Dr. Coleman grew up in Louisiana's rural Mississippi River delta region and was introduced early on to the disproportionate nature of the food system structure in socially disadvantaged rural communities. His lived experiences and an academic background in Agriculture Economics and Agriculture and Extension Education have led to professional interests related to food system distribution and resilience that focus on leadership development, community engagement, and education and ultimately seek to ensure that individuals are actively engaged in creating mechanisms by which they are the change agents in their respective communities.