The Board of Directors

Evelyn Hall - Board President

As Store Manager of First Alternative Co-op's North Store in Corvallis, Oregon Evelyn gets to share her enthusiasm for great food and great people each day. Born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska Evelyn moved to Corvallis to attend Oregon State University and earned a bachelor's degree in Natural Resources from the College of Forestry. Evelyn has over 10 years management experience and 7 years of co-op experience.

evelyn@provender.org

Melissa Minton - Vice President/Secretary

Melissa Minton is the General Manager of the Santa Rosa Community Market and the current board secretary and former board treasurer for Provender Alliance. She has served on the board for 6 years. She is very dedicated to the values and mission of the organization and is proud to be able to serve in this capacity.

mel@provender.org

Vicki Reich

Vicki Reich has been a member of Provender for over 10 years and has served on the board of directors for the past seven. She began her career in the Natural Foods Industry in 1993 when she began volunteering at the Moscow Food Co-op. She worked at the Co-op for twelve years and is currently the store manager at Winter Ridge, a small independent natural food store in Sandpoint Idaho.

vicki@provender.org

Meg Kennedy

Meg is an East coast escapee and self-proclaimed Provender groupie. She attended her first conference in 2005 and can't get enough. She is the Sustainable Product Advocate at Central Co-op in Seattle where she has worked for 11 years. She’s been a Food Justice activist since the early 1990s. She entered into motherhood in 1996 by birthing a ridiculously incredible daughter, Sienna, and co-parenting two other amazing children.

meg@provender.org

Cheryl Good

Cheryl Good has been working in the Natural Foods industry since 1998. Her business, Cheryl R Good Services, provides freelance HR services, training and facilitation. Cheryl Good worked for First Alternative Co-op from 1998-2008. Since the opening of First Alternative's second store in 2003, she provided HR leadership and vision for organizational change and development.

cheryl@provender.org

Renee Kempka - Treasurer

Renee was introduced to natural foods when her parents belonged to a bulk buying co-op in north central Minnesota in the mid-70s. Renee furthered her natural food connections by volunteering at the Morris, MN co-op when she was an undergraduate. Her next experience was working at Alfalfa’s in Boulder, Colorado then eventually Sundance Natural Food in Eugene, Oregon. Renee is currently the General Manager there and has been so for 11 years.

renee@provender.org

Stacy Ann Kraker

Works as a human rights activist while in college set the stage for Stacy’s passion for food justice and organic agriculture. Currently the Marketing Manager at Organically Grown Company, Stacy has been a small farmer, as well as an avid home cook and food preserver and remains a lover of good, clean food and a cheerleader for organic farmers. Stacy sees Provender Alliance as an essential support organization for our growing trade community.

stacy@provender.org

Provender Alliance Executive Director

Susan Schechter

Susan Schechter is the Executive Director of Provender Alliance. She has served in this position since 1998. As the sole employee for the organization, Susan’s skills include conference planning, Journal editing and publishing, membership relations and recruitment as well the daily tasks of bookkeeping, customer service and board support. Susan coordinates the Annual Educational Conference for members and colleagues. Each year builds on the next, making them a sought-after event to attend. She is the backbone of the organization; ensuring continued success through dedication, commitment and the relationships she has built within the industry and extended community. She loves what she does and especially who she does it for - Provender members.

Provender Alliance Steering Committee

Sharon Bice

Sharon has been the Marketing Communications Manager at Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery, in Sebastopol, Sonoma County, California since December 1999. She is a past board member for Community Support Network in Santa Rosa and former Editor of the Redwood Empire Dairy Goat Associations publication "GOAT NOTES".

Laurie Bock

Laurie Bock is experienced in the natural foods industry. She has worked in distribution, customer service, done demos and consumer/staff trainings, worked in sales for other brokers in the industry, and now happily has her own brokerage company; Transformations. Laurie’s first Provender conference was in 1993, and she is passionate about Provender and the conference!

Michelle O’Connor

Michelle O'Connor is the Deli Manager of the Ashland Food Coop in gorgeous Ashland Oregon. She has worn many hats for Provender including attendee, workshop teacher, Board Member and now Steering Committee member. She is the author of the Kitchen Thyme articles in the Provender Journal where she shares favorite recipes featuring seasonal foods.

Trisha Hansen

I have worked for Marlene's Market & Deli for 10 years, which is how I found Provender Alliance. Provender has been an inspiring positive connection to the natural food industry for me. I love the energy everyone brings to this organization, and the collective information is priceless. I'm looking forward to the future as Provender grows and continues to play an important part in the way of life we all love.

Kelly Miles

I’ve been employed in the Natural Products Community since 1998 and currently work as Merchandiser Lead for the National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA). In 2000, while employed with UNFI, Deb Leyva and Kathleen Tehada sent me to my first Provender conference in Wilsonville, OR and I was hooked! I have been an active steering committee member since 2001.

Rachel Mitrani

I am currently key account and hba brand manager for New Frontier Marketing, a local NW independent brokerage. I have been in the natural foods industry my whole adult life. It is more than an industry for me it is my lifestyle and holds real life values for me. That is why I am very proud to be a part of Provender as they too, hold the same values that are important to me and the future for our planet.

Nica Poznanovich

Nica Poznanovich is the Outreach Manager for the Santa Rosa Community Market. Nica has been a Provender Board Member, a conference attendee and workshop presenter and feels like her passion for the natural foods industry is necessary for encouraging Provender’s vision for the future.