Board of Directors
Our directors are all volunteers, and serve a one year term, except for the President, who serves a two-year term. Read more on what their roles are. We are pleased to introduce to you our 2024 Board of Directors!
Chelsea Watt (President)
Chelsea has lived in New West for 9 years, but grew up just over the border in Burquitlam and learned to swim at our very own Canada Games pool. By day, she works as a communications manager at BC Hydro, and by night and weekend, she’s an avid baker, home cook, and seasonal patio gardener. She loves testing new recipes, filling her freezer with too much baking, and drinking B.C. craft beer. She is passionate about local food, the best recipes for homemade dill pickles, and attempting to keep her houseplants alive.
Jon Jennings (Secretary)
Jon is a recent arrival in New Westminster but can honestly say that nowhere has ever felt more like home. The NWFM, with its focus on local produce and community, is one of the things that makes him feel that way. It’s a struggle to get him to cross the city border and ever leave New West… except for beer. Promise him good beer and he’ll follow you anywhere.
Flannery May (Treasurer)
A transplant from California, Flannery is proud to call New West home. She joined the Board of NWFM in 2023 to engage with and give back to the New West community. Flannery has worked in finance and management roles for over a decade at charitable organizations across Canada and the US. Outside of work and NWFM, you can find her running along the waterfront or browsing at the library.
Simone Leonard (Director)
Simone has called New Westminster, the traditional territories of the Qayqayt First Nation, home for over a decade, but her connection to New West spans a few decades to say the least. As a young child growing up in Burnaby, she recalls many fun-filled outings to Moody Park, Queen’s Park, afternoons at the Quay, and swimming lessons at Canada Games Pool. As an avid theatre goer, she has enjoyed shows at the Massey Theatre (shout out to Royal City Musical Theatre) and more recently has taken in events at the Anvil. Simone has a deep love for her family and extends that affection to her community through various mentorship opportunities. She looks forward to bringing her skills, passion and corporate work experience into serving on the New Westminster Farmers Market Board. And with that, the friendships and deepening relationship with the community this opportunity brings.
Trudi Goels (Director)
Trudi (she/her) is eternally curious and likes finding the simplest solution to complex problems. She was introduced to the NWFM when she first moved here in 2014, has never met a vendor who didn’t satisfy a craving, and now is curious about how markets can be strong link in ensuring food security in our community. She has a straight-forward and strategic approach to all of her work and is always looking for new ideas for leadership and governance.
Market Staff
Emily Gaudette (Market Manager)
Emily (She/Her) is an able-bodied, cis-queer, white settler residing on unceded xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) lands. She has lived and worked on the unceded lands of the Halkomelem speaking peoples on and off since 2017 – something about the strong sense of community keeps her happily rooted here. She has a background in nonprofit event management and is a graduate of the interdisciplinary Global Stewardship program at Capilano University, designed to train its graduates for work in the not-for-profit sector. Emily is deeply committed to the process of building inclusive, equitable and sustainable communities. With a passion for food justice and shopping all things local, she’s thrilled to continue the important work of providing a space for local entrepreneurship and community to thrive at the market. In her down time, you might catch her enjoying some live music, thrifting too many knick-knacks or attending the next local, community event!
Malika Arora (Assistant Market Manager)
Malika (she/her) is a Burnaby local, but across multiple jobs and volunteer opportunities has found herself deeply connected to New Westminster. With a background in English, Business, and Communications, she takes care of all the social media and content creation responsibilities for the market, alongside running the newsletter, coordinating volunteers, and managing memberships, since joining our team in October 2023. Malika is also deeply passionate about equity, social justice, and food, and she brings that passion into everything she does at NWFM. Her favourite part of the market (outside of making silly Tiktoks and being the resident Gen-Z representation) is connecting with our volunteers, regular customers, and vendors. The community is what makes the market so special! Outside of the market, you can find her at her dance studio, experimenting with her film camera, or baking sweet treats for her friends.