Karen Joy Clark: Activist Executive Director (1945-2026)
In Memoriam: Karen Joy Clark served as a Minnesota State legislator for 38 years representing three core-city South Minneapolis neighborhoods. She earned her BA in nursing from the College of St. Teresa, worked as a public-health nurse and OB-GYN nurse practitioner, community organizer, earned a Masters of Public Administration graduate degree from the JFK School at Harvard University, and served as WEI’s Activist Executive Director from 2003-2026.
Jacquelyn Zita: Director of Education, Farming and Operations
A prominent Gender/Women’s Studies scholar and educator, Jacquelyn is the former Chair of the Department of Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies at the University of Minnesota and former national President of the Women’s Studies Association. She serves as WEI’s volunteer Director of Operations and Education, and Farm Director for WEI’s Amador Hill Farm.
Dr. Zita holds a BS in Biology and Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Washington University, St. Louis. She brings 20 years of experience running WEI’s education/demonstration CSA farm and extensive knowledge of organic farming, biology of farming, women’s health issues, and gender, environmental and social justice studies. She also directs WEI’s North Circle and Fair Table (formerly Veggie Rx) programs.
Stacy Carlson: Education and Communications Manager
Stacy (she/her) develops and produces WEI’s Down to Earth Environmental and Sustainability Education program, which encompasses WEI’s mission of environmental justice by offering accessible, interdisciplinary classes taught by teachers from different walks of life: farmers, herbalists, artisans, artists, and thinkers. Come out to the farm and join us for classes in hands-on farming methods, seasonal herbalism and foraging gatherings, food preservation, and more.
Stacy also provides marketing and organization-wide communications for WEI. She is a studying herbalist, student of wild nature, and award-winning novelist.
Heidi Seeland-Harper: Amador Hill Farm Manager
With a background in ecology and environmental education, Heidi works to ensure WEI produce is grown in harmony with the environment and teaches volunteers and other visitors about what we do at Amador Hill Farm. Along with planning the crops for the season, she runs the day-to-day schedule of growing, packing, and distributing our produce to CSA members, the Fair Table program, and farmer’s markets.
In addition to enjoying watching the crops grow and changing seasons, she loves to share her knowledge of the many other plants and animals (in particular the resident ravens) that call the area home. Volunteer for a day and pick up some facts about growing veggies and the surrounding environment while helping us out on the farm!