Events

Dell deChant is a Master Instructor in the Department of Religious Studies at USF, where he has served since 1986. The author of three books, over 35 articles in professional publications, and chapters in twelve books, deChant's specialization is religion and contemporary cultures. His research focuses on religious, literary, and ecological expressions of Agrarianism in American popular culture. He is the Convener of the USF Urban Food Sovereignty Group, a founding member of the Pasco County Food Policy Council, and a board member of Florida Food Policy Council. 

Rev. Dr. Gabriel Morgan is the pastor of St Paul Lutheran Church on Central Ave, the chair of the Care for Creation Committee for the Hillsborough Organization for Progress and Equality, and a member of the board of Lutherans Restoring Creation. 

Erica Hardison is board president for One Community Grocery Co-op, a start-up cooperatively owned grocery store in St. Pete’s Southside neighborhood. She has worked in St. Petersburg for over 20 years to promote meaningful change in a variety of areas based on her foundational goal of making the lives of all people better through sustainable, cooperative and collaborative development. Her experience as an educator, small business owner, and community organizer, has honed her natural ability to solve problems and think logically, creatively, and globally, while acting locally. 

Erica Hall, M.S. CED, MBA, ARM, is Board Chair/Executive Director of the Florida Food Policy Council, a statewide food policy council addressing gaps in Florida’s food system. Erica is also Executive Committee Vice-Chair of the Suncoast Sierra Club, Co-Chair of the Sierra Club Florida Chapter Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and a member of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Food Security Advisory Committee. Erica is working with the League of Women Voters and the City of St. Petersburg to develop a Food Policy Council for the City of St. Petersburg. 

Alex Baron is Community Wellness Coordinator at Harvest Hope Park Garden run by the University Area CDC. His love for nature and food started at UCF while working at for UCF’s Wellness and Health Promotion Services and its Arboretum. After graduating, he joined Brick Street Farms, a hydroponic shipping container farm in St. Petersburg. Wanting to connect more with local communities, he shifted focus to community gardens and found Harvest Hope Park Garden, where he educates volunteers about gardening and create spaces for individuals to connect with nature, food and each other.

Dhalia Bumbaca is Director of Development & Programming at The Well Incorporated. Dhalia joined The Well after co-founding WellFed Community, a social enterprise addressing food sovereignty, that now is part of The Well's ecosystem. Dhalia is also currently a co-host of The Well's new podcast, Tampa Talk, aimed at sharing local news with Tampa residents. A proud USF Bull, Dhalia received her undergraduate degree and Master's degree at the University of South Florida and continues to work closely with students, faculty, and staff in order to provide opportunities for community relationships. 

Jon Dengler is CEO of The Well Incorporated. As an entrepreneurial founder Jon has helped build and launch several of the programs and social enterprises that now constitute the Well’s ecosystem. Jon is the host of The Work Ethic Podcast, a series of long form interviews with a wide range of voices from differing vocations. He is also a columnist and editor for Word on the Streets, a local weekly digital publication for Tampa residents. Jon has been recognized nationally for his social entrepreneurship efforts. He was one of 15 U.S. fellows to be recruited by Red Bull Amaphiko for their social enterprise academy, he is one of 5 recipients of the Sorcerer Scholarship with Gary Vaynerchuk, and he was listed in Real Leaders 2018 list of 100 Visionary Leaders among names like Bill Gates, Angelina Jolie, and Nobel Peace Laureate President Juan Manual Santos of Colombia.  

William Schanbacher, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at USF and co-founder of the USF Urban Food Sovereignty Group. He is the author of three books and a forthcoming book with Whitney Fung, Food Insecurity: A Reference Handbook (ABC-CLIO, forthcoming, 2022), which addresses the history of food insecurity in the United States through the lens of food sovereignty and food justice. His research and teaching interests concentrate on religious and social ethics, globalization and poverty, food justice, and anti-racism in the food system.