A New Chapter Begins…
It is with heavy and thankful hearts that the Illinois Farmers Market Association Board of Directors announce the upcoming retirement of our executive director and co-founder, Pat Stieren.
Pat has served as a driving force organizing members and stakeholders on behalf of the Illinois Farmers Market community for many years. Since the Illinois Farmers Market Association’s (IFMA) humble beginning in 2010 as a developing network, Pat has been a tireless leader contributing to the success of farmers markets across Illinois.
Now that IFMA is a thriving association and Pat leaves behind an impressive legacy and list of accomplishments including:
- Spearheading IFMA’s numerous conferences and training seminars
- Leading the creation of a free training manual for market managers
- Representing IFMA as a member of the Illinois Local Food Farms Jobs Council
- Past chairman of the Illinois Farmers Market Task Force
- Writing and receiving a USDA Grant to establish the first 501(c) 3 Illinois Farmers Market Association (IFMA).
- Developing an IFMA website for information sharing and networking
- Uniting farmers market managers in Illinois and across the country as a community to share and collaborate, mutually benefiting us all
- Contributing to the number of Illinois farmers markets that accept SNAP benefits, and the overall redemption of SNAP sales by farmers
- 2010 – 33 markets/farmers redeeming $32,600 in SNAP
- 2014 – 119 markets/farmers redeeming $393,315
Her leadership, energy, and passion will be sorely missed and we wish her all our best wishes and endless success in her new adventures. Pat plans to devote a great deal of her time tending to a new crop of grandchildren and traveling with her husband Mark.