Sheree Goertzen

Funding Development Specialist & Research Associate

 

In addition to conducting research and writing for New Venture Advisors, Sheree is a grant writing and development strategy specialist for nonprofits. She spent over 12 years providing public social services to youth and families and coordinating community development projects. She built partnerships between government, nonprofit and private sectors to bring investment to an under-resourced neighborhood.

Sheree grew up on a large farm in Nebraska where her family are fourth generation farmers. She has a M.S. in Urban Studies from the University of Nebraska-Omaha School of Public Administration.

 

 Whatcom County Food System Plan

New Venture Advisors supported Whatcom County staff and the Food System Committee in developing the Whatcom County Food System Plan, a 10-year roadmap for a more equitable and resilient food system. NVA led plan development, community engagement, and cross-sector strategy, integrating agriculture, fisheries and marine harvest, processing, distribution, and access to strengthen the regional food economy. (2023)

 Whatcom Local Food Campus

Whatcom Community Foundation continues to partner with New Venture Advisors to guide the development of the Kitchens@Millworks —a bold project uniting health, equity, and market access. Building on previous work with the Farm to Freezer program, the team developed an operational model, financial analysis, and partner strategy. NVA is evaluating expansion of farm-to-institution efforts and their potential relocation to the new campus. Advanced financial models support a multi-operator facility encompassing production, aggregation, retail, and community programs. (2026)