Get To Know Our Team!


  • GRANTS AND DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

    Amelia Natoli currently serves on the staff of Iskashitaa Refugee Network as the principal grant writer and development manager. She knew immediately that she wanted to be part of the organization after meeting Barbara sometime around 2012. Amelia took on various roles over the past seven years as a volunteer, lead harvester, intern through the AZ Dept of Forestry Edible Tree Fellowship, and then as a grant writing consultant. Her first chance to help with a grant proposal was interrupted by the arrival of a shipment of live chickens that needed to be distributed. In a pandemic-induced life change, she earned her Master's in Public Health in 2021 after a 24-year career as a field archaeologist in the Southwest. She loves using her background in global health in a local setting, and promoting Tucson as an example of community integration and food justice.

  • LEAD HARVESTER + VISIONARY FREELANCER

    I was born in Southern Illinois. I always had a passion for dance, as it reaches to my Nigerian Roots, but I didn’t fully come into my artistic spirit until I moved to Atlanta at the age of 21. The overwhelming arts scene helped me truly come into myself. From there, I met an amazing figure in my life, that ended up taking me under his wing.

    My passion grew from dance, to film to business, and eventually it all became an inspiration for me to find a way to impact our community through the celebration of the arts. As my skills grew, I had spent time bringing people together, making choreographies, and directing projects for local artists. After spending 7 years sharpening my skills and working with nonprofits, I moved to Tucson in March 2020.

    I took a chance to start over. During the pandemic, Iskashitaa Refugee Network were the only ones taking volunteers, and I have been working closely with them ever since. I have still maintained a long distance work relationship with Panda Co Media (a company my mentor and I built on) and have done edits for businesses, school performances, and more. I have been patiently building towards a production company that connects entertainment with the roots of our culture, education, and environmental health.

  • PROGRAM MANAGER

    Cathy joined Iskashitaa in May of 2023 and immediately connected with our mission of providing food security, and welcoming refugees into the Tucson community. As Programs Manager, Cathy is responsible for leading and managing a comprehensive array of services and programs including planning and coordinating IRN program activities and ensuring refugee needs are met. She holds a B.A. in Education and has worked in the Tucson nonprofit sector for 12 years after working in the telecom industry. She has a wealth of experience working in urban agriculture, managing volunteers, directing educational field trips, cultivating strategic partnerships, and growing food for vulnerable communities. Cathy gives back to the community by volunteering with Marana Rotary Club. She fills her free time with her family, hiking, gardening, playing music, taking photos and playing with her dogs Layla and Otis.

  • LEAD HARVESTER

    Russell was born & raised in northern New Jersey (NJ) until his family moved to Iran in the mid-late 70's where he attended his middle years of high school at Teheran American School (TAS). He returned to NJ for his senior year of HS and then on to the University of Maryland where he earned a BS in Civil Engineering. After working in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as a contractor for a telecommunications company, he returned to the Maryland suburbs of D.C. where he worked at the National Weather Service (NWS), met his wife Donna and raised their two children. After retiring from the NWS in August 2020, he moved to Tucson where he volunteers and enjoys working at the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, picking up trash & removing invasive species from the Santa Cruz River with his fellow volunteers, and of course helping out harvesting citrus with Iskashitaa Refugee Network. Russell spends his leisure time travelling the USA & internationally, biking The Loop, hiking various trails around Tucson, and of course eating out at the wonderful restaurants & food trucks around the city.

  • ACCOUNTING CONSULTANT

    15 year Tucson resident, born in California, raised in Los Angeles. Connected via Casa Grande. Former cook, current juicing enthusiast, potter, player of instruments out of tune and out of key. Found Iskashitaa through a traffic ticket! – came for community service, stayed for the cause! My dogs know Miley Cyrus! Plan to continue to encourage leadership to invest time and resources in the Statements of Net Assets and the Statement of Activity. Just recently Mr. Bradwell was quoted saying "the best thing that ever happened to me was that traffic ticket."

    And holds the following certification and education: Bachelors of Business Admin, Accounting – University of Arizona – 2004. Associate of Applied Sciences, Accounting – Central Arizona College, Honors, 2001, Certified Insolvency and Restructuring Advisor.

    Contact information: cbardwell@klkcpa.com, (Work) 520-884-0176, (Cell) 520-245-7207,


  • EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    Eiswerth, a resident of Tucson since 1992, worked as a research geologist specializing in GeoSpatial Information Technologies with the US Geological Survey. After ten years working extensively with technology transfer in Latin America, she pursued a career as an environmental scientist working at the Office of Arid Lands, Arizona Remote Sensing Center. Her work included projects in East and West Africa. In 2003, after receiving her Ph.D. from the University of Arizona, Eiswerth founded a community based organization, which soon focused on UN refugees. The programs have evolved from harvesting a few thousand pounds of fruit to an annual harvest of over 50 tons of fruit, nuts, and vegetables from backyards, local farms and orchards. Barbara serves on the state Linking Edible Arizona Forests (LEAF) steering committee, heads the UALEAF project, and is an adjunct at the University of Arizona in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment.

  • LEAD HARVESTER

    After Jim’s 1st tour in Baghdad in 2003/2004, he attended an Army National Guard school in Marana, AZ and vowed that upon retirement, that he would return to Tucson and seek community service opportunities. Nineteen years later, Jim found a job with purpose and meaning working with Iskashitaa as the Redistribution Coordinator. In 2019, after a fulfilling life doing community work in high school, spending 9 years working with at-risk youth in group homes, and now retired from Military Service, Jim chose Iskashitaa to be his dream service job. Working in community service with Iskashitaa first as the Redistribution Lead and now one of our weekly Citrus Harvest Lead, Jim has enabled us to connect with and feed countless Tucson locals during COVID as well as our rural communities. And now Jim is back on his FOURTH tour at Iskashitaa as a Harvesting Lead Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays for citrus season! (Jim likes to be one of the crowd, and he prefers to say “with a gang” rather than Lead Harvester).

  • REDISTRIBUTION

    Came to Tucson in 1953 at 13 years old. Worked at UCLA and University of Arizona for 30 years in cancer biology as a research specialist where I worked with many foreign students and post docs. Using early DNA Engineering techniques as tools, I studied oncogenes, authored technical papers, managed and taught others. With my husband, we raised three children, now scattered. I have been working with Iskashitaa for about 10 years.

    It gives me great satisfaction to see food and produce in large quantities going to good use. I enjoy working with folks from all backgrounds. I like the idea of using my volunteering so that others can volunteer. Iskashitaa offers variety in people to know and work to do.