfarmersmarkets.org | 781-893-8666

Barbara is a graduate of University of Massachusetts, Amherst with a degree in Business and leadership studies. Before joining MFM, she worked for Bank of America/Merrill Lynch and its New England predecessors in both investment operations and as a registered Investment Sales Assistant. She has extensive capital markets experience working with large corporate, middle market, government, non-profits, and sophisticated investors. As a solution focused team member, she considers herself a lifelong learner looking to gain knowledge whenever and wherever she goes.  Always asking the questions:  How can I help? Why do we do it this way? and Is there a way to improve? In her free-time, Barbara enjoys photography, travel, live music and raising funds for homeless veterans. MFM joins Barbara's desires to help others and make an impact on our communities. 

Joe McIlwain

Coupon Programs

coupons@massfarmersmarkets.org | 781-893-8222 x 1003

Joe McIlwain has been celebrating Coupon Christmas (the first two weeks of November when submission volume is highest) since 2017, when he joined MFM during a lull in his high tech career. Even though he has a full time software job elsewhere, he continues to run the coupon verification work at MFM. He enjoys the satisfaction of a job well done, loves working with the farmers, and truly believes in these nutritional programs.

Rick Grudzinski

Director of Member Services

memberservices@massfarmersmarkets.org | 781-893-8222 x 1006

Prior to joining MFM, Rick spent almost twenty-five years in the finance and software industries; most recently, he worked for a private software company in its Boston and London offices. Rick is on the board of the Cambridge Community Foundation and volunteers with various food-related organizations. Rick is passionate about food access and is excited to support the role farmers markets play in a healthy regional food system. Rick lives in Cambridge with his wife and daughter, and in his spare time enjoys hiking and cooking his way through CSA boxes and farmers markets' finds.

Jessica Dreschel

Market Manager

jessica@massfarmersmarkets.org | 781-893-8222

Jessica was grateful to join the MFM team in summer 2024. She is excited to bring her career experience in non-profit communications to bear in supporting food access at farmers markets. Her favorite thing about working at MFM is the personal connections she makes with her community. In her off-time, she can be found maximizing the varied bounty from her favorite market vendors in her home kitchen, finding new winding walking routes in her Boston neighborhood, or spending time as loving auntie to her two precocious nieces.

Diana Ortiz

Assistant Market Manager

Diana@massfarmersmarkets.org | 781-893-8222

Diana Hurtado Ortiz joined Mass Farmers Markets in 2025 and is grateful to support access to fresh, local food. With a background in floral design and a passion for food systems, she loves helping create welcoming spaces for farmers and communities. She studies Biochemical Engineering with a focus on sustainable agriculture, volunteers in social movement education, and enjoys gardening, cooking, and caring for her community and the environment.

Peyton McConnell

Assistant Market Manager and Food Access Coordinator

Peyton@massfarmersmarkets.org | 781-893-8222

Peyton joined the MFM team in June 2025 as Assistant Market Manager and Food Access Coordinator for the Fish and Farm and Davis Sq. Markets. She graduated from UNC Chapel Hill in May 2025 with a B.A. in Sociology and minors in Food Studies and Social and Economic Justice, completing an honors thesis on how gender shapes the experiences of female chefs. Passionate about improving food access and building a just food system, Peyton is excited to make a difference at MFM. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, exploring Boston, watching movies, and live music.

Loki

Office Mascot

The MFM team mascot is Loki. He is 9 years old, enjoys road trips, and his favorite food is chicken.