Our Team

Jody Tick joined Sunflower in August 2021 as Executive Director. Jody leads the organization to operationalize its mission of using food as a tool for greater training and employment opportunities for people with learning differences. Jody is focused on Sunflower Bakery’s long-standing partnerships; the creation of innovative new partnerships; and growth of Sunflower’s work to reach and employ more students.

Jody has 30 years of experience managing food system-related programs and projects for DC-based nonprofits focused on international and domestic hunger and poverty alleviation; food safety; and the promotion of healthy food access to underserved communities.

Prior to Sunflower Bakery, Jody spent 15 years at the Capital Area Food Bank where she served most recently as the Chief Operating Officer. In this role, Jody was responsible for the management of the CAFB’s daily operations, strategic work addressing root causes of food insecurity, and using data and metrics to inform resource allocation decisions. jody@sunflowerbakery.org

Beth joined the Sunflower team in December 2025 as the Director of Admissions and Student Services. She is committed to fostering inclusive, supportive, and high-quality experiences for all students throughout their journey at Sunflower. Beth holds a Masters Degree in Special Education, Applied Behavior Analysis. She also has over 18 years of experience working with at-risk and special needs populations. In her last position, Beth was the Behavior Specialist for a public school district, in Pennsylvania where she provided services for six schools, K-12. She is passionate about working with students with special needs to realize their unlimited best. beth.brady@sunflowerbakery.org

Liz Hutter is an accomplished culinary professional and operations leader with extensive experience in baking, program development, and team leadership. A Pastry Arts graduate of L’Academie de Cuisine, her career has spanned roles at notable establishments such as The Watergate Hotel and RSVP Catering. As the Bakery Operations and Training Director at Sunflower Bakery, she manages daily operations, ensures food safety compliance, and leads training programs designed to empower individuals through hands-on learning.

A key achievement in her career has been developing Sunflower Bakery’s Pastry Arts curriculum, which combines technical training with a mission to create meaningful opportunities for growth. Liz’s expertise includes logistics planning, budgeting, and fostering community engagement, all with a focus on operational excellence and mission alignment.

Liz is passionate about creating inclusive environments, supporting personal and professional growth, and driving organizational success. liz@sunflowerbakery.org

Ellen Shimberg joined Sunflower Bakery as Director of Development, bringing over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, with a strong focus on supporting individuals with disabilities. A Philadelphia native, Ellen is dedicated to advancing inclusive opportunities and strengthening community impact through meaningful partnerships and strategic fundraising.

In her role, Ellen leads Sunflower Bakery’s development efforts, cultivating long-standing relationships while building new partnerships to expand the organization’s reach. She is committed to growing resources that support Sunflower’s mission of providing training and employment opportunities for people with learning differences.

Ellen’s extensive background in nonprofit development has centered on creating sustainable funding strategies and engaging diverse stakeholders to drive mission-focused outcomes. Her work reflects a deep commitment to empowering individuals and fostering inclusive communities. ellen.shimberg@sunflowerbakery.org

Chef Rebecca joined the Sunflower team in July 2024. Joining us with over 20 years of pastry experience in locations all over the country. Having worked in country clubs, small bakeries, resorts, fine dining venues, and more, she is looking forward to sharing her love of the world of pastry with students just starting out on their own journey. chefrebecca@sunflowerbakery.org

Chef John took on his role here at Sunflower in May 2026. He has worked in DC and Maryland for the last 20 years, going through the roles of cashier, cook, kitchen manager, sous chef, and executive chef. After attending L’Academie de Cusine, he continued his culinary career with a strong focus on local and seasonal cuisine. John looks forward to bringing his time and experience to the Sunflower Bakery family, with the hope that he can continue the standard of excellence set down by those before him. john.arnold@sunflowerbakery.org

Joe joined the team in August 2024 as the Cafe Manager and Hospitality Instructor. Joe has spent the last 12 years managing in the retail field in Rockville and is an asset to Sunflower and our students. In addition to his retail work qualifications, he has experience working with young adults with learning differences in retail and hospitality settings. joe@sunflowerbakery.org

Natashia joined the Sunflower Bakery in April 2026. brings a background in hospitality, customer service, event coordination, and administrative operations to her role. With strong skills in communication, leadership, organization, and team support, she looks forward to continuing to provide a positive, structured, and encouraging environment where individuals can build confidence, develop practical workplace skills, and grow within the hospitality industry. natashia.boston@sunflowerbakery.org

Vickie joined Sunflower in May 2023. A native of Washington, DC, Vickie has been training and teaching for over 20 years. Since 2018, she has served as an adjunct instructor at Prince Georges Community College in the Department of Wellness, Culinary Arts and Hospitality. She is also a Workforce Development instructor specializing in customer service and life skills development. Vickie holds undergraduate and master’s degrees in human services with a focus in juvenile justice. She is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Education/Community Care and Counseling/Trauma Focus where she has begun her dissertation and hopes to complete her studies by late 2024 or early 2025. vickie@sunflowerbakery.org

Madison joined the Sunflower team in September 2025 as the Development Associate. She graduated in May 2025 with a Master’s degree in Nonprofit Management and Leadership where she learned about fundraising and stewardship practices, grant writing and event planning. She is excited to use these skills in this role and for the opportunity to further the mission of such an impactful organization. madison.colonna@sunflowerbakery.org

Chef Olivia joined us in November 2024, bringing her passion for decorating and a solid foundation in baking from the Culinary Institute of America. Her diverse experience includes working in bake shops across the country, from New Hampshire to Texas, and she most recently honed her skills at Fiola Mare in Georgetown. At Sunflower, Chef Olivia focuses on production and decorating, with a particular love for creating exquisite royal icing cookies. She believes that with passion, patience, and perseverance, anyone can achieve their goals. Chef Olivia is excited to inspire and guide our students as they grow and realize their potential. chefolivia@sunflowerbakery.org

Dan joined the Sunflower Culinary team in April 2026. He is a graduate of L’Académie de Cuisine and former instructor, with a diverse culinary career across both the East and West Coasts. His background spans restaurants of all sizes, luxury hotels, and private chef work. In addition to his time in professional kitchens, he is especially passionate about culinary education and mentoring the next generation of chefs. Known for his strong foundation in technique and adaptable approach, he brings both real-world experience and enthusiasm to training and working alongside students in the kitchen. daniel.hamblett@sunflowerbakery.org

Kegan joined Sunflower in March 2025 as the Program Coordinator bringing with her 5 years of experience in mental health. She has a passion for helping people feel seen and supported. At Sunflower Bakery she plans on continuing to help others by working closely with the directors to help successfully support them in their role for the students. kegan@sunflowerbakery.org

Jenifer Miller joined Sunflower Bakery in May 2026. She brings over 15 years of experience in operations, event coordination, and team leadership across hospitality and restaurant environments in the DC metro area. She holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration and has a strong track record in logistics, client relationship management, and staff development. At Sunflower Bakery, Jenifer supports the day-to-day systems and infrastructure that keep our programs and catering operations running smoothly. jenifer.miller@sunflowerbakery.org

As co-founder, Sara was instrumental in helping to establish Sunflower. She now focuses on students and families interested in our Pastry Arts and Hospitality employment training and teen programs. She has helped to develop our curricula and expand our reach to young adults and teens with learning differences in Metro DC. Sara has 45+ years of experience in the disability field and is so proud of Sunflower’s journey. sara@sunflowerbakery.org.

Chef Anna joined Sunflower Bakery in March 2021. She has worked as an Executive Pastry Chef in Washington DC for over the last 13 years. She enjoyed three years at Metropolitan Club of Washington DC where she had the opportunity to train with former White House Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier and another 10 years running a large convention hotel pastry shop at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel. She recognizes the importance of structured learning that will help an individual achieve their true potential and goals. Anna is a passionate teacher, loves sharing her enthusiasm for pastry and finds being a part of the staff at Sunflower to be a very rewarding experience and opportunity. chefanna@sunflowerbakery.org

Janis came to Sunflower in January 2017. She assists customers in placing orders and focuses on developing and implementing our internal databases and ecommerce systems. Janis also serves as our resident IT specialist and website manager. janis@sunflowerbakery.org.

Chris joined Sunflower in December, 2023. As a chef and educator, for more than 25 years, Chris has worked the culinary gamut from fine dining restaurants to cooking with teens on a sustainable farm to personalized catering and from teaching ESL students the fundamentals of culinary arts in a year long program to being an Executive Chef for international food service organizations like Sodexo and most recently Compass Group. His love for cooking has always been driven by the communities it creates. His love for teaching is his true passion. The diversity of his nine years educating youth, teens, college students and adults as well as the many ethnic, cultural, foreign languages spoken and learning differences has continued to leave him humbled knowing that food is a commonality we all have and is a great contributor to life. Having a son with learning differences, Chris knows first hand the needs of our students and is not only committed to their success as cooks yet as individuals as well. chefchris@sunflowerbakery.org

Chef Marion brings more than 25 years of experience as a pastry chef in the DC area to her position as the lead instructor of our pastry program.  Her calm and supportive demeanor in addition to her skill and deep knowledge of the industry provide a warm, expert and caring introduction for our students. marion@sunflowerbakery.org.

Penina M. Randolph came to Sunflower in May 2026. She is a bakery professional with over two decades of experience spanning production, operations, and customer-facing leadership. A graduate of Baltimore International College with an Associate’s Degree in Baking and Pastry, she has built her career across acclaimed establishments including Epicerie Boulud in Manhattan and Zak the Baker in Miami, before serving as General Manager of Pastries By Randolph. There, she led FOH team training, developed multi-platform e-commerce systems focused on customer convenience, and oversaw branding and visual merchandising to ensure a cohesive, welcoming experience at every touchpoint. Now, as Director of Customer Experience at Sunflower Bakery, Penina looks forward to drawing on her rich industry background to elevate every aspect of the customer experience — making each visit as memorable as it is delicious. penina.randolph@sunflowerbakery.org

Lauren excitedly joined the Sunflower team in September 2024 as an Employment Specialist. They recently graduated from Towson University in spring 2024 and are currently pursuing their Masters degree in Counseling Psychology at the University of Baltimore. As a mental health advocate, Lauren is committed to fighting stigma surrounding mental health and raising support within communities. lauren@sunflowerbakery.org

Dalia joined our team in April 2026. Dalia has over 30 years of experience developing a much-loved catering business in Rockville, with a reputation for both excellence and genuine care. In addition, she worked as Catering Lead at Balducci’s and bakery and patisserie production and training at Wegmans. In her role as Customer Service Representative, Dalia is energized by the passion and dedication of the Sunflower team. She especially enjoys welcoming clients and helping them discover the program’s growing bakery and culinary offerings. dalia.schulman@sunflowerbakery.org

Paige join ed the Sunflower team in January 2024. She aims to be a vibrant force behind empowering young adults to kick-start their careers. As an Employment Specialist at Sunflower Bakery, Paige uses her Masters degree and diverse skill set to assist students in various skills from resume refinement to interview mastery. Paige believes in the power of passion and purpose to drive both personal and professional growth, and aims to help each student reach their fullest potential. paige@sunflowerbakery.org

Jessica joined the Sunflower team in September 2024, as a member of the Maryland Service Year Option. She has two years of experience in customer service, and is thrilled to be assisting the bakery with their student hospitality training program. Jessica hopes to further her skills in a professional job setting while also giving back to the community around her. jessicasteyskal@sunflowerbakery.org

Courtney joined Sunflower in July of 2025. A graduate of Johnson & Wales Universities Pastry and Baking Arts program, Class of 2015, they bring with them several years of bakery, cafe, restaurant and retail experience. From banquet baking in a hotel, to rolling hundreds of croissants, to helping managing the flow of a restaurant, they have done a little bit of everything in the DMV culinary world. As someone with neurological differences, and a sibling on the autism spectrum, they are excited to participate in the mission of Sunflower, providing further education and job training to those with learning differences in their own community. chefcourtney@sunflowerbakery.org

Alex joined the Sunflower team in October 2025 and brings more than 20 years of hands-on culinary experience to the kitchen. With a passion for cooking that started in childhood, Alex worked his way through all levels of the kitchen to master the craft with dedication and discipline. His career lead to as Executive Chef at Rams Head Roadhouse, and eventually to launching his own catering company. Today he is passionate about sharing his knowledge with the next generation of culinarians and helping students build confidence, strong technique, and pride in their work as they discover their own path in the culinary arts. alex.white@sunflowerbakery.org