Our Staff

Emilio Panasci | Founder, Executive Director

Emilio is the Co-founder and Executive Director of Urban Agriculture Cooperative, and a Program Director of Planting Seeds of Hope. These non profit organizations are important parts of Newark NJ's local food system and green community development.

For UAC, Emilio manages staff, development, and project budgets, completes grants, and oversees the daily program work of the organization. Emilio has a Bachelor’s from Rutgers College Honors Program and his Masters in City and Regional Planning from Rutgers Bloustein School of Planning and Policy Development, with a focus on community development organizations. Emilio has worked 13 years in non-profits and urban agricultural projects, with a passion for social justice, community development, healthy sustainable living practices, and integrated neighborhoods. Outside of UAC, he coaches youth Ultimate Frisbee for Columbia High School in his hometown of Maplewood/South Orange New Jersey.

Ursula Kirk | Food Hub Manager

Ursula Kirk serves as UAC’s online farmers market manager for The Cooperative Market. She joins UAC with a background in Wholesale Account management and Farmers Market Management with Dogwood Farms, a certified organic farm located in Basking Ridge, NJ. Between her earlier experience working in luxury brand retail and now agriculture, Ursula has over 10 years of management, customer service and sales experience. Ursula discovered her passion for farming and agriculture during her service as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Bulgaria. Living in a small village with less than 400 people, everyone had their own garden, their own livestock and thus everything-from their cheeses to their wine, and rakia, was "domashno"-the Bulgarian word for homemade. The Bulagarian's natural and organic way of living, and their connection and understanding of nature-the land, the seasons, the animals...Ursula was inspired to make this a significant part of her life when she returned to the US.

Ursula is also the co-founder of non profit, F3B, a scholar athlete program that brings high school aged teenagers to Africa every summer for a cross cultural exchange program. Ursula is a proud HBCU alum, receiving her bachelors in Economics from Florida A&M University. In her spare time, Ursula likes to read, watch Golden Girls and peruse YouTube for videos of kittens and puppies.

Lorraine Gibbons | Food Business Development

Lorraine Gibbons is an accomplished leader in urban farming, sustainable food systems development, and education/vocational job training. She has collaborated with nonprofit, government, and faith-based organizations to provide agri-business development, employment opportunities, educational programming, and low-cost healthy food in urban areas with limited access to fresh and nutritious food since 2008.

Lorraine joined the Urban Ag Cooperative in March 2022 as a Business Development Consultant after a twelve-year tenure with the RWJBarnabas Health (RWJBH) System. Lorraine coordinated the pilot phase of the RWJBH Food Hubs Initiative, a collaborative undertaking of local nonprofits, businesses, and farmers working to eliminate food insecurity in Newark, New Jersey. UAC was an integral partner in the pilot stage of this initiative, working on a community level to expand food access, create and improve distribution channels with urban and rural farmers, and educate residents on nutrition and healthy eating in overall health outcomes. RWJBH recently contracted UAC to manage the expansion of the Food Hub. Lorraine will serve as a liaison between RWJBH and UAC, assisting with the expansion of food access initiatives to the system's hospitals and surrounding communities throughout the state. Lorraine will also lead our farm-to-school initiatives throughout Newark and the region.

Lorraine was the CEO and founder of Brick City Urban Farms in 2008, Garden State Urban Farms (2010), and a co-founder of Radicle Farm Company (2014). Through these organizations, Lorraine developed employment, training, and educational opportunities for traditionally difficult-to-employ populations, including college students, ex-offenders, developmentally disabled adults, and at-risk adolescents. GSUF's clients include Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Arthur & Friends Greenhouse Project, Jersey City Department of Health and Human Services, Garfield Department of Public Health and the YMCA, Prodigal Sons and Daughters Re-entry Program, the School District of Orange, NJ, and the Branch Brook Park Alliance in Partnership with Essex County.

Through previous educational consulting work, Lorraine created the area's first sustainable farm-to-school program at a public elementary school. She also developed an innovative, comprehensive nature and arts-based after-school program funded by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation for at-risk youth and their families. In her previous career, Lorraine worked as a commodities trader for J. Aron, Goldman Sachs, and Oppenheimer & Co. in London, Chicago, and New York.

Markets and Packing Crew (Various!)

The people that you see at our Farmer’s Markets, or in our packing hub, or helping harvest and run produce around the City to get to customers. They are students, recent grads, young entrepreneurs, artists and healthy food advocates! Our life-blood and the backbone of tomorrow’s food system.

Avika Bansal | Tech Development Intern

Avika is an Associate at Boston Consulting Group and provides tech advisory services for UAC. She graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with BS in Chemical Engineering. Avika has been an active advocate of food insecurity in NJ since she was 8 years old, and has experience volunteering with the Community Food Bank of NJ as a Student Ambassador, the Covenant House in Newark, and United Way. She was awarded the Prudential Spirit of Community Award as a Distinguished Finalist for exceptional community service.

Laura Cole | Customer Relationships

Laura Cole is a passionate and dedicated food & social justice advocate, organizer, and grower committed to building equitable and sustainable food systems for all. Born and raised in the vibrant urban community of Newark NJ. Early exposure and witnessing firsthand the disparities in access to fresh, healthy, and culturally relevant food fuels her determination to address food and social injustice and advocate for positive change. Laura’s background in Behavioral Science, Emergency Medical Services, and natural medicine cultivated a deep understanding of the intersectionality between food, our overall health, environment, and social justice. Through collaborative grassroot efforts and advocacy for policy reform Laura aims to engage and empower communities to make informed decisions and take control of their food destinies.

Brittany Forslind | Assistant to the Food Hub Director

Brittany is particularly interested in closed loops, and learning the flow of the food cycle. She is drawn to environmental justice initiatives providing local solutions to communities. Her favorite part about working at Urban Agriculture Cooperative is learning about different vegetables, their growing seasons, and about the local farmers around Newark!