Board

Cameron Caja, Co-President

Cameron Caja is originally from Mountain Home, AR and graduated from the University of Arkansas with degrees in Political Science, International Relations, Asian Studies, and Higher Education. His passion for serving the community and fighting food waste motivated him to work with Claire Allison of the Center for Community Engagement to create the Razorback Food Recovery program at the UA in 2014. Caja is a Certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC) and currently runs a building performance consultancy dedicated to advancing the health, comfort, and durability standards in our built environment. Caja has travelled across Taiwan, China, Singapore, Russia, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, and The Philippines, studying language, observing food systems, waste management, and housing strategies. These cross-cultural connections commonly inform his professional designs. When not travelling, Caja enjoys hiking, foraging, and gardening with his wife, Maggie. To Caja, Tri-Cycle Farms is a critical hub for connecting people to not just food, but to each other and the environment around them. These connections are critically needed in developing a resilient, cohesive, and sustainable community.

Ashley Mauldin, Secretary

Ashley moved to NWA in 2015, living first in Bentonville, then Johnson, and now Fayetteville where she is an Architect for Crafton Tull. She has been involved with various non-profit events, steering committees, and leadership groups since graduating from Louisiana Tech University in 2008. Mr. Don Bennet was invited to speak at a monthly Young Professional luncheon about TriCycle Farms and this is where she first learned of the work being done at TriCycle. As someone who takes pride in the gardening skills (and subsequent life lessons) her grandfather taught her, she was fascinated with the idea of an organization whose mission is to help others through sharing those the same values and age-old skills. After attending various events over the next couple of years, Ashley joined the TriCycle Board in late 2021. She is most excited about the opportunity to both teach and learn gardening skills, and to see the TriCycle farm flourish. In her free time, Ashley enjoys all things outdoors, spending time with her husband, dogs & family, international travel, Razorback sports, and Formula 1 racing.

Jessica Vasquez, Treasurer

Jessica Vasquez is the owner of Sterling Group Insurance, LLC. She has been in the insurance business since 2006, and took over Sterling Group Insurance in 2015. Prior to that, Jessica owned A-Z Lawn Care and Landscaping, LLC, and focused on a more natural approach for lawns and gardens. She encouraged her clients to move away from regular usage of manufactured chemicals in their lawn management strategies. Some of her best skills include business management, customer service, sales, marketing, and making authentic connections with others. Many of these skills were also put to use during her history working in the service and construction industries. A few of Jessica’s greatest passions are her family, gardening, and supporting the community any way she can.

Alicia Smith, Board Member

Alicia Smith is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, but moved to Fort Smith, AR in 1990. Alicia later moved to Fayetteville, AR with an academic scholarship to attend the University of Arkansas where she studied Finance with a concentration in Real Estate and minored in Economics. Currently, Alicia is a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Harris McHaney and Faucette. Alicia is a happily married dance/track mom to three daughters. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering, taking Jazzercise and Barre classes, going on long runs, lifting weights, practicing yoga, reading good books, listening to great music and cooking delicious food. She is on the fundraising committee for Special Olympics of Arkansas and the Professional Development Committee for the Northwest Arkansas Board of Realtors. Her philosophy is enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may realize they were the big things.

Kate Baer, Board Member

Kate Baer has a degree in natural resource management from Sheldon Jackson college. She has a husband of 22 years and three children. They homeschooled all three through eighth grade, while living in an off-grid cabin with no water or electric near the Buffalo River. Her and the family traveled extensively doing art shows, selling her jewelry. It won numerous awards and was featured in a museum exhibit and in local and national magazines. Her and her husband organized an art show in Eureka Springs for three years, raising thousands of dollars and hundreds of pounds of food for Flint St. Food pantry. She also helped her husband organize a music festival in Ponca to help save the Buffalo River watershed. She volunteered at and created a jewelry program for Magdalene Serenity House, delivered food for May Day, and volunteers at TriCycle and Roots Fest. You can find her dancing, gardening, traveling, slinging vintage clothes, creating herbal blends, arting, playing with her fur baby, and poorly singing her heart out while strumming her six string. Kate loves this community, and now that her two oldest are grown, she looks forward to having more time to contribute to it.

Sally Baker Williams, Board Member

Sally Baker Williams has been a resident of the Fayetteville area since 1988. She has 4 grown children and 5 grandchildren living in the NW Arkansas and adjacent region. Her residence is in southeast Fayetteville on a beautiful hillside and is shared with her dogs and cats. Her background includes working in the healthcare sector for 20 years, owning a small business, event production and management, working with multiple nonprofits including executive leadership, nonprofit consulting, grant management, and bookkeeping. She has a passion for gardening and feeding those she loves. As a supporter of Tri-Cycle Farms since it began, She feels honored to currently serve on the board of directors.

Terrius Bruce, Board Member

Terrius Bruce is an Environmental Dynamics PhD student and graduate assistant at the University of Arkansas, previously with Florida Agriculture & Mechanical University (FAMU). A N.O.A.A. CCME alumni, Bruce earned a Bachelor's of Science in Environmental Studies and a minor in Agribusiness from FAMU. Bruce resourcefully spent the first half of 2021 serving as a volunteer director of development with I-Hankure Empire Foundation in Ghana. As an experienced Operations Manager, he has a history of working in the information technology and service industries while skilled in the areas of Project Management, Customer Service, Sales, and Project Planning. Bruce serves as the operations manager for his family's global food supply company, named after his son, Imhotep . He is currently working to develop sustainable communities in underserved African-American areas, focusing on food security, sustainable housing, ecology and biodiversity, land use management, planning, and sustainable energy. This dynamic scholar is leading the way for global change.