The Julia Child Foundation Trustees & Staff

Chairman
Eric W. Spivey
Santa Barbara

Philadelphia Cousins
Denver

Alex Prud’homme
Brooklyn

Executive Director
Todd Schulkin

Director of Outreach
Lauren Salkeld

The Julia Child Foundation Advisory Council

The Trustees are grateful to these distinguished professionals who have agreed to provide guidance on ways to carry out the Foundation’s mission. Not only do they represent a broad spectrum of unparalleled culinary experience – many of them were closely associated with Julia and knew her well.

Jim Dodge, Director, Specialty Culinary Programs, Bon Appétit Management

Jim Dodge is a highly respected pastry chef, educator and author. The former Executive Pastry Chef at The Stanford Court Hotel in San Francisco, Jim appeared in the PBS series In Julia’s Kitchen with Master Chefs. He has published several books, including the award-winning The American Baker and Baking with Jim Dodge and was Contributing Editor to the revised Joy of Cooking. Jim is also the former Senior Vice President of the New England Culinary Institute, a past director of the International Association of Culinary Professionals and serves as Jury Chair for the Julia Child Award.

Sally Ekus, Literary Agent

As part of the Hatfield, Massachusetts-based Lisa Ekus Group, Sally Ekus represents a wide range of culinary, health, wellness, and lifestyle talent, from first-time cookbook authors to seasoned chefs, professional food writers to bloggers, and internet and television personalities. Sally has brokered more than 140 book deals and works with many of the top U.S. publishers. She’s also a board member of the Massachusetts Chapter of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, as well as a member of the Hartford Chapter of The Women Presidents’ Organization, Chefs Collaborative and The International Association of Culinary Professionals.

Erin Fairbanks, Thought Leader, Community Organizer and Event Producer

Erin Fairbanks is the co-founder and chief operator at GROUT Consulting, which helps social entrepreneurs and community leaders generate and communicate new ideas, identify socially relevant value and promote durable pro-social activity. She’s also the force behind BKBK Productions, which runs monthly networking groups designed to facilitate personal and professional development for women. Prior to her current roles, Erin served as Heritage Radio Network’s first Executive Director; she continues to host The Farm Report and co-produces Evolutionaries, a show about food world influencers. Erin also worked in several of New York City’s best kitchens, and was a farmer at Flying Pigs Farm in Shushan, New York. She sits on the Advisory Council for Glynwood, an agricultural non-profit serving New York State’s Hudson Valley, and is a member of the Junior Board for Food and Finance High School in New York City.

Darra Goldstein, Cookbook Author and Scholar

Darra Goldstein is the Willcox B. and Harriet M. Adsit Professor of Russian, Emerita at Williams College and the Founding Editor of Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture, which is hailed as “a New Yorker for foodies” and was named the 2012 Publication of the Year by the James Beard Foundation. Darra has published numerous articles on literature, culture, art, and cuisine, and is the author of five cookbooks: A Taste of Russia, The Georgian Feast, The Winter Vegetarian, Baking Boot Camp at the CIA and Fire and Ice: Classic Nordic Cooking. Darra was also a consultant for the Russian Tea Room and Firebird restaurants in New York City, and served on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Darra has served as a member of the Julia Child Award Jury.

Doug Margerum, Winemaker

Doug Margerum has been deeply involved in Santa Barbara food and wine for more than 30 years. Early in his career, Doug and his family purchased Wine Cask, a local Santa Barbara wine shop. They added a bistro that quickly garnered critical attention, becoming a Santa Barbara destination and bringing national exposure to Santa Barbara wines. In 2001, Doug started Margerum Wine Company with a philosophy built on returning wine making to its previous form of production, which was both handcrafted and personal. In 2014, he released Barden wines, an exploration of cold climate grapes grown in and around the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. Doug also serves on the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History Kitchen Cabinet.

Emeritus Advisors

Jacques Pépin

Chef, Cookbook Author and Cooking Teacher

Anne Willan

Author, Cooking Teacher and Founder, La Varenne Cooking School