JACKSON, Wyo. — Ali Dunford, founder of Hole Food Rescue, has confirmed to Buckrail that she intends to run for a spot on the Board of County Commissioners in the upcoming election.
Dunford, who now lives in Alta, was considering running for commissioner earlier this spring, and decided to officially commit to the campaign when residents Carolina Grave and Lisa Lent agreed to be her campaign managers.
“Thirteen years ago, I started Hole Food Rescue with a clear north star: take care of the people, take care of the planet,” Dunford shared in a release. “Today I’m announcing my candidacy for Teton County Board of County Commissioners with that same goal.”
In addition to her time at Hole Food Rescue, Dunford now works with two organizations: Walking Softer, a private foundation that funds early-stage social entrepreneurs, and the Institute for Planetary Thinking, an educational initiative focused on communicating the scale and urgency of ecological and social crises.
Her campaign is centered around supporting the people who “actually make this community function” like firefighters, snowplow drivers, teachers and nurses.
Dunford also talked about housing and infrastructure as some of her major priorities, saying many residents seem to feel unheard.
“People often don’t feel represented or heard,” Dunford told Buckrail. “I want to see locals be housed both from a social but also an ecological perspective. For example, more driving creates a bigger environmental impact.”
If elected, Dunford said she would prioritize evaluating the county’s resiliency and long-term preparedness.
“I want to be looking at our critical infrastructure and finding the weak links in our infrastructure,” she said. “Where are we dependent on something that’s not guaranteed?”
