Carlos Alemán is the CEO of the Hispanic and Immigrant Center of Alabama (¡HICA!), Alabama’s leading community development and advocacy organization for Latino and immigrant families in Alabama.

Andreas Anastassakis started in the food service industry in 1993 at age 14, working a hot dog stand.  Today, you’ll find Andreas in the kitchen at his family’s Bright Star Restaurant, creating dishes that blend Southern and Greek food traditions.

John Archibald is a longtime journalist in the South, a columnist, author, podcaster, playwright, and storyteller. He is a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and a current member of the Pulitzer Prize board.

José Medina Camacho was born in Los Reyes, Michoacán, Mexico, and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. He is the Co-Founder and Beverage Director of Adiõs Bar and Salud Taqueria, and serves as the Wine Director at Automatic Seafood & Oysters. He is a 2025 James Beard Award Finalist in Beverage Service. Camacho is the 2025 Maker’s Mark Mixologist.

John T Edge, SFA’s founding director, writes and hosts the National Emmy Award-winning television show TrueSouth on the SEC Network. He serves the University of Mississippi as a teacher, writer-in-residence, and director of the Mississippi Lab. His latest book, House of Smoke: A Southerner Goes Searching for Home, debuts in September.

March Egerton is a real estate developer in Nashville, Tennessee. His projects, including the mixed-use Walden development, are primarily located in the East Nashville area.

Roscoe Hall is a chef and artist living and working in Birmingham, Alabama. He holds a BFA in photography from the University of San Diego and an MA from the Savannah College of Art and Design. He recently painted a mural at Jones Valley Teaching Farm inspired by Gee’s Bend Quilters.

Tim Hontzas comes from a long line of Greek restaurateurs. He grew up in the kitchen with his father and grandfather, and is now the chef-owner of nationally-recognized Johnny’s Restaurant in Homewood, Alabama. Hontzas is the curator for the Greek feast on Saturday night.

Coreata’ R. Houser is the Interim Director of the City of Birmingham’s Department of Innovation and Economic Opportunity, where he leads the Mayor’s vision for a resilient and inclusive economy. He has created innovative programs to serve residents and businesses and expanded the city’s incentive toolkit that promotes business growth and talent attraction.

Scott Jones is the founder of Jones is Thirsty, a wine and whiskey education business that crafts personalized tasting experiences. A former SFA Board member and executive editor at Southern Living, Jones is the 2025 Symposium Sommelier.

Jones Valley Teaching Farm is an urban teaching farm that uses food as a foundation so that young people can lead, create, and grow a healthy future for themselves and their community.

LaKeela Lowe is the Project Manager for Magic City Sips, a citywide hospitality and economic development initiative that highlights Birmingham’s food and beverage culture while driving community engagement and investment. A Birmingham native, she works at the intersection of economic development, placemaking, and community pride, bringing both professional expertise and personal passion to the city’s evolving food and cultural landscape.

Jason McCall is a poet who has an MFA from the University of Miami. He is a native of Montgomery, Alabama, but now lives in Florence and teaches at the University of North Alabama. His publications include Two-Face God (2017) and Dear Hero (2013), among others.

Jesús Méndez is co-founder and managing partner of Adios. Born in Tabasco, Mexico, Jesús and his family migrated to Birmingham, Alabama, in 1994. He’s worked at several restaurants that have made a mark on his career, most notably Highlands Bar & Grill where he was inspired to implement the quality and service of their establishment into his own local businesses, including Unos Tacos and The Louis in The Pizitz Food Hall.

Lakeisha Hood Moise is president and CEO of MDC in Durham, North Carolina. She is known for translating policy into practice, optimizing large-scale operations, and leading cross-sector partnerships.

Cheryl Morgan is emerita professor in Auburn’s College of Architecture, Design and Construction. She was Director of Auburn’s Urban Studio from 2002 to 2013, where she helped establish the Small Town Design Initiative, which assists Alabama communities in growing by marketing their attractions.

Ann Taylor Pittman is a senior food editor at Food & Wine magazine. She is also a James Beard Award–winning cookbook author, food writer, and recipe developer who lives with her family in Birmingham, Alabama.

Anne Quatrano is a chef and restaurant owner in Atlanta, Georgia. Her kitchens at Bacchnalia, Star Provisions, and W.H. Stiles Fish Camp are known for showcasing local and seasonal foods, many of which are grown at Summerland, her Cartersville, Georgia, farm. A 2003 James Beard Winner for Best Chef Southeast, Quatrano is active in many culinary nonprofits.

Frank and Pardis Stitt operate four restaurants—Highlands Bar and Grill, Chez Fonfon, Bottega, and Bottega Café—in one Birmingham neighborhood, making the area one of the region’s dining destinations. Their restaurants have received multiple James Beard Awards, and in 2006 Frank Stitt received SFA’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Chanah Willis is a bartender-turned-baker. They began baking out of their home in 2020, and developed a following when they sold at a church market. In 2022 they opened their brick-and-mortar bakery, Last Call Baking Co., and in 2024 they were recognized as a semifinalist for the James Beard Awards’ Emerging Chef category. In 2025, Willis serves as the SFA’s Karen Barker Baker.