Market Staff & Board

Chair – Community Member

Chris is retired as the founder and President of Discovery Learning International (DLI). Created in 1990 and based in Greensboro, the company provided proprietary services and products to other organizations focusing on leadership, organization and team development. DLI products have been used in more than sixty countries and thirteen languages. The company was sold to a Toronto-based company in 2016. Prior to DLI, Chris was a associate professor of engineering design and technology at A&T State University for twelve years. Chris has served as chair of the board of Kellogg Fellows Leadership Alliance (Denver, CO) and Community Agroecology Network (Santa Cruz, CA). He has served on the boards of several local non-profits; WellSpring Solutions, Elsewhere, and Second Breath (Servant Leadership School). Chris has been a customer at GFCM for 45 years and considers it to be one of the places that makes Greensboro such a special place to live. His children attended the market and now his grandchildren love to come.

Vice Chair – Community Member, Cone Health Foundation

Community Member

Gardner is currently the Food Sourcing Manager for Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest, NC.  He graduated from UNC – Chapel Hill with a BS in Business Administration and earned his MBA from UNC – Greensboro. His entire career has been focused on food production, sales and distribution. His family owned a small grocery business when he was growing up in eastern NC. This was the beginning of his career journey in the food industry. He has supported small farmers and food producers in growing their businesses. He also has extensive experience working with large corporate retailers and wholesale producers and distributors. He is very passionate about supporting healthy local foods. He has also been active in the community in addressing food insecurity through organizing food collection drives and volunteering with local community organizations.

Community Member, Founder & CEO of HRSHE

Vendor, Birch Fork Farm / Mimi’s Soaps, VAC Chair

Community Member, Professor of Horticulture at NC A&T

Vendor, owner/operator of 3 VIP llc representing Goat Lady Dairy, Secretary

Denise started working farmers markets as a volunteer over 20 years ago and worked for several different vendors before permanently landing with the Goat Lady Dairy Family. Prior to farmers market, Denise was a case manager for Workers Compensation cases and the Market and farms offered a relief in a capacity as a volunteer to the stressful job!  She holds a Master in Public Administration and Bachelors in Political Science and is a Vietnam Era Veteran. During Goat Lady Dairy’s expansion in 2013, and since, Denise represented their presence at farmers’ markets from the triad to the coast. In addition to a market representative’s perspective, years as a vendor and customer, she is excited to share her experience to influence growth and evolution in an increasingly competitive environment.

Ex. Officio

Josh Sherrick serves as the Division Manager of Events & Engagement with Greensboro Parks and Recreation. Josh has worked in local government for over 20 years, striving to lift up public service as pillar of our community culture. Working primarily in the sector of public events and special event management, his office works with over 180 event producers annually to coordinate community events and neighborhood block parties throughout Greensboro. Currently, much of Josh’s work is centered in downtown Greensboro and the immediate neighborhood areas, including that of the Greensboro Curb Market.

Ex. Officio

Phil Fleischmann strives to transform and improve the quality of life for Greensboro’s residents as the City’s Parks and Recreation Director. Fleischmann began his career in parks and recreation with the City of Greensboro in 2001 and has served in several leadership roles with Greensboro Parks and Recreation since that time. In addition to his work in Greensboro, he has held positions with the Town of Chapel Hill, City of Raleigh, and Mecklenburg County parks departments. Fleischmann holds a Master of Science degree in Parks and Recreation Management from UNC Greensboro and also serves as an adjunct instructor in the Department of Community and Therapeutic Recreation at UNCG. Fleischmann believes that Parks and Recreation provides tremendous value to Greensboro’s residents through enhancing quality of life, community building, and economic development. He looks forward to continuing to work with dedicated staff and community partners such as the Greensboro Farmers Market to build upon successes and to grow positive impacts.

Vendor, owner/operator of Weatherhand Farm