Meet Chris Schwartz: Our New Executive Director Leading the Charge for a Thriving Food System in Iowa
The Iowa Food System Coalition is excited to announce that we have named Chris Schwartz as our new executive director. Chris brings to the coalition many skills and talents developed over his long career in community organizing and public policy, having spent the last 18 years as a staff person with Americans for Democratic Action. Chris is also serving in his second term as a Black Hawk County Supervisor and is the current board chair. IFSC is delighted to welcome Chris to guide our coalition into the future as we prepare to release our food system plan “Setting the Table for All Iowans”.
A message from our new Executive Director:
“I am over the moon with excitement to be the new Executive Director of the Iowa Food System Coalition. Together we will set the table and set the future for all Iowans. A future full of pride over things big and small Iowans are doing to create, build, expand, and celebrate a food system that is local, regional, nutritious, sustainable, economically thriving, and just. We are farmers, labor, academics, legislators, activist, food professionals, and volunteers standing side-by-side embarking on a bold new path for our beloved Iowa.
I offer to you my commitment to the cause, my commitment to equitable practices, and my faith in you and your abilities. In my first weeks as your new director I have been blown away by the talent, thoughtfulness, and collaborative spirit of this coalition’s members. I have often said that as an elected official the most important skill I have developed is recognizing and then empowering expertise. I am here to empower the talent, determination, and expertise of this coalition.
One of the reasons I am grateful to have been given this opportunity is to continue my own personal healing journey. I lost my beautiful husband Logun Buckley to suicide in December of 2021. Before his death he shared with me his own experiences with food insecurity as a child, and how that trauma followed and hurt him for the rest of his life until it was ultimately one of the pains that overwhelmed and took him away from me. So, I do this work in honor of my husband, in honor of all of those who have been hurt or left behind by a food system that is not working for them.
When I am not doing food systems work or my duties as a County Supervisor, I have a number of interests and hobbies that keep me busy. I am a multi-instrumentalist musician with upright and electric bass as my main instruments. I have a rock band called The Harmony Electric where in addition to playing bass I also play theremin, Linnstrament, and synthesizers. Being an uncle to my nieces and nephews is my favorite thing in the word. I love to garden and sometimes feature my gardens on public tours. I also love to cook, and bake, especially for parties big and small.
In 2018 my late husband Logun and I purchased the “Rath Mansion” (Rath Meatpacking) in Waterloo’s historic Highland Neighborhood. Since that time we have hosted countless parties, fundraisers, candidate events, organizing meetings, and concerts. We also developed a reputation for going all out with holiday decorations, both inside and out. This is something I continue to grow and expand upon each year. I also enjoy traveling, antiquing, finding new regional foods, and volunteering in the community. I serve on a number of local, state, and national boards and do some work for the Northeast Iowa and Riverbend Foodbanks around food insecurity policy.
I look forward to this opportunity to amplify and grow our coalitions work as we operationalize our food system plan.
Thank you for your time, action, and dedication.
Chris Schwartz
(he/him/his)
Executive Director
Iowa Food System Coalition
