OUR STAFF AT SONOMA FAMILY MEAL

Our dedicated staff at Sonoma Family Meal comprises of a diverse group of individuals who are deeply committed to helping people in the community through the power of nourishing food.

Interested in joining our team? See job openings here.

Whitney Reuling is a native of Sonoma County, raised in Forestville on a small farm and vineyard. Prior to joining SFM, Whitney spent over a decade in New York City, developing and managing impactful programs providing nutrition and culinary education, healthy foods access, and job training. Whitney holds a sociology degree from Boston University, a culinary degree from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, a Masters in Food Studies from NYU, and she was part of the 2020 class of the NYC Food Policy Center 40 under 40.

In her free time, Whitney loves to host dinner parties and enjoy the beauty and bounty of Sonoma County.

Leslie grew up in Sonoma Valley and graduated from Sonoma State University with a degree in psychology. She brings over six years of nonprofit experience to the Sonoma Family Meal team. In her role, she is passionate about providing a unique resource to the community and finds joy in watching alumni students grow in the culinary field and step into leadership roles. Outside of work, Leslie enjoys exploring new trails with her two dogs and discovering new foods to try.

Chef Carl brings more than 15 years of experience in fine dining to Sonoma Family Meal, along with a genuine passion for wine country cuisine. Carl’s love for food was first inspired by watching his grandmother in the kitchen, and from visits to his extended family's farm in Missouri.

His culinary career began in high school washing dishes in his hometown of St. Charles, Missouri. He went on to attend culinary school in Chicago and trained in some of the city’s top restaurants. His most influential experience was when he served as Chef de Cuisine at the Michelin-starred BOKA under Chef Giuseppe Tentori, earning him recognition as a Zagat 30 Under 30 honoree and a Jean Banchet Chef de Cuisine of the Year nominee.

Inspired by vacations to Wine Country, Carl moved to Sonoma County, where he quickly secured a position as Sous Chef at Spoonbar in Healdsburg. He went on to work in the three Michelin-starred kitchen at The Restaurant at Meadowood under Chef Christopher Kostow before serving as Executive Chef at J Vineyards & Winery. He later worked at Mayacama, then left to play an instrumental role in opening Sonoma Pizza Company, where he developed all recipes, set up the kitchen, and helped establish the restaurant during his three-year tenure. He joined Sonoma Family Meal in 2025.

When he is not in the kitchen, you can find him working in his home garden, hiking with his kids, and cheering for the St Louis Cardinals.

Petal is honored to serve the community as the Unity Kitchen Program Coordinator. They are deeply committed to fostering resilience, belonging, and dignity for all, especially those who reside in the valley that raised them. They earned a BA in Linguistics from Boston University and studied abroad at La Universidad de San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador. Petal speaks English and Spanish, is currently studying Arabic, and has experience with French, Kichwa and ASL. Outside Unity Kitchen, you’ll most likely see Petal pedaling around town or working on their masters degree of Library and Information Science at the local library. 

Chef Heather has led Sonoma Family Meal’s kitchen operations since the organization’s earliest days in 2018. She helped kickstart and shape some of SFM’s most popular and impactful programs, including the Provisions meal subscription, contract meal services, school food trainings, and zero waste initiatives. She’s also the creative mind behind the distinctive, globally inspired menus. Under her leadership, SFM produces 200-400 nutritious meals daily for disaster-impacted and food-insecure families, using many donated, locally sourced ingredients. 

With nearly a decade each at San Francisco’s Farallon Restaurant and Skywalker Ranch, plus a culinary degree from the California Culinary Academy and a geology degree from Bates College, Heather brings a wealth of experience and depth to her craft. Following SFM’s acquisition of Unity Kitchen in Sonoma Valley, she is now overseeing two kitchens and the launch of the new Sabor Food Truck!

After growing up in Sonoma County, Elana moved to Santa Barbara to study Sociology at UCSB and then spent a few years traveling and living across Asia and Europe before finding herself back in her hometown due to the pandemic. During the lockdowns, she spent her time studying business and marketing while building an online yoga business. With nearly ten years of prior experience in nonprofit fundraising, and programs, Elana is now thrilled to bring all her skills together to contribute to Sonoma Family Meal’s innovative and regenerative approach to nonprofit development.

Driven by a passion for social justice and the wellbeing of people and the planet, Elana’s career is focused on cultivating connections that support meaningful local impact. Outside of work, she is active and curious— traveling, enjoying live music at concerts and festivals, dancing, singing, practicing yoga, crafting, exploring local eateries, adventuring, spending time in community, and soaking up nature.

Hannah brings over 20 years of hospitality experience to the Sonoma Family Meal team, having worked every position front-of-house, from bussing to bartending to event managing. Hannah is a Sonoma local who graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a degree in Sociology and Latin American and Latino Studies. In her early 20’s, she spent 6 months in India, trekked 28 days through the Himalayan range to Everest Base Camp, came home to work 2 jobs/7 days a week, just to turn around again and spend another 5 months in Central and South America.

Hannah now lives back in her hometown of Sonoma with her husband and 2 dogs. She enjoys the outdoors, gardening, hula hooping, crafting, attending music and arts festivals, and hosting parties. You can find her putting together flower arrangements and curating decorative spaces to create an ambiance for connection and good times. She is energized by meeting new people and believes food provides the perfect opportunity to bring people together.

Originally from the Isan region of Thailand, Siriwan Sadompruek is a passionate cook with experience in pastry and much more. She lives in Rohnert Park with her ten-year-old son, and in her free time, she prepares the dishes of her homeland, like chicken over rice and noodle soup. As the kitchen assistant Siriwan assists with the kitchen’s day-to-day operations, her favorite part of the role is "cooking for the community."