| Julie Butcher Pezzino is the Executive Director of Grow Pittsburgh; an urban agriculture nonprofit based in Pittsburgh, PA. The organization promotes food production and education in the region through the development of urban farms and gardens; an Edible Schoolyard program for children; agriculture based, educational employment opportunities for youth and gardening class offerings for adults. Since Julie began managing the organization, Grow Pittsburgh’s budget and staff has doubled due to overwhelming demand for its services and programs.
As a social enterprise, Grow Pittsburgh is committed to diversifying its funding sources through the sale of produce to local restaurants and seedlings to the general public, special events, corporate partnerships and fee-for-service educational offerings.
Julie holds a Master of Science Degree in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University, where she was a Dean’s Fellow, a Lingren Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship and a Lauble Fellow in Community and Economic Development. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from American University. Prior to joining Grow Pittsburgh, she worked at The Pittsburgh Foundation, the city’s community foundation, as Manager of Communications. Before moving to Pittsburgh, she lived in Manhattan and worked or consulted for various food and agriculture-based organizations in a communications capacity, including The Eat Well Guide, Sustainable Table and City Harvest.
Julie grew up in the Hudson Valley region of New York, where her love and respect for farming and food was inspired. She now lives in Pittsburgh, where she enjoys tending to her own vegetable garden ever year with her husband, Andrew and dog Jasper Bacon. |
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