SAN LUIS VALLEY — Max Gibson, who has been working at the San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition since March, assumed the role of executive director of the non-profit on Jan. 1. Gibson will replace longtime executive director Liza Marron who has retired.

The San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition is an organization dedicated to fostering an equitable local food distribution system that restores public health, community, ecosystem, and ecology. The coalition includes the Valley Roots Food Hub, Rio Grande Farm Park, and the MoKi Food Truck. The coalition has 30 full- and part-time employees.

Gibson said he will focus on, "continuing to build up our internal infrastructure... we have a full admin [administration] team around me to facilitate this. A big piece of it is to figure out how this admin team works together and how we all can support our programs. I will continue to find the funding that keeps all of our work going. As part of the Community Food and Agriculture Assessment and Action Planning Process, will look to the community for what are the things we need to be doing in the future. Through this process, some things have come up for 2024. Hearing from partner organizations, community members, elected officials and hearing what the food coalition and other organizations should be taking on," said Gibson.

Gibson, who grew up in Kansas City and Colorado, has a master's in public health and urban and regional planning from the University of Colorado Denver, and has worked in Colorado, Africa and the Middle East.

Gibson is also Board Chair of ScSEED (Saguache County Sustainable Environment & Economic Development) a non-profit that has sponsored many community organizations and efforts to create a better life in Saguache County since 1999.