Tim Armstrong - Chairman
Tim Armstrong is the founder of "Eat Your Yard Jax,". Tim's passion for nature is evident in his work. He was instrumental in starting "Berry Good Farms" for the North Florida School of Special Education and is a graduate of Will Allen's Commercial Urban Agriculture program (2011). Tim, a recipient of Jacksonville's "Hands on Earth Award," has also contributed to the training efforts of "Veterans Farm of Jacksonville." Explore his expertise in growing edible plants and tour the farm virtually through the "Eatyouryardjax" YouTube channel.
Yanis Cisneros - Treasure
Yanis Cisneros works for Rayonier Advanced Materials (RYAM) as an internal auditor responsible for leading financial, operational, and compliance audit projects. Before joining RYAM in May 2020, Yanis served in the audits and tax departments of Ralston & Company, P.A. for four years. She gained experience auditing and preparing tax returns for non-profits in Jacksonville. She has a Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Accountancy degrees from UNF. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, volunteering as a mentor for the local nonprofit Take Stock in Children, and spending time outdoors with her husband and three rescue dogs.
Brittany Best - Secretary
Brittany Best holds a master's degree in social work from Florida State University and a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of North Florida. She has experience working in many health and clinical professions. She has worked as a child welfare case manager, special education teacher, and group therapy facilitator in an intensive outpatient substance abuse treatment program. Brittany’s clinical internship was at the Mayo Clinic as a social worker for potential kidney donors. She is currently employed as a therapist at Breakthroughs Counseling and Recovering.
Roberta Cooley - Member At Large
Roberta Cooley is a teacher who has visited, WWOOFed and taught in various countries and settings a Mensa school in Singapore, Camphill community in New Zealand, college English courses in Japan, and a small orphanage farm and gardens in Mexico. After 20 years of chasing the rainbow, Roberta returned to her hometown of Jacksonville to be near family. She taught in her sons' schools - a Montessori school, and North Florida School of Special Education. At NFSSE, Roberta has worked as a job coach for young adults, a reading coach, a garden teacher, and is an elementary teacher currently.
Rachel Stillwell - Member At Large
In Nassau County, Rachel runs Stillwell Farms, a backyard homestead farm with chickens, rabbits, ducks, and goats. She is a mother of two young boys. She has experience as a personal trainer and has worked as an administrative assistant at an attorney's office and currently offers goat yoga at her farm.
Lynn Zaffke - Member At Large
Lynn, a northern Minnesota native, holds an agricultural degree from North Dakota State University and a Master of Divinity from Luther Seminary. With around 20 years in ministry, he and his family ventured to Papua New Guinea in the 1980s, where Lynn introduced goats and built a stone church. Upon returning to Minnesota, they purchased a 40-acre farm, cultivating strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, grapes, and tending to a diverse range of animals. Transitioning to building construction, Lynn eventually sold the farm, bringing a few grape vines to town. Currently, Lynn and his wife are insurance agents at AmeriLife in Jacksonville, specializing in Medicare retirement planning.