March 17, 2025 — We’re excited to share an important update on the future of the Wallace Center.
For over 40 years, the Wallace Center has been committed to creating a world where all communities have the power to nourish themselves and restore ecosystems through just and sustainable food and agriculture systems. Through both challenges and successes, we have remained steadfast in our mission—supporting farmers, food businesses, food chain workers, and all those working to ensure healthy, affordable food for all. Our work has always been rooted in strong relationships with leaders and changemakers across the U.S. food and farming systems, evolving to meet new challenges and opportunities in this dynamic field. In that spirit, we are thrilled to announce an exciting transition in our leadership, organizational structure, and strategy.
This summer, the Food Systems Leadership Network (FSLN) will become an independent organization after years of being a program of the Wallace Center. Since its inception in 2018, the FSLN has grown rapidly under the Wallace Center’s stewardship, evolving into a vibrant, national peer action-learning community. This transition marks a significant milestone, empowering the FSLN to fully live into its mission—led increasingly by the food system leaders and organizations it serves.
This shift is the result of deep collaboration and careful planning. Guided by recommendations from the FSLN Evolution Team—a dedicated seven-member advisory body—we have explored the operational structures that will best support the FSLN’s long-term success. We are proud of all that the FSLN has achieved and will continue to accomplish. As it takes this next step, the Wallace Center remains a committed partner and ally.
This transition also reflects an important evolution for the Wallace Center itself. Our co-directorship model, in place since 2020, has fostered resilience, innovation, and shared leadership—laying the foundation for this long-anticipated moment. As we move forward, Pete Huff will continue as the sole Director of the Wallace Center, while Susan Lightfoot Schempf will lead the FSLN’s transition and become its first Executive Director, in partnership with an inaugural Network Leadership Council and with support from Regenerate Change. Andrew Carberry, a key part of the FSLN backbone team since the beginning, will continue his role at the Wallace Center.
While the FSLN prepares for its next chapter, the Wallace Center is also shaping its future. Over the past year, we have worked closely with our Winrock colleagues and partners to refine our strategy and explore new ways to strengthen collaboration with the FSLN. We look forward to sharing more details on this in the coming months.
As this transformation unfolds, we are committed to keeping you informed and engaged. We’ll be unveiling the Wallace Center’s draft strategy for input, and sharing updates on what’s next. Your insights and feedback will be invaluable as we step into this next phase.
We’re excited for what lies ahead and grateful for your continued support.
In solidarity,
Susan and Pete
