Staff

Executive Director: Valeria Perez Ferreiro
Valeria brings 13 years of experience in workforce development to heading up La Cocina. Previous to her hire, she had an independent practice as an evaluation and fundraising consultant and served as the Associate Director for OpNet, a nonprofit that prepares low-income young people of color for careers in Information Technology. A native of Argentina, Valeria earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Cornell University and a Master in Public Policy from Harvard University.

Contact: (415) 824-2729, ext. 302
e-mail: valeria@lacocinasf.org



Program Director : Caleb Zigas
Caleb is responsible for managing our tenant technical assistance program and helping tenants connect with new market opportunities. With La Cocina from the start, he successfully helped us with industry outreach and volunteer recruitment. A graduate of the University of Michigan, where he co-founded a community arts organization, Caleb is trained as a diversity mediator, has extensive back and front of the house restaurant experience, and has worked as an intern at Pro Mujer, a microlending program for women in Bolivia.

contact: (415) 824-2729, ext. 303
e-mail: caleb@lacocinasf.org

Culinary Director: Jason Rose
Jason is responsible for managing the kitchen and delivering culinary training and product-related technical assistance to our program participants. Jason also manages La Cocina’s booth at the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market. He holds a three year Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts / business management from Newbury College in Brookline, Massachusetts. Jason began his culinary career in Boston cooking for some of the best Chef’s in the city at places like Top of the Hub, Truc and Legal Sea Foods. He was then hired as Executive Sous Chef to create and open The Carneros Inn located in Napa Valley, a 26 acre, multi-million dollar luxury resort. At the Carneros Inn Jason was in charge of six food outlets, including a fine dining restaurant, a casual restaurant, room service, banquets, spa menus and lunch and dinner for 180 team members seven days a week. Before moving on, Jason was promoted to acting Executive Chef. Most recently Jason was the Prepared Foods Team Leader at Whole Foods Market where he had full control and responsibility for a five million dollar a year department of 45 Team Members. Jason is a nationally certified Food Safety Manager, an American Red Cross certified CPR/AED, and is conversant in Spanish.

All staff are bilingual in English and Spanish.