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Staff

The following are ROC staff and consultants:

Daniela
Aceves

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Communications Manager

Daniela has been engaged in various projects to create social and environmental change. Prior to joining ROC, she was the marketing coordinator at the Community Agroecology Network (CAN) where she managed marketing and outreach efforts to promote fairly traded coffee, food security in coffee- dependent communities, and sustainable farming practices. She graduated from UC Santa Cruz in 2008 with a combined major in Global Economics and Latin American & Latino Studies. She is passionate about furthering food policy in California, and is working towards building awareness through innovative networking techniques and communications strategies.

Michael
Dimock

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President

Michael has focused on food and agriculture since 1989. He is internationally recognized as a thought leader, organizer, and advocate for transformation of food and farming systems. He has been leading Roots of Change since 2006. He began his agriculture and food career as a marketing executive in Europe for a California-based agribusiness company. In 1992, he founded Sunflower Strategies (later called Ag Innovations Network), where he began his work on community consensus building and strategic planning for healthier food and agriculture. He pioneered regional and environmental branding programs in Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake, and Humboldt counties, and Western Australia. Michael sat on the board of Community Alliance with Family Farmers and served as its chairman in 1994 and 1995. In 1996, he founded Slow Food Russian River, which is among the nation’s most active and influential chapters, doing pioneering work on heirloom and heritage breed protection, grass-fed beef promotion, community support for school gardens, and local food systems development. In 2000, he became the first California Governor of Slow Food USA. In 2001, Michael graduated from the California Ag Leadership program, Class XXXI, the nation’s most respected leadership development programs in the field. From 2002 to 2007, he was Chairman of Slow Food USA and a member of Slow Food International’s board of directors where he worked with Carlo Petrini, Slow Food’s founder, on international strategy. Michael’s love for food systems grew from his experience on an 11,000-acre cattle ranch in Santa Clara County in the late 1960s and a development project with Himalayan subsistence farmers in Nepal in the late 70s. He was a political advanceman for California Governor Jerry Brown in his bid to become a US Senator in 1982. He worked in US-Soviet cultural and professional exchange programs, which led him into television and film production. He holds a BA in History from UCLA, with an honors thesis on the origins of the CIA. He has a Masters in International Affairs from Columbia University.

Tiffany
Nurrenbern

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Network Activity Manager

Tiffany has a history of fostering positive social and environmental change. She understands how to motivate and builds awareness through innovative communications strategies. As a student, educator, and consultant, she worked to engage the public through strategic outreach and grassroots organizing. As an associate at Gigantic Idea Studio, Tiffany managed social marketing, outreach, and media campaigns promoting sustainable behavior for government agencies and nonprofit organizations. Prior to that, at Effective Strategies Consulting Group, she developed and implemented communications plans for progressive candidates, causes, and organizations. As part of her work there, she organized elected officials, environmental organizations, and business leaders in Orange County in support of clean water and open space initiatives, planned fundraisers and other special events and coordinated canvassing efforts. For many years, Tiffany has volunteered with both local outreach efforts and statewide initiative campaigns promoting women and girls health. Tiffany completed Master’s work at UCLA after majoring in history at UC Santa Cruz. She prides herself on her solid research background and her creative problem-solving skills.

Bobbie
Peyton

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Development Manager

Bobbie has worked on a wide range of environmental public relations activities and public awareness campaigns including the promotion of greener transportation options, solar module innovation, and clean energy policy. Bobbie received her Bachelor of Science degree in History from Portland State University and earned her Master of Arts degree from the Urban & Environmental Policy and Planning department at Tufts University, where she completed coursework in urban and environmental planning and climate change policy. She wrote her Masters’ thesis on solid waste developments and environmental justice issues in Massachusetts. In 2006, she was the recipient of the Tisch Active Citizen Summer Fellows, for work with the City of Somerville in Massachusetts to address community concerns on bicycle and pedestrian safety. Prior to graduate school, Bobbie worked for five years in San Francisco’s Tenderloin and Chinatown communities to strategize and fund successful affordable housing programs for the neighborhoods’ residents.