Meet CFSA’s 2023 Board of Directors Candidates

Ken Harvin, Summerton, SC
SC Association for Community and Economic Development
Candidate for a First Term

Ken has spent 20 years as a community development practitioner in Communities of Color, addressing the issue of social inequality using community-building and organizing principles. Ken graduated from Scott’s Branch High School in the historic civil rights community of Summerton, SC, and was honorably discharged from the United States Marine Corps. He holds a master’s degree in nonprofit management specializing in community development finance from the New School for Public Engagement, Milano School of International Affairs, and Management and Urban Policy.

As a practitioner, Ken has consulted with nonprofits, community action agencies, and public charter schools in urban and rural environments to build organizational capacity to effect change at the individual and community levels. In 2017, Ken was awarded a Research Institute for Scholars of Equity (RISE) fellowship at North Carolina Central University in partnership with the University of North Carolina of Wilmington, funded by the Institute of Education Sciences. In June 2017, he was selected to serve in the Corporation for National Community Service (CNCS) as AmeriCorps VISTA with the Enterprise Community Partners.

Ken was the first African American Student Government Association President of Kennesaw State College. Among his accomplishments is securing more than $2.2 million in federal awards for his community development projects. Ken has successfully managed multiple USDA Rural Development, Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS), and other state contracts and local private foundation grants designed to build the capacity of socially disadvantaged farmers and low-wealth rural communities for economic prosperity. Currently, Ken works with socially disadvantaged farmers to access NRCS, EQIP, CSP, FSA, COVID-19, ARPA, and LFAP resources to help sustain their enterprise.

Rev. Keith Sexton, Roanoke Rapids, NC
Candidate for a First Term

Keith has been serving in the United Methodist Church since 1997 and as a pastor since 2000. He completed work for a Master of Theology at Duke Divinity School in 2003. Keith is actively engaged in the Creation Care Ministry, addressing Climate Change. He serves as Coordinator of Advocacy for the Creation Care Team of the North Carolina Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Keith’s studies at Central Carolina Community College in sustainable agriculture prepared him to lead an organic community garden. He is a  graduate of CFSA’s first cohort of the Member Advocacy Program. He serves as a member of the Organizing Committee of the North Carolina Food System Advocacy Coalition. He is the co-creator of The Regenerative Agriculture Toolbox, a guide and resource to aid congregations in connecting with and supporting local famers, as well as employing regenerative practices on church-owned land.

Keith is enrolled in the Public Theology program at Wesley Seminary in Washington, D.C., and is on track to graduate in May 2025. His capstone project’s working title is Creating Common Ground, where Science, Common Sense, and Faith Empower Communities to Forge Public Policy for the Greatest Good.

Keith is passionate about advocating and caring for the earth so that the generations to come will receive a healthier planet than the one we inhabit.

Becca Watson, North Charleston, SC
GrowFood Carolina
Candidate for a First Term

Becca is a South Carolina native who grew up “on the ridge,” known for its rich agricultural history, in the small town of Monetta. Her passion for sustainable food systems, promoting local farms, and preserving agricultural landscapes has deep roots. Growing up on a fourth-generation organic fruit and vegetable farm, she has felt a connection to agriculture and the land all her life and has witnessed firsthand the innumerable challenges that farmers face. She has devoted her energy and industry expertise to serving farmers throughout South Carolina.

A Clemson University graduate, Becca returned to Monetta after her studies to support her family’s farm for two years. She implemented and managed the farm’s food safety program, assisted with housing compliance for seasonal workers, and managed various farmers markets throughout the Midlands. Becca then accepted a position at GrowFood Carolina, a food hub and program of the Coastal Conservation League, where she began as a Quality Assurance Specialist in 2017. She was promoted to Farm Coordinator in 2018 and now holds the role of Farm Outreach Manager. Her current focus includes grower outreach, market access, wholesale development, and production planning.

Throughout her career, Becca has prioritized farmers as the cornerstone of regional food systems that are essential for the security of our nation’s food chain, community nourishment, and land preservation. Her dedication and agricultural roots fuel her enthusiasm for supporting local growers and building resilient food systems.

Andrea White, Greenwood, SC
Food Bank of Greenwood County
Candidate for a First Term

Andrea oversees the Lakelands area’s largest hunger-relief organization as Chief Executive Officer of the Food Bank of Greenwood County since 2021. Through a network of more than 25 food resource banks and satellite pantries, 100 community partners, agencies, schools, colleges, and universities, the Food Bank of Greenwood County provides nearly 60,000 pounds of food to thousands of people in need on an annual basis. Andrea oversees programs that support children, families, veterans, and senior citizens. She has created a holistic approach to food insecurity, food equity and access, and food ecosystems that include producers (both large scale and small), retailers, processors, restaurants, community gardeners, and organizations that distribute food to impoverished households in the Lakelands community. She directs all aspects of the organization’s efforts of fundraising, communications, advocacy, outreach, and volunteer services.

Prior to her role at Food Bank of Greenwood County, Andrea spent 18 years in educational leadership, serving as a special programs administrator, responsible for family & community resources, student performance outcomes, gifted and talented data analysis, and state regulations and policy research. With a deep personal commitment to strengthening communities, Andrea has been an avid volunteer and board member throughout her career, including service with: the Leadership Greenwood Board of Regents for the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce, Keep Greenwood County Beautiful; Greenwood Chamber of Commerce’s Nonprofit Council, Rotary Club of Greenwood, Greenwood Lions Club, Greenwood Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, Greenwood Promise Engagement Committee, and Lakelands Food and Hunger Alliance.

Andrea holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Limestone University, a master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling from Webster University; certification in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) from the University of South Florida, and Nonprofit Management from Winthrop University; graduate of the Leadership Greenwood Class of 2021, a 2022 Riley Fellow at Furman University and a Women’s Leadership Institute graduate also at Furman University.  Andrea was recognized as an Under 45 Star in 2021 from the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce and inducted into the Marquis Who’s Who biographical registry for her standard of excellence in leadership, education, and community advocacy.

Andrea’s philosophy is summed up in a quote by Shirley Chisholm: “Service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this earth.”

Tiki Windley, Chapel Hill, NC
Z Smith Reynolds Foundation
Candidate for a First Term

Tiki joined the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation (ZSR) in 2022 as the Program Officer for Community-Based Strategy. Her grandmother instilled a passion and commitment to help those in need in her at a young age. “To whom much is given, much is required” is an ideology Tiki tries to put into practice in both her personal and professional lives. Seeing the ever-widening gap between those who have access to resources needed to create a better quality of life and those who do not reminds Tiki of her own humble beginnings and inspires her to pay her blessings forward.

Before joining ZSR, Tiki was responsible for the day-to-day budget management for both the Carolina Hunger Initiative (CHI) and Food, Fitness, and Opportunity Collaborative (FFORC) teams at the UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (HPDP). She also contributed to program planning for the CHI team and was the project manager for the Community Circles project through FFORC. Community Circles enabled community residents to address poverty and racism’s effect on their access to healthy foods through a series of facilitated conversations and resident-created and implemented action plans.

Before joining HPDP, Tiki successfully directed an innovative program that addressed the social determinants of health at the United Way of the Greater Triangle. Her previous work also included managing a statewide network of free tax preparation providers as well as a pioneering public benefits access program at MDC.

Tiki holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Elizabeth City State University and a master’s in public administration from NC Central University. She has a daughter, Dorean; a son, David; absolutely perfect granddaughter, Arielle; and an adorable grand-doggy, Mikey.