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 - Treasurer

Melissa Minton is the General Manager of the Santa Rosa Community Market and the current board secretary for the Provender Alliance. She has served on the board for 4 years and hopes to serve another term. She is versed in Policy Governance Model for running a board and helped the Provender board move to that model during her term.

mel@provender.org

Nica Poznanovich - Secretary

Nica Poznanovich is the Outreach coordinator for the Santa Rosa Community Market. Nica has been both a Provender 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.

nica@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 five. 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 working at Winter Ridge, a small independent natural food store in town.

vicki@provender.org

Meg Kennedy

Meg is an East coast escapee and self-proclaimed Provender groupie. She attended her first Provender conference in 2005 and can't get enough of all things Provender. She loves that she gets to use her former high school cheerleading skills while serving as a steering committee member of the board since 2008. Since 2000, Meg has been the buyer at Central Co-op in Seattle.

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

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

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.

Kenna Eaton

Kenna Eaton, General Manager of the Food Co-op located in Port Townsend, Washington has been attending Provender conferences for 30 years and spent 4 of those years serving on the Provender board of directors. Currently she serves on the steering committee and the nominations committee.

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.

Ron Leppert

Ron has served on the Provender board of directors for 3-plus years. He now serves on the Board of Directors with the Willamette Valley Sustainable Food Alliance and The Food Trade Sustainability Leadership Association. His peers have bestowed upon him the nickname of “Gatekeeper” for his stringent standards, integrity, and commitment to all that is clean, green, local and organic.

Roxanne Magnuson

I've been in the natural foods business for a very long time - more than 25 years. I've enjoyed positions in retail, distribution, brokerages and manufacturing. I've been on the Provender Board, even serving four years as President. I continue to find my participation in Provender to be one of the most beneficial, educational and inspirational experiences available.

Ellen Markham

Ellen Markham is Western Region Sales Manager for Aura Cacia, a division of Frontier Natural Products Co-op. A former Provender board member, she has worked in the natural products industry for over 15 years. She lives in Portland, is a new backyard bee keeper and keeps active with yoga, biking & surfing.

Stephen Markham

Stephen holds fast to the community that he has gained in Provender Alliance and soaks in its wisdom and energy often for balance and regeneration. Clean agriculture, that re-connects humans with the food that sustains them, will be realized in time. In affirmation, right now, Stephen is claiming his part of co-creating the coming shift toward that sustainable place. His journey, in the spirit of love, joy, and celebration, continues.

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.

Ashlee Tomas

Ashlee has been employed with Mountain Rose Herbs for over four years. In her work, she gets to live out her passion and enthusiasm for organic agriculture and sustainable living each day. Ashlee is the Store Accounts Manager for Mountain Rose Herbs. In this position, she is responsible for facilitating local accounts, breweries, natural food co-ops and stores.