Meet the FDC Staff
The FDC staff are the individuals that make it all happen; our small team is a lean, mean, feeding machine
Julie Pottier-Brown
Operations Manager
As Operations Manager, Julie’s primary responsibility is planning what crops show up at the depot each week. As the farm liaison, she is charged with creating and maintaining year round relationships with producers both small and large. Other responsibilities include helping to manage the infrastructure, staff, marketing and overall direction of the FDC. None of this would be possible without the support of her indispensable business partner Tamara Sullivan, and an excellent, committed staff. Julie came to the Coop in 1999 as a member, fell in love with all the workings and the mission of the coop and joined as a manager shortly thereafter. She has been a depot coordinator in all three locations at one time or another. In addition to good food, dance, music and yoga, Julie’s old house and family keep her busy.
Tamara Butts Sullivan
Manager of Finance & Administration
Tamara has been on staff at the Farm Direct Coop for the last two decades. Past positions include Newsletter Editor, Depot Coordinator, and Bookkeeper. Currently Tamara co-manages the FDC with her indispensable partner, Julie Pottier-Brown. Her main responsibilities include managing the flow of data for our 800 member organization, communication with the membership, accounts payable / receivable, budget planning and tracking, and working with Julie to make sure the members have the best possible experience. In addition to a passion for farm fresh produce, Tamara enjoys equestrian activities, yoga, and her two beautiful daughters.
Marion Higgins
Assistant Manager & Extras Coordinator
Adriaan (Skip) Schippers
Western Route Truck Driver
Adriaan (Skip) Schippers has been a part of the FDC staff since 2016. He hauls all our goods from Western MA. He visits anywhere between 6 and 12 farms twice a week. He’s originally from Holland and now lives in Ashby, MA. Skip grew flowers commercially here in MA for many years. Skip’s favorite pass time is hanging out with his six grandkids.
DENNIS COWLEY
Eastern Route Driver
Dennis’ formative childhood experience was a family car trip from Georgia to Alaska, by way of Maine. His favorite movie is “Bullet” with Steve McQueen driving very fast. He proudly got his first speeding ticket 35 years after he started driving. Now he enjoys driving the eastern route for the FDC.
Melanie Salerno
Salem Depot Coordinator (Thursday)
Melanie is the depot coordinator on both Tuesday & Thursday in Salem. She has been a member at each of the three locations throughout the years and, in 2015, was excited to join the FDC in a new role as the assistant coordinator in Salem. Melanie lives in Salem with her two fur babies, June and Mr. Tough. She owns an eco-friendly house cleaning business and makes art in her spare time. Melanie also loves outdoor activities like hiking, surfing, foraging for wild food, and tending to her little backyard herb and native plant garden.
JILL GOLIKE
Melrose Depot Coordinator (Thursday)
Jill has been an FDC member since 2017 and on staff since 2019. After living in Maine for several years with many local farms, she is excited to have a network here to continue supporting local food. She loves food and experimenting with new recipes and ingredients so an ever rotating supply of produce is perfect. When she’s not at the depot during the summer she stays busy with her son, biking, swimming, and hiking. He likes to come help at the depot too!
Sarah duncklee
Marblehead Delivery Coordinator, Salem Depot Coordinator (Wednesday), General Store Manager
Sarah has been a member of the FDC since 2009, and was the Marblehead delivery driver in 2022. This year she added two new roles: general store manager and Salem depot coordinator on Wednesdays.
A Marbleheader born and raised, wherever she is she studies the natural world around her. With her background in natural resources, botany, and most recently herbalism, she likes to consider herself and advocate on behalf of plants. Her latest interest is the rights of our local elder trees.
Sarah is most likely found gardening for others, outside somewhere enjoying nature and birding, or just out walking slowly with her dog Tucker.
Sadie brown
Melrose Assistant Depot Coordinator (Tuesdays)
Sadie, an FDC member since 2015, hails from Vermont where she first developed a passion for agriculture “watching the rhubarb grow” in the family garden. She has worked as a CSA farmer, a children’s farmyard educator, and spent several years working with FoodCorps and a variety local non-profits on issues of food justice and farm to school education. Sadie lives in Melrose with her son, Otis, daughter, Lily Piper, and partner, Lawrence. The family has no pets or livestock currently, but Sadie has overseen a very large herd of composting worms and tended several hundred thousand honeybees in the past. She aspires to have a much smaller number of chickens someday soon, and work her way up to a couple goats.
Susan Murphy
Melrose Assistant Depot Coordinator (Thursday)
Susan has lived in Melrose since 1999 and is active in many of Melrose’s local environmental and sustainability groups, including as chairperson of the Melrose Conservation Commission, a founding member of the Melrose Energy Commission, and working with the Sustainable Melrose coalition. She hopes that her legal background (ten years working as a lawyer, though no longer practicing) and experience with community groups will benefit the board. Susan and her family, husband Paul Sullivan and children David and Ailish, enjoy skiing, camping and exploring the beaches and waters of Gloucester.
carolyn cronin
Melrose Delivery Coordinator (Tuesday)
Carolyn has been a member since moving to Melrose in 2015. She loves that the FDC supports local farms and businesses. Her favorite vegetable is Hadley Asparagus. When not doing deliveries or eating local food, Carolyn’s favorite activity is walking.
amanda roeder
Salem Delivery Coordinator (Tuesday and Thursday)
Amanda Roeder joined FDC in 2020 and became increasingly interested in supporting the local food economy. In 2022 she joined the team as the delivery coordinator for Salem members. She is an enthusiastic cook and is working on her gardening skills, two hobbies that have benefitted greatly from FDC membership. She is an animal lover, world traveler and veteran music educator.
Amanda Dixey
Media Coordinator
Amanda is the weekly newsletter editor and bread packer, and has been a member of FDC since 2015. She was drawn to the FDC as a way to feed her family farm fresh foods each week while also supporting local farmers and artisans. Each week is a new adventure, always offering new varieties and colors that she may never try if it weren’t for her FDC share. The one thing that never makes it home are the farm fresh raspberries!
Amanda enjoys the study of Ayurveda and herbalism and spending time with her family and huskies. She is a trained volunteer for the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention and is a huge mental health advocate.
DAN BURGESS
Equipment Maintenance
Dan is involved with infrastructure maintenance, making repairs to tents and creating shelving as needed. He is also the designer and builder of the Marblehead shed. Dan grew up in the area and has been a coop member since 2004 and on staff since 2008. When not working for the coop, he is a designer and craftsperson who works as a cabinetmaker, and when inspired, also makes paintings, prints and sculpture. Dan lives in Beverly and has a wood shop and studio in Salem.
