Lucy Aghadjian has worked with Akonadi Foundation since its inception 15 years ago. She brings many years of financial, human resource and administrative management to the table and has been fortunate to watch the Foundation evolve from a good idea to a philanthropic institution in Oakland with a growing staff and local mission. She works closely with the President, the staff and a team of professionals ensuring full compliance, administrative housekeeping and sound fiscal management.
For the past twenty-five years, Lucy oscillates between two seemingly opposite worlds: administrative management and food! Her administrative/consulting firm serves in addition to the Akonadi Foundation, several other local businesses including architecture and real estate firms, a local yoga studio and a non-profit dedicated to sustainable forestry policy in Southeast Asia.
Lucy also has a second enterprise as a caterer. Generally, her clients fall into one group or the other, but if you have attended the holiday party at Akonadi, or frequent the downtown Oakland Friday farmer’s market you might have run into the catering Lucy. Her food begins and ends with the Bay Area’s local seasonal bounty and the many local farmers that source the base of her culinary inspiration. As a first generation daughter of an Armenian father and an English mother, food was an important part of her upbringing and she apprenticed into the cooking world by local chefs with Basque, Mexican, French and Persian influences.
Having grown up in southern California, Lucy came to Berkeley in 1983 to attend UC Berkeley, and like so many others, chose to settle in the Bay Area. Her loves include hot weather, summer fruit, running, writing, the beach and of course, all farmer’s markets. She holds a B.A. in Political Science and continues to be schooled every day by the many wise and inspiring people in her professional and personal community, including of course, her 17 year old son.
Lucy can be reached at 510-663-3867 x 310