Team & Board

Darlene Adams Rowland has dedicated her professional career to sustaining a vibrant local food system by supporting Louisiana’s small family farmers. Named as Executive Director beginning January 2021, Mrs. Rowland has been with BREADA since 2008, previously serving as both Development Director and Marketing Director. Prior to her nonprofit roles, Mrs. Rowland held a successful career in the private sector as an Account Executive for a financial services company.

Mrs. Rowland has been a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals for over a decade and has served on the Board of Directors in numerous capacities including Secretary, Vice President of Communications, and Chair of Governmental Relations. She is a recent graduate of the LSU Agricultural Leadership Development Program, and in 2022, she received the John W. Barton Sr. Excellence in Nonprofit Management Rising Star Award from the Baton Rouge Area Foundation.

Lisa Gray joined BREADA in 2013 as the Red Stick Mobile Farmers Market Coordinator/Outreach Manager. Ms. Gray received her B.S. in Agriculture from Southern University and A&M College and worked as a Research Associate/Extension Associate in Sustainable Plant and Animal Production Systems for Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center prior to joining BREADA.

In addition to managing the Mobile Farmers Market, Lisa is a Southern SARE Committee Member and Louisiana Small Ruminant Cooperative Board Member. She is a local food enthusiast and believes that everyone should be afforded the opportunity to purchase fresh, local, and healthier foods. Lisa is a North Baton Rouge native where she is active in her church and community.

Heather Finke’s organizational skills and attention to detail have assisted organizations in board development, fundraising, community engagement and organization development. She has experience with non-profit organizations, national service, university life and state government. She graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a minor in English.

Heather’s role at BREADA oversees the day-to-day operations with a particular focus on employee development, board engagement and overall strategy for a growing organization. She is focused on proactively identifying needs and solutions, creating structure and consistency and developing a trusting, inclusive office culture that inspires and motivates employees. She joined BREADA in 2024 but has enjoyed the Red Stick Farmers Market since moving to Baton Rouge in 2001. Heather volunteers with a variety of organizations, ranging from active lifestyle engagement, urban tree canopy restoration and spiritual enrichment.

Nick works in a hybrid chef and nutrition role. He will be a Registered Dietitian in the coming months. You might see him out at our markets, providing cooking demonstrations and handing out free samples. Nick develops recipes that highlight our farmers and their products in a way that is both nutritious and accessible. He is working to create new resources to help BREADA develop and grow its nutrition education programming. Outside of work, Nick enjoys fitness, gardening, cooking, traveling and spending time with friends and family.

Nick has a Master’s of Science in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine from the University of Western States and a Bachelor’s of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics from LSU. He has several years of experience working in and managing kitchens, as well as some experience in clinical research.

As the Community Engagement Coordinator with BREADA, Allie is responsible for planning and executing events and programs to increase market awareness. She participates in outreach events with restaurants, schools, and other organizations to increase nutritional and agricultural knowledge for audiences of all ages. Additionally, she is the volunteer coordinator and assists with data collection needs for BREADA programs.

Allie is a graduate of LSU with a Bachelor of Science focused in Nutrition, Health, and Society. She believes in the importance of improving the health environment by providing access to resources for members of the community.  Originally from Pittsburgh, Allie has lived in seven different cities across five states. In her free time, Allie enjoys traveling, running, baking, and playing ultimate Frisbee.

Ava joined BREADA as the marketing coordinator in the fall of 2024. Her day-to-day work includes all things communications. She runs the Red Stick Farmers Market social media accounts, designs promotional materials, writes press releases and manages this website. Ava's favorite part of her job is visiting with all the farmers and vendors at the market so she can find creative ways to tell their stories and promote their products. 

Ava is a graduate of the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication. She has a Bachelor of Arts in mass communication with a concentration in journalism, along with minors in English, history and sociology. When she's not at the farmers market, she's probably singing karaoke or dancing with the King Cake Babies in a Mardi Gras parade.