Caitlin Matthews is honored to serve as the Executive Director of Food Justice NW Aurora (FJNWA) and is proud to be a founding member of the FJNWA steering committee.
She grew up in Colorado and has farming and ranching family roots in Oklahoma. Prior to FJNWA, Caitlin led the Food in Communities initiative at Tri-County Health Department, where she collaborated with resident leaders and community-based organizations to address root cause issues perpetuating inequities in the NW Aurora food system. In her work, Caitlin draws on her experiences as a Spanish Immersion teacher in Portland Public Schools, Oregon, and working on community-based food projects with Adelante Mujeres, a nonprofit working with Latina women and families in Forest Grove, Oregon. Caitlin loves learning and holds a Masters of Science in Agriculture, Food, and Environment and a Masters of Arts in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning, both from Tufts University, as well as Masters of Arts in Teaching from Lewis & Clark College.
Caitlin tends a community garden plot and strives to produce as many tomatoes as possible each season. However, her jurassic-sized collard greens are the stars of her garden.
HEAL Food Alliance
2025 School of Political Leadership
Food Justice NW Aurora
Caitlin Matthews

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Executive Director,
Food Justice NW Aurora
Participating in SoPL will not only be formative for collaboration within our growing team but also help us develop a cohesive community organizing philosophy for Food Justice NW Aurora that is grounded in equity and liberatory practices. The residents, small businesses, and organizations of our diverse community face some of the most challenging issues in the food system: lack of access to land, exclusion from decision-making, racism and xenophobia, environmental injustice, and persistent marginalization from economic and educational activities. With the support of our SoPL training, we can ensure that our organization’s resources advance community-centered and community-led strategies for food systems transformation and community wealth building.