As FEAST’s Program Manager, Marlene builds and supports relationships between FEAST and neighborhood organizations.

Marlene was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. Inspired by their experiences growing up as a first generation Mexican-American, Marlene earned their B.S. in Community and Regional Development from the University of California, Davis and certificate in Sustainability from the UCLA Extension. Marlene is an experienced community educator, mental health advocate, and community engagement coordinator who’s been involved with a diverse range of organizations such as the Los Angeles Food Policy Council, Shift Our Ways Collective, the Aggie Compass Basic Needs Center, and MySafe:LA.

Marlene is a passionate land steward working towards an equitable and inclusive future for resilient and thriving communities through food justice, youth empowerment, and sustainable practices. In their free time, Marlene enjoys hiking with their two dogs, ceramics, reading and gardening.