Staff + Board

Market Manager

Sandy Lawler — In 2023, Sandy joined SMFM as its new market manager. The New England native and longtime Baltimorean moved to Tilghman in 2021 after spending more than a decade renting in the area and shopping at the local farmers markets. She and her husband enjoy renovating their home, biking, kayaking, and chasing their Talbot rescue, Loki. She comes to the SMFM with a background that includes sustainability, food access, professional kitchens, and the Baltimore Farmers Market & Bazaar.

Board of Directors

Tracy Ward — President — This is Tracy’s third year on the SMFM board and first year as board president. A resident of Royal Oak, she works as the CEO of Bluebird Enterprises, a small-business strategic development firm. She also serves on the board of Blue Oyster Environmental and is a member of the Tred Avon Yacht Club. In her spare time, she loves to tend to her own home garden.

Jacalyn Baxendale — Vice President — Jacalyn is in her fourth year on the SMFM board, previously serving as secretary before joining as VP this year. She is a speech language pathologist and also teaches group fitness at the local YMCA. Her passion for the environment resulted in starting Salt & Stream, a volunteer group that cleans up litter on the beaches and shorelines of Talbot County. Jacalyn lives in St. Michaels with her husband and son.

Michael McMillan — Treasurer — Michael is in his first year on the SMFM board. He joins the market with a rich background in academia at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. School of Business, Johns Hopkins University’s Carey School of Business, and George Washington University’s School of Business, in addition to serving as the director of ethics, education, and professional standards at CFA Institute for more than a decade. He is a CFA, CCEP, CIC, and CPA. Michael has lived in St. Michaels since 2021, when he started volunteering at the SMFM. In his spare time, he enjoys walking his dog Marvia, playing bridge, and exercising at the local YMCA.

Robert Vitale — Secretary — Robert is in his first year on the SMFM board. He is a St. Michaels resident and regular volunteer at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and St. Michaels Community Center. In addition to supporting our local farmers and families, Robert and his wife, Janice, are actively involved in developing two conservation projects in South Africa: a rehabilitation-and-release clinic for injured and orphaned bush animals adjacent to both South Africa’s Kruger National Park and a privately managed and patrolled game reserve surrounding the Loskop Dam, to which high-value endangered species will be brought from neighboring game parks to provide better protection and promote greater biodiversity.

Catherine Renzi — Vendor Chair — Catherine joined the SMFM Board in 2023 after relocating to Talbot County from Chester County, Pennsylvania. She owned and operated Yellow Springs Farm, a goat dairy and native plants nursery from 2001 to 2021. Catherine enjoys shopping at the market and cooking with fresh ingredients. She has volunteer experience with organizations supporting artists, land conservation, and agriculture. She is a business consultant and landscape designer. Catherine now particularly enjoys kayaking and oil painting in her new home.

Deborah Schule — Volunteer Chair — Deborah is new to the board, but as a five-year volunteer herself, she is now responsible for soliciting and managing the SMFM’s vibrant volunteer program. Deborah owns her own media and marketing firm and has served on a variety of non-profit boards in Arlington, Virginia, before moving to St. Michaels five years ago. She believes that volunteering is a great way to meet other members of the community and support efforts to make St. Michaels a great place to live.

Sandy Boyd — Education Chair — This is Sandy’s second year with the SMFM board. She lives in St. Michaels with her husband and has been both a loyal patron and volunteer for the SMFM. A believer in community involvement in decision-making, she heads the non-profit Seek Common Ground, engaging students, families, educators, and community leaders in education decisions. Sandy has 20-plus years of legal, policy and nonprofit experience.

Wallace Doolin — Fundraising Chair — This is Wally’s first year on the SMFM board after joining as a weekly volunteer in 2023 and being an enthusiastic patron for many years. After nearly two decades on the national board of Share Our Strength / No Kid Hungry, one of the largest anti-hunger organizations in the country, Wally has shifted his focus toward making a local impact on making. A resident of St. Michaels, Wally brings many years of experience as an executive and entrepreneur in the restaurant, retail, and technology industries. He, his wife Joni, and his sister-in-law Nancy own Ship Print Connect in Easton and he volunteers weekly at the St. Vincent de Paul food bank.

Nora Tan — Marketing & Communications Chair — Nora is new to the SMFM Board this year, having become involved as a market volunteer, vendor committee member, and enthusiastic patron after moving to St. Michaels with her husband in early 2023.  She has 25 years of experience as an R&D leader and research scientist, and currently manages her own leadership, coaching, and consulting firm.  Nora has a passion for bringing the community together to enjoy the beautiful Eastern Shore summers in fun and healthy ways.  If you can’t find her biking around town, look for her paddle boarding, kayaking or sailing on Broad Creek.

Kerri Clear — Education + Outreach — This is Kerry’s first year on the SMFM board. The Eastern Shore native studied education at Salisbury University, pursued a hospitality career in Charleston, then returned home to be closer to family. She is now the Executive Chef at the St. Michaels Community Center, where her cooking focuses on a farm-to-table approach and providing nutritious menu offerings to local residents. She also works with fellow local chefs and food distribution programs to coordinate food donations, including fresh produce and cooked dishes, throughout Talbot County.

Additional guidance from Jordan Lloyd and Donna Woolf.

Communications

Elizabeth Beggins — Social Media — Elizabeth helped launch the St. Michaels Farmers Market in 1998 and has served as manager, producer, and volunteer since its inception. A former market farmer, she now works with Chesapeake Bay Foundation as agriculture outreach specialist for the Million Acre Challenge, a statewide soil heath project. A champion of local food, her goal is to advance regenerative agriculture by supporting farmers in their role as stewards of the local land.

Lydia Woolever — Website + Newsletter — Lydia is the owner of Little Fields Floral, a small, sustainable, woman-owned flower farm that grows using no-till and organic practices on the Eastern Shore. A Kent County native, she has been a SMFM vendor for the past five years, and brings experience from her career as a journalist and editor for both regional and national news outlets. She designed our website and writes our weekly newsletter.