The Commons is pleased to announce that after a brief transition period, Ben Rasmussen has been hired as the new Executive Director.
Mr. Rasmussen has a long history of food security work in southwest New Mexico. Previously serving as the Chief Executive Officer for the National Center for Frontier Communities and as the founding director of the Frontier Food Hub from 2018-2025.
Since moving to New Mexico over a decade ago, Mr. Rasmussen has worked with dozens of local food producers, food hub networks and both state and federal agencies and has served as a national advocate for sustainable agriculture policy around the nation.
"My experience in the regional food and ag space is broad. I have designed and scaled coalitions, programs and partnerships in southwest New Mexico and across the state." Said Mr. Rasmussen.
The Commons was founded in 2004 as the Volunteer Center of Grant County and has grown into a vital resource for the community, providing fresh food, education and connective opportunities to achieve its mission of cultivating food security, self-sufficiency, and sustainability in Grant County.
"The board is very excited to have Ben in place as our new Executive Director given his proven leadership skills, knowledge of the local community and food systems and his vision for a robust future for The Commons." Said Ellen Pryor, board chair for The Commons.
Last year, The Commons distributed over 300 tons of food to residents across five sites in Grant County, citing a 70% increase in demand for services. Additionally, The Commons provided over 1,200 weekend food backpacks for students and nearly 1,000 emergency food boxes while directing over 3,000 hours of volunteer labor and providing hundreds of hours of youth and adult education in gardening, sustainable food production and healthy cooking.
