Board of Directors

Market Central, Inc. ~ Looking to the future at Charlottesville’s City Market

Our Board of Directors consists of current and former vendors, as well as community supporters and patrons. Our latest election results were certified and announced at our Dots Day event on June 5, 2010

Chairwoman: Cecile Gorham (email) Cecile has been chairwoman of Market Central since its inception in 2003. She is a native of Chicago, a graduate of the University of Virginia, and an experienced gardener. Cile was a vendor at the City Market for 20 years, selling plants and cut flowers, and worked for several years at the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants. She has completed coursework in landscape design, business development and Chinese language, and has contributed many volunteer hours to Charlottesville City Schools, neighborhood associations, VICFA, as well as Market Central.

Vice Chairperson: - vacant -

Treasurer: Eileen Stephens (email)

Eileen is one of the founding board members of Market Central. A retired UVA professor, Eileen turned her love of flowers and the earth into “Green and Gold”, and cultivates cut flowers at her farm in Earlysville. She has been a vendor at the City Market for 20 years.

Secretary:

Kathy Kildea (email)

Kathy is one of the founding board members of Market Central. Kathy’s involvement in the Charlottesville City Market dates back to 1990, when she helped her parents sell their orchard fruit at the market. In 2000, she began her own catering business, and brought freshly prepared foods to the market until she sold her business in 2008. Kathy holds a bachelors degree in Criminal Justice, and left behind 20 years of work with cops and robbers before moving to Charlottesville in 1999. She continues to support the market through volunteering with Market Central, and faithful patronage of local growers.

Laura Dollard

Laura is one of the founding board members of Market Central. She was born in Massachusetts, lived in New York and worked for seven years at the Journalism graduate school at Columbia University. While her husband worked on Wall Street, Laura operated a horse farm in Brewster, NY, and moved to Virginia in 1988 to buy a larger farm. Laura’s Keene farm, Broomfield, is currently undergoing a rejuvenation of sorts, and she expects to bring produce from the farm later in the 2010 season, in addition to fresh eggs. She is passionate about farming, land conservation, plants and farm animals, and has been a vendor at the City Market since 1994.

Lynn Eheart

Lynn Eheart has been on the Market Central board of directors since 2007. She has been known as “The Lemonade Lady” at the market for the past nine years, but also sells handpainted glassware and beaded jewelry. Lynn worked with Charlottesville City Schools for 27 years as a secretary/receptionist. She was born and raised in the Charlottesville area, and enjoys the social aspect of vending at the City Market.

Lynda Fanning (email)

Lynda joined the Market Central board of directors in 2010. As a Registered Dietitian, her work is focused on eating for health, like the fresh, whole, deliciously flavorful, and nutrient-rich foods found at the City Market. Since such foods powerfully reduce the risk of several diet-related chronic diseases, as well as obesity, she sees a vibrant City Market as clearly helping Charlottesville become a Healthier City. Lynda currently works as Director of the Nutrition System at the UVa Health System, and is a Board member of the Virginia Food System Council, the Sustainable Chair of the Virginia Dietetic Association, on the Steering Committee of the UVa Food Collaborative, and is grandmother to four very young, healthy eaters.

We are happy to announce the addition of three new board members: Kelly Ceppa, Brevy Cannon, and Eric Betthauser joined our board in November 2011. We will have photos and bios posted soon, and we look forward to their contributions

to our organization!

Paul Brant

We were startled and saddened by the sudden loss of one of our founding board members, Paul Brant, on October 13, 2010. Paul’s passing has left a huge hole in our hearts, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family. I never got a picture of Paul posted on the website, but, in his honor, I’m including one now. The verse and picture were featured at his memorial service in November 2010, and I think they sum up things nicely:

”Life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting “Holy Shit, what a ride!”

- Anonymous

Paul was a long time advocate and promoter of local, sustainable food and agriculture, and served on the Market Central board from 2005 until his passing in 2010. During his 30+ year career with the USDA /Soil Conservation Service, Paul assisted small farmers, businesses and community organizations achieve conservation and sustainable development goals, and he was keenly aware of the economic realities of achieving these goals. A native of West Virginia, Paul was a City resident from 1995 to 2008, when he moved to Scottsville to be close to his daughter, Amy.

Our membership consists of vendors, community supporters and leaders who share a passion for the Charlottesville City Market. Click here for membership information!