Meet Your Local Beekeeper

Jade Monroe is a food systems specialist focused on building sustainable, equitable systems through public policy and community-based work.

By day, she leads statewide initiatives focused on reducing food waste and strengthening a more resource-efficient food system. Her work includes advancing the Use Food Well Washington Plan and helping develop the Washington Center for Sustainable Food Management. She collaborates across government, industry, and community partners to drive systems-level change through data, policy, and implementation.

Outside of her public service role, Jade is the founder of Sweet Marilyn, a small-scale beekeeping and creative business rooted in pollinator health and local connection. What began as a backyard practice has grown into a platform that brings together environmental stewardship, music, and community partnerships.

She spends her time tending hives, writing and performing music, and forever exploring the connections between land, creativity, and resilience.

At the core of Jade’s work is a commitment to systems that support collective well-being. Whether through public policy or pollinator care, she believes lasting change is built through collaboration, stewardship, and strong local relationships.