About the Council
In partnership with individuals and organizations across the 21-county region, Central Texas Food Bank launched the Central Texas Regional Food System Council (RFSC) in October 2025.
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The RFSC’s mission is to address broad challenges across the Central Texas food system by fostering the coordination of data, resources, education, policy, and advocacy, to advance innovative solutions in our communities.
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We envision a thriving, sustainable, and resilient Central Texas food system that supports access to fresh and nutritious food for all, local production, a robust supply chain, and economic stability.
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The Council focuses on Central Texas Food Bank’s 21-county service area, which includes Bastrop, Bell, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Coryell, Falls, Fayette, Freestone, Gillespie, Hays, Lampasas, Lee, Limestone, Llano, McLennan, Milam, Mills, San Saba, Travis, and Williamson counties.
Map of Texas with Central Texas highlighted
Map of Central Texas
Roles and Focus Areas
The Regional Food System Council (RFSC) exists to connect local food system initiatives, align regional action, and address food system challenges that no single county, organization, or sector can solve alone.
The Council’s current focus areas are local food production and farm viability, supply chain infrastructure, and healthy food access.
Council Roles:
Convene stakeholders across different sectors and counties to share information, align efforts, and build strategic partnerships across the food system
Engage in non-partisan advocacy and education
Lead multi-sector, regional initiatives that address shared priorities, elevate community voice, and tackle challenges impacting the food system
Bolster research and data to inform evidence-based decision-making
Secure and align funding for long-term food system solutions
Structure
The RFSC operates under a three-body structure:
Steering Committee for strategic governance and priority setting. Learn more about the Steering Committee below.
Permanent Workgroups for elevating community voice and data-driven decision-making. Learn more about the Local Coalition Collaborative and the Data and Research Advisory Group.
Special Initiative Task Forces for efforts that are time-bound and issue-specific. The RFSC currently has two task forces—Advocacy & Education and Healthy Corner Stores—which align with the RFSC’s initial priorities.
Priorities
The Regional Food System Council (RFSC) has adopted two initial priorities: Advocacy & Education and Healthy Corner Stores.
Advocacy & Education
The RFSC Advocacy & Education Task Force promotes promising food system policies and practices at the local, regional, and state levels. The Council brings a non-partisan approach and perspectives from both rural and urban communities to elevate regional priorities to elected officials, key stakeholders, and the public.
Our approach:
Learn about the RFSC’s legislative priorities here!
Healthy Corner Stores
The RFSC is developing a Feasibility Analysis and Business Plan to guide decision-making around the potential implementation of a Healthy Corner Store Initiative in Central Texas. The RFSC is leveraging insights and expertise from its Steering Committee, Data and Research Advisory Group, Local Coalition Collaborative, and subject matter experts to shape the analysis and plan.
Healthy Corner Store Initiatives have been implemented across the country and typically combine the four elements described below:
Steering Committee
The Steering Committee provides strategic direction, sets regional priorities, and mobilizes multi-sector partnerships.
Agriculture
Laura McDonald
Executive Director, Texas Farmers Market
Kimberly Ratcliff
Owner, Ratcliff Premium Meats
County-Level Food Coalitions
Backbone Organization
Beth Corbett
VP of Government + Community Affairs, Central Texas Food Bank
Community Member
Heather Frazier
Community Representative
Bell County
Alicia Jallah
Executive Director, Helping Hands Ministry of Belton
Bell County Hunger Coalition
Hays County
Isabella Vigil
Behavioral Health Coordinator, Hays County Health Department
Healthy Hays Coalition
Data & Research
Dr. Natalie Poulos
Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Austin – Dept. of Nutrition Sciences
Floating Subject Matter Expert
Karen Christensen
Vice President, Supply Chain, Row 7 Seed Company
Food Industry
Frank Gomez, Jr.
Assistant General Manager, Segovia Produce, Ltd.
Funder
Susana Morales
Senior Learning and Evaluation Officer, St. David's Foundation
Local Government Representatives
Dorthy Jackson
Community & Economic Development Manager, Heart of Texas Council of Governments
Louie Minor
Bell County Commissioner Precinct 4
We are currently recruiting for an additional Local Government Representative, Food Industry Stakeholder, Community Member, and School Board/District Member.
Would you like to recommend someone else for the Steering Committee?
Would you like to apply directly to be considered for the Steering Committee?
Central Texas Food Bank’s Role
Central Texas Food Bank (CTFB) believes that every Central Texan should have equitable access to nutritious food. In recent years, CTFB has expanded its business model to invest in upstream, root cause solutions, supporting local agriculture, retail, culinary, and Food Is Medicine initiatives.
Today, CTFB’s role as the backbone organization for the RFSC is a natural progression of its previous work and strategic vision. With a 40-year history of strengthening food security and building a vast network of partners, CTFB’s operations touch every part of the regional food system. CTFB holds strong relationships with supply chain partners, works with both public and private sectors, and has infrastructure to support food system initiatives, including a Central Texas Food Hub pilot and an on-site organic farm.
Mia Burger
Research Manager, Central Texas Food Bank
Sherica Campbell
Manager of Food System Planning, Central Texas Food Bank
Emily Foxman
Director of Food System Planning, Central Texas Food Bank