Biography

Jade Umberger joined the NASDA Foundation as Grants Coordinator in September 2023. In this role, she builds relationships with and supports regional partners and sub-awardees through the USDA Northeast Regional Food Business Center cooperative agreement. Jade comes to NASDA through her work in food systems at Chatham University, where she earned her master’s in food studies and worked with the Center for Regional Agriculture, Food, and Transformation (CRAFT). Prior to her master’s studies, Jade worked in food access and nutrition education through roles at Operation Food Search in St. Louis, MO, and AmeriCorps VISTA and FoodCorps in Eastern North Carolina.  Jade also holds an undergraduate degree in nutrition and food science from Illinois State University. Jade is from Central Illinois, and currently lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. On Saturday mornings you can find her at the Bloomfield farmers market, camping at a national forest, or baking and reading at home.