Sydney joined Jefferson Land Trust in 2023 as our Development Assistant. Her background is in small, artisanal organic farming; she completed an apprenticeship at Full Circle Farm in Sunnyvale, California, in 2008. After this pivotal experience, she moved on to establish and run a small organic farm near Monterey, California, growing organic heirloom tomatoes and other produce for a local resort and restaurant. Just prior to Jefferson Land Trust, Sydney worked in higher education, where she developed and managed strategic processes for key accreditation areas, Title V federal grants, and oversaw the class scheduling process. Her undergraduate degree is from Whittier College, with a Master’s degree in management science from Johnson & Wales University, where she also subsequently worked in Career Services and as a field admissions representative on the West Coast. In these roles, she supported students in career planning and internship placement, and developed relationships with over 300 California high schools to recruit students to the college. In her spare time, she enjoys time with her family and grandchildren, growing and preserving food, making soap, spinning yarn from locally sourced fiber, knitting, quilting, and sewing.