Vision Keepers
Board Members
Matthew Unzeitig,
Harvest Keeper Helper
Matthew spends his time raising sons Ziggy and Arthur (5 and 4 years old), maintaining quality rental housing in Lake and St. Louis Counties, and remodeling abandoned houses to return them into service. Matthew holds a Master of Urban and Regional Planning degree from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at UMN-Twin Cities with minors in Ecological Restoration, Sustainable Agricultural Systems, and Integrative Therapies and Healing. Matthew is a two-tour army veteran with incurred disabilities. His life passions include family, healing, Permaculture, ecologically sustainable and affordable housing, cooperative business models, and decommodification of land.
Lucy Carlson,
Board Member
Lucy is the Finance Lead at Friends of Finland, and a graduate University of Minnesota where she got to study organic and local food systems. Lucy came to the LAA through her senior capstone project as an intern. She is passionate about improving food systems at the local level and reducing barriers to entry for emerging farmers.
Shannon Walz,
Path Keeper (Chair)
Shannon is an organizational leadership and education consultant. She is interested in building a more socially and environmentally just future and believes that our relationship with the land and community engagement is core to achieving this future.
Lise Abazs,
Harvest Keeper (Treasurer)
Lise is the Executive Director of North Shore Area Partners and the Treasurer for the Town of Crystal Bay. She is also a family farmer growing fruit, vegetables, seeds and livestock. She embraces re-imagining sustainability and our relationship with the land.
Trailblazer
Alliance Director
Rumbidzai Masawi
Rumbidzai is an international Sustainable Development Professional who values the wisdom and simplicity of indigenous natural capital stewards. She finds inspiration in grassroot innovation and initiatives. Personally, she loves growing food and sharing different cultural tastes.
Advisory Council
Teresa Kittridge
Teresa is the Founder and President of 100 Rural Women with a cross sector professional career and service in elected office. She lives in the Chippewa National Forest and is passionate about rural people, places, culture, justice and community.
Honor Schauland
Honor is the the Program Lead with Friends of the Finland Community. Her work with Friends of Finland attempts to bridge divides and expand access to essential community needs from access to local foods to youth mentorship and local business incubation. She is interested in how rural issues and land access issues intersect with race and class.
Kelsey Gantzer
Kelsey is the Executive Director at the Duluth Community School Collaborative. She is interested in removing barriers to food sovereignty faced by individuals and communities.
David Abazs
David is the Executive Director of the Northeast Regional Sustainable Development Partnership and is the Supervisor for Lake County SWCD. He is also a family farmer growing vegetables, seeds, and climate-forward tree seedlings. He's working to bring equity, justice and sustainability to our region through collaborative partnerships and "on the ground" projects that make the change needed.