Meet Our Board
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Board Officers
Stephen Gombos
Board President
Joined the Board in January 2023
Stephen is the Laboratory Director at Licking Memorial Hospital. He completed his Masters in Business Administration and Bachelors in Medical Laboratory Science Degree at Kent State. In 2013 he joined the Licking Memorial Laboratory Team, and in 2015 he became the Chemistry Supervisor. In 2021 He was named one of Newark’s Top 20 under 40 for his role in helping the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also serves on the Ohio Department of Education’s Industry Advisory Committee for review of health science technologies career field technical content of standards, where he reviews and revises curriculum in Ohio Technical Schools.
He lives in Hanover with his wife Rebeca and two daughters Leah and Rayna where every spring they plant a garden full of tomatoes, peppers and pumpkins.
Shane Jewell
Vice President
Board Member since November 2024
​Shane Jewell serves as the Lead Case Manager at St. Vincent Haven. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Ohio State University and has dedicated over a decade to the field, working with populations including the homeless, children, families, and those incarcerated. As a member of the Young Leaders of Licking County, he actively participates on the Philanthropy Committee. Shane is a lifelong resident of Newark, married, and the father of two daughters.
Carter Hall
Treasurer
Board Member since March 2024
Since 2013, Carter has been a resident of Licking County. graduated from Denison University with a Bachelor's degree in Economics, with a concentration in Finance. Currently, he is employed at First Federal Savings located in downtown Newark. Carter is passionate about supporting nonprofit organizations and giving back to his community. He and his wife, Jessica have 2 sons. Additionally, he is actively involved in the Christian Apostolic Church in Newark.
Josh Garza
Secretary
Board Member since October 2025
Joshua serves as an Information Systems Manager at Licking Memorial Health Systems, where he oversees many applications within the Epic EMR. He has also served on various committees and subcommittees focused on addressing food insecurity, identifying emerging trends, and developing solutions to support the community.
Joshua holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from The Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business. He resides in Heath with his wife, Sydney, and their three children, Blakely, Liam, and Lettie.
Board Members
Tabitha Hancock
Past President
Board Member since November 2016
Tabitha is a life-long resident of Newark, where she lives with her husband and three children. She is an IT Security Leader at UberEther. She received her Business Administration degree from Mount Vernon University with a focus in Leadership. She is very active in her church (Christian Apostolic Church) and serves in children’s ministries.
Renetta Shaffer
Jeri Good
Board Member since May 2020
Board Member since July 2022
Renetta is a life-long resident of Utica. Gardening is in her blood, and was instrumental in her family being able to eat abundantly as a child where her family raised about an acre of garden, and NOTHING went to waste. Restaurant work has aided in Renetta’s love for cooking and experiencing different foods, and thus, leads back to the garden to raise all kinds of healthy foods. Her passion, along with her husband, Dr. Scott Shaffer, is to help people get back to cooking and eating natural foods and getting healthy through what we put in our mouths!!
Renetta is a house manager for our very generous donors, Shawn and Laura King, who first introduced her to Together We Grow Community Gardens. She also works with her husband as office manager in Shaffer Chiropractic in Utica.
Jeri retired from Nestlé USA in the Los Angeles area where she worked in the Communications and Digital division. Jeri grew up in Newark and moved back to the area in 2020. She also serves on the board of the Licking County Community Center and Catholic Social Services. She enjoys volunteering at the Midland Theater, Newark Police Citizens Academy, and the Downtown Newark Association. Jeri was a first time gardener in 2022 and encourages others to give it a try.
Paula Parlett
Board Member since November 2023
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Walt Zang
Board Member since January 2025
Board Member since October 2026
Travis Bralley
Emily Decker
Board Member since October 2026
Eva Vega
Board Member since July 2026
Eva Chavez relocated from Southern California three years ago for her job with Behr Paint and instantly embraced the close-knit, small-town atmosphere here. Home is shared with her sons James and Lex, her niece MaryJane, three cats, and their dog Blitzen. Driven by a passion for community work and local improvement, she is excited to serve on the board to support food access, foster connection among neighbors, and give back as much as possible.