Staff

Sebastián Burset
Outreach Coordinator, Sustainable Food and Agriculture
Sebastián Burset is responsible for connecting aspiring immigrant farmers and families with agripreneur training program opportunities. He has served as a Spanish-English translator and worked in recreation management. An Argentina native, Sebastián received his Master of Science degree in recreation management from the University of Illinois

Reginaldo (Regi) Haslett-Marroquin
Program Director, Sustainable Food and Agriculture
Reginaldo (Regi) Haslett-Marroquin launched the Rural Enterprise Center program of Main Street Project in 2006, but has a long history of successful transnational entrepreneurial leadership. He began working on economic development projects with indigenous Guatemalan communities in 1988, and has served as a consultant for the United Nations Development Program's Bureau for Latin America and advisor to the World Council of Indigenous Peoples. He founded the Fair Trade Federation and co-created Peace Coffee, a successful fair-trade coffee company, and then went on to work with woodland owners in the Midwest and Guatemala where he organized several stewardship-certified cooperative forestry businesses.

Regi was recognized for his work in 1996 when he was named one of the Twin Cities International Citizens of the Year. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Northfield Area Foundation and is an active member of the Rotary Club of Northfield. A Guatemalan native, Regi received his agronomy degree from the Central National School of Agriculture and studied at the Universidad de San Carlos in Guatemala. He also received a bachelor's degree in International Business Administration from Augsburg College, Minneapolis.

Bob Kell
Program Associate, Sustainable Food and Agriculture
Bob Kell manages the programs business incubator opportunity and farm sites. Before joining Main Street Project, Bob served as director of the Welcome Center (Faribault Diversity Coalition) for ten years, developing resettlement support services with Latino, Somali and other immigrant members of the Faribault community, and coordinating Coalition efforts to promote dialogue and cultural understand. Prior to that, he was the program manager for Catholic Charities Rural Outreach with families in Rice and Le Suer counties. Bob is a committed advocate for immigrant opportunities and community collaboration.

Niel Ritchie
Executive Director
Niel Ritchie is the founder and Executive Director of Main Street Project and a long-time rural and social justice advocate. Previously, he served as a policy analyst and national organizer at the Minneapolis-based Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, and prior to that as executive director of Minnesota PIRG and development director of the Rural Education Resource Center. He also helped found the Minneapolis-based Alliance for Metropolitan Stability. Niel is on the board of directors of the Rural Community Assistance Partnership and the Alliance for Aviation Across America. In addition, he serves on the steering committee of the National Rural Assembly.
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Kat Vann
Director, Communications & Development
Kat Vann joined Main Street Project in 2008 as director of communications and development. She has more than 25 years of strategic communications planning and implementation experience with both corporate and nonprofit organizations. Kat is pleased to focus her efforts on supporting underserved residents in making their voices heard.