Leadership Team
Directors Team
Emilio Panasci | Executive Director
Emilio Panasci is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of UAC, where he leads statewide strategy, supply‑chain development, and cross‑sector partnerships that strengthen New Jersey’s local food economy. Under his leadership, UAC has grown from a Newark‑based aggregation pilot into a coordinated statewide food‑hub system that connects small and mid‑sized farmers with community partners, institutions, and public agencies.
He represents UAC in statewide policy and planning efforts, including the New Jersey Food Democracy Collaborative, the Office of the Food Security Advocate, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, and regional convenings focused on farmer viability, land access, and local procurement. His work centers on building the infrastructure, relationships, and operational clarity needed to move more New Jersey‑grown food into communities while expanding economic opportunity for growers.
Before founding UAC, Emilio spent more than a decade in community development, urban agriculture, and local food systems. He has designed and managed farmers' markets, supported community‑garden restoration, designed greenhouse and hydroponic systems and programs, and developed early aggregation and distribution models that shaped UAC’s current supply‑chain approach. He also writes about food systems, urban land use, and community development in his Substack publication Farm to City Food Systems, exploring the intersections of food, planning, and social equity.
Ursula Kirk | Director of Farm to City Operations
Ursula Kirk leads UAC’s relationship‑based systems, aligning supply and demand across farmers, institutions, and community partners. She oversees procurement strategy, supports long‑term planning, and ensures that growers and partners experience reliable, coordinated service. Her work strengthens the connective tissue of UAC’s supply chain, ensuring that farmers have stable markets and that partners receive consistent, high‑quality local food.
Ursula brings a background in agriculture, wholesale distribution, and community development, giving her a grounded understanding of both the production and community‑access sides of the food system. She is known for her steady leadership and her ability to build trust with growers, partners, and institutional stakeholders. Her work ensures that UAC’s supply‑chain operations remain responsive, transparent, and rooted in long‑term relations.
Bridgette Byrd | Director of Workforce Development
Bridgette Byrd leads UAC’s workforce development strategy, including youth apprenticeship, training pathways, and volunteer engagement. She designs and manages structured learning experiences that give young people and emerging professionals hands‑on exposure to sustainable agriculture, logistics, food production, and entrepreneurship. Her work ensures that UAC’s daily operations double as a training ground for the next generation of sustainable food‑system leaders.
Bridgette brings extensive experience in youth development, career readiness, and school-based programming, with a strong foundation in sustainable food systems and community-based food education. She works closely with Newark Public Schools, Rutgers Newark, and community partners to align UAC’s apprenticeship pathways with CTE standards and real-world workforce needs. Bridgette is known for her warmth, clarity, and ability to create supportive, high-expectation environments where young people can grow, contribute, and lead.
Keimar Maynard | Manager of Operations & Logistics
Keimar Maynard oversees the warehouse operations that anchor UAC’s supply chain. He manages receiving, inspection, packing, distribution, inventory, and transportation coordination, ensuring that food moves safely and efficiently from farms to community partners. His leadership ensures that UAC’s logistics systems remain reliable, scalable, and aligned with the needs of both farmers and community organizations.
Keimar brings deep experience in logistics, warehouse management, and community‑based food distribution. He supervises youth apprentices and part‑time staff, creating a learning‑centered environment where young people gain real‑world experience in supply‑chain operations. He is known for his calm presence, operational discipline, and commitment to building systems that work for people — farmers, partners, and youth.
Program Staff
Ayushi Shah | Communications and Administration Support
Ayushi Shah supports the growth of UAC’s internal and external communications and back-end administration systems. She coordinates content creation for multiple social platforms, assists with grants and development, participates in land use and policy projects, and organizes internal technology and platform development. Her work strengthens relationships and workflows with the community by streamlining the various internal processes that get local food from farm to city.
Ayushi brings diverse experience in architecture, urban design, sustainability, and marketing, with special skills in organizational management, analysis, and reporting. She works closely with the Directors team to develop strong systems that ensure smooth delivery of information to/from staff, farmers, and community partners and members. She is known for her attention to detail and passion for understanding how the local food system is integrated into urban planning practices, specifically focusing on how urban planning tools and skills can be used to analyze and address food insecurity.
Poe Rosenberg | Warehouse Support and Culinary Liaison
Poe Rosenberg is the senior staff member on the warehouse team focusing on fulfillment of farm to city orders, as well as support on the culinary operations side at Harvest. She leads daily operations on the warehouse floor (concerning receiving, quality control, packing, and staging) and helps redirect product into value-added use. Working to align with the RWJBH director, she will lead the UAC staff on days when production of shelf stable and value-added goods takes place.
Poe brings her extensive restaurant and culinary background to UAC as a coordinator between UAC supply chain and projects in the Harvest kitchen. Through several years of volunteering at and working with community gardens throughout Newark and New York City and learning about food systems in the region, she provides a deep knowledge about the urban farm and food systems. She is known for her adaptability in a dynamic environment and her passion about building capacity in communities experiencing food apartheid and moving towards a food sovereign future.
