CitySeed Taps Sarah Miller

New Haven’s pioneering grassroots food-justice organization CitySeed is entering its third decade with a new home, a broadened mission — and a new leader.

That leader is Sarah Miller. CitySeed announced Tuesday that Miller is the group’s new executive director.

Nonprofit CitySeed launched in 2004 by organizing farmers markets across town. It still does. It has added a small-business food incubator program as well as a culinary program for immigrants and refugees called Sanctuary Kitchen.

All those functions will be headquartered in a new building City Seed is moving into at 162 James St. across from Martinez School in Fair Haven.

Miller represents Fair Haven as a city alder.

“We have this very exciting opportunity with the new building” to scale up CitySeed’s core programs while ​“integrating” with efforts to promote health and economic opportunity in the surrounding neighborhood, Miller told the Independent Tuesday.

Board Chair Christine Kim said MIller’s ​“proven leadership and passion for community-driven initiatives and dedication to New Haven make her the ideal choice to lead CitySeed into its next chapter.”

Miller has most recently worked for Clifford Beers Community Care Center. She has served as that group’s point person in organizing a five-year $2.5 million federally-funded ​“community schools” initiative in the neighborhood in conjunction with the Board of Education and 14 nonprofits.

On Tuesday Miller said the planning phase she oversaw for the effort has been completed. ​“There’s a good team in place that’s managing the logistics” day to day, she said. She plans to remain involved as a member of the project’s steering committee.