Meet Julia Pon

CT Program Manager

Julia Pon is on the Programs Team at Wholesome Wave. As Connecticut Program Manager, she manages Double Value Coupon Programs in Hartford, New Britain, Middletown, Putnam and Bridgeport. In addition, she leads relationship and capacity building efforts in Wholesome Wave’s home state, and is the Wholesome Wave representative on steering committees for the Working Lands Alliance and the Coalition to Eliminate Obesity in Bridgeport and Stratford. Julia received her Masters of City Planning from UC Berkeley, and has practiced in the public and private sector as a city planner. Before joining Wholesome Wave, Julia began a series of local food projects in San Francisco and Berkeley CA, including a baked goods CSA, a street food cart, and a farm-to-table café. Contact : julia@wholesomewave.org

Q: What food smell brings you instantly back to childhood?
A: The smell of Persian rice steaming on the stove.

Q: What is your first food memory?
A: As a child, I would spend Thursday afternoons with my great-grandmother. She would take me rain or shine, to Harlow's Ice Cream where I would get rainbow sherbet on a sugar cone.

Q: If I came to your house for supper tonight, what would you make me?
A: Probably a catch-as-catch can stir fry with any and all veggies I have in my fridge and a pot of rice (Persian, of course).

Q: What is your perfect idea of happiness?
A: Warm summer day with a cool breeze, spending time in my vegetable garden with my husband, baking some bread, and doing some yoga.

Q: What is your greatest fear?
A: Snakes.

Q: What historical figure do you most identify with?
A: Groucho Marx

Q: Who are your heroes in real life?
A: Local heroes working to benefit their community.

Q: What do you consider your greatest achievement?
A: Establishing three guerilla food projects: a bread CSA, an Indian street food cart, and a farm-to-table cafe.

Q: What is your most treasured possession?
A: My 2 cats, though it's completely debatable as to whether I possess them or the other way around.

Q: What is your motto?
A: Who has time for a motto?