Najee Quashie

Development Coordinator 

najee@bostonfoodforest.org

Najee oversees the day-to-day development operations, manages donor systems, and supports fundraising strategies to advance community-focused green spaces at BFFC. With a background in project and grant management, writing, education, and organic agriculture, he brings diverse expertise to the organization.

Born in New Jersey (the Garden State), Najee learned gardening and composting from his grandmother and dad. He spent part of his childhood in Trinidad and Tobago, where he helped his family tend to their garden, care for ducks, and harvest breadfruit and mangoes. These experiences instilled in him a deep appreciation for nurturing a relationship with the land. 

After graduating with a Masters of Public Administration from Seton Hall University, he worked as a Research Fellow at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. There, he learned more about composting while managing a mini-grant program for historically excluded communities. Most recently, he worked as Interim Communications Director & Project Manager at NOFA/Mass. He managed seven federal and state grants totaling $532,000 while writing newsletters on organic farming practices. Alongside this work, he has been involved in youth-based programs for those living in underserved neighborhoods with limited access to financial resources.

In his free time, Najee enjoys long walks, political engagement, cheering for the Pittsburgh Steelers, watching sci-fi, cooking, and traveling. A fun fact: two of his poems are published in the College of the Holy Cross’ literary magazine.