Staff

Joya Wade, Executive DiRECTor, (She/her)

Joya is a fervent food systems specialist with a robust background in farm-to-table restaurants, gardening education, and farmers market management. The wonders of nature and the wisdom of agricultural ancestors left a permanent impression on her as a child and continue to inspire her today. Her belief is that everyone should have access to fresh food grown and prepared in the most regenerative and humane ways possible. She is thrilled to protect and collaborate with the CGCF community to build a better quality of life for all. When Joya is not working she enjoys canoeing, interior decorating, dance parties, and nuzzles with her rabbit, Antonio. Her favorite quote is from author Octavia Butler, “All that you touch, you change. All that you change, changes you.”

Emily Richardson, DiRECTor of Programs (She/Her)

Emily has been interested in agriculture and food issues since she was a child growing up in rural Maryland. She earned her degree in Environmental Studies from Washington College and then worked for Colchester Farm CSA before moving to DC in 2008. In her first years in DC, she worked for several organizations in the non-profit sector and volunteered with urban farming projects, including helping to lead field trips at Common Good. After volunteering on the farm, she was excited to join the staff in early 2014. She can be reached at emily (at) commongoodcityfarm.org

Foster Gettys, Farm Production Manager (HE/They)

Foster discovered their love of farming as an Environmental Science major with a concentration in Agriculture and the Environment at the University of Maryland-College Park. After getting into hands-on growing as a co-manager of the UMD Rooftop Community Garden and as an intern at the Neighborhood Farm initiative in DC, they never looked back. After leaving UMD, Foster managed a local native plant nursery in Alexandria, VA for four years before jumping into farming full time as an assistant manager at Owl’s Nest Farm in Upper Marlboro, MD and at Potomac Vegetable Farms in Purcellville, VA. They are excited to return to farming in DC as the Common Good City Farm’s Farm and Production Manager for a 3rd year. They can be reached at foster (at) commongooodcityfarm.org.

Kailasa Aqeel, Communications & Events Manager (she/they)

Kailasa Aqeel is a creative advisor working and organizing in DC. She serves as a community connector, helping people bring their visions to life by providing creative solutions and logistical support.

In her own practices she recognizes the value of establishing unity through sharing wellness resources and gathering to enjoy fresh, healthy food. Kailasa is passionate about bringing power back to the community by making information and quality resources accessible to those especially with historically marginalized backgrounds. Her efforts and collaborations are very much driven by her personal responsibilities as a mother, a dedicated artist, an advocate for wellness, and a community builder. For more information about Kailasa, click here. Kailasa can be reached at kailasa (at) commongoodcityfarm.org.

Juan Laster, community Outreach

Juan served on the Board of Directors for Common Good City Farm for five years. Although her term ended she continued to serve as a volunteer when needed.  She grew up on a farm in the mountains of West Virginia and loves getting her hands dirty.  Juan has a plot next door in the LeDroit Park Community Garden and lives in Bloomingdale. She is a senior citizen advocate, loves trying new recipes that are plant-based, and listening to jazz.  After years of involvement, she officially joined the Common Good staff in Fall 2019.

nhaomie Douyon, LEAF EDUCATOR (SHe/Her)

Nhaomie initially started volunteering on the farm in 2017 and was excited to join the Common Good staff in Summer 2021. She has a Master’s in Public Health with a focus on Behavioral and Community Health. She has always had passion for hunger and homelessness which has led her to continuously engage in community initiatives. She enjoys learning about agriculture, healthy eating habits, and how to grow and maintain a garden. With the knowledge and skills gained, she plans to add healthy habits to her personal life and expand her knowledge with the long term goal of running her own non profit homeless transitional shelter that would incorporate health education and access.

Skye Sivoné Ellis, Market Manager (she/they)

From childhood, Skye’s imagination, curiosity, and empathy activated a sort of natural revolution in her that has only stirred with time. Since then, they’ve been focused on reaching for a more holistically healthy and just world for as many people as they can, especially those most likely to confront the brunt of environmental racism. Skye is a steward and student of the buzzing life around her, and considers her work, activism, artistry, and scholarship to be fruits of the same tree. She loves eating, feeding others, cooking over wood fires, writing, spending full days outside in all kinds of weather conditions, and most of all, listening for the exchange of stories that happens across cultures and tables.

Ani dailey, Community engagement & Market Manager (she/hers)

Ani is a Community Advocate of LeDroit Park Kelly Miller housing development. Her primary focus is cultivating a safe space of collective  care, support & access to resources for the community to heal & grow. She got involved with food equity at the beginning of the pandemic when she witnessed several elder neighbors be disproportionately affected by compounded neglect & scarce resources. She partnered with CGCF and Mutual aid to provide core necessities including access to fresh food, groceries, and mutual care to neighbors. This initiative became a consistent source of connection and support that evolved into making space for more resources and overall communal well being. Her passion for serving and consistent efforts ultimately led to her current role as the Community Engagement & Market Manager at Common Good City Farm.

Prior to her current role in the community, she started a business, called Moi Essentials. Her business began as a whole family, wholistic self care healing journey to address her family’s wellness needs. As a result of her son developing a digestive autoimmune disease it became imperative that she found the best products for her family topically & internally. Her desire for products with simple, nontoxic, pure ingredients that catered to her family's unique needs became an arduous process of researching and crafting products herself from herbs, balms, butters & tinctures.

Wes Mahmud, Farm Educator (he/him)

Farmer Wes has worked alongside Common Good since 2018, providing compost and sustainability education on the farm and was in the 2023 cohort of Common Good’s Regenerative Agriculture Certificate program. He is passionate about giving people the tools necessary to feed themselves and their communities with their own hands. While growing his passion for food justice, Wes helped to steward The Well at Oxon Run’s farm space in a pivotal and meaningful way while still in its early stages. Wes is an active community leader and social activist in the Congress Heights and Oxon Run neighborhoods and strives for food justice and social equity for all.