City Slicker Farms

The board of directors of City Slicker Farms are thrilled to introduce Rodney Spencer as the new Executive Director of City Slicker Farms.

You may already know Rodney. He has been a frequent volunteer at both Union Plaza Community Market Farm and the Ralph Bunche Nursery. And if you do know him, you know that he is a warm and generous community leader. Rodney comes to us from our neighbor Vincent Academy, a West Oakland charter school, where he was on the founding team and served most recently as the Director of Extended Learning.

Rodney brings a deep connection to West Oakland, having worked here since his arrival to the Bay Area in 2008. He brings to City Slicker Farms an extraordinary mix of skills that portend well for our future, owing to his background in education and over 20 years of management experience. We are incredibly excited to support Rodney’s leadership, especially as we continue to develop our urban agriculture educational offerings at the brand new West Oakland Farm Park.

As an educator, Rodney has witnessed firsthand how food inequity in West Oakland impacts kids in the classroom. Having grown up in rural North Carolina, he was part of a family in a community that lacked material wealth, but had a rich food and farming culture. Everyone had access to affordable, healthy food in the community. Rodney is committed to cultivating that same sense of community empowerment right here in the Bay Area, through his work at City Slicker Farms. 

Rodney will soon finish up a deep transition process with Ariel Dekovic, our outgoing Interim Executive Director. Ariel will rejoin the board of directors as part of the transition. Her knowledge of the people, programs and operations of the organization will be a uniquely powerful asset for the board as we head into a new strategic planning process this summer.

But first - it’s time to celebrate. We invite you to come meet Rodney, and all of us, at the grand opening of the West Oakland Farm Park on Saturday, June 11. We are celebrating the beginning of something great! 

Welcome Rodney!

With gratitude,

The City Slicker Farms Board of Directors

Tara Nicholle-Nelson, Board President

Daralyn Durie, Vice President

May Hu, Treasurer

Amy Shrago, Secretary

Brendan Havenar-Daughton

Abbey Myszka

Wil O'Neal