PROVENDER - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Board Member Read Bio
After working for nearly a decade in the mining industry, D'Ann became disenchanted with the environmental atrocities and the lack of community mining was having on her hometown of North Bend and she was searching for something more meaningful.
She decided to relocate to Eugene where she started her own Café downtown and a wholesale shortbread business, while simultaneously being employed by Mountain Rose Herbs as their Special Projects Coordinator. This is a complex job that requires flexibility, time management, strict guidelines, and a steadfast commitment to communication. This position allows her to attend all the major natural products trade shows across the United States where she is intimately involved with hundreds of companies.
D'Ann has a bachelor's degree in business administration and an associate degree in accounting. This education, along with her involvement in the natural products industry, makes her valuable in the handling of complexities for the Provender Alliance.
D'Ann lives on 55 acres of forestland outside of Eugene and loves to spend her afternoons birdwatching and gardening, and the rest of the time is spent traveling.
"I can honestly say that I am very happy to have made the decision to join the Provender Alliance. Already within a month's time, it has provided me with tools and workshops - and makes me feel like although we are a small Co-op, we are a part of a network now."
Job Titles:
- Co - Director, Real Organic Project
Linley is a passionate farmer who owns grows nutrient-rich vegetables on a 5-acre organic farm in Durango, Colorado. Her farm specializes in soil grown tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, greens and herbs.
She also holds a Masters in Plant and Soil Science, a PhD in Plant Pathology, and conducted research at the USDA's Fungal Systematics Laboratory in Beltsville. Linley ran and directed the original pilot program for the Real Organic Project certification program and is now the Co-Director of the Real Organic Project with farmer and founder Dave Chapman.
Melissa started working at the Community Food Co-op in Bellingham, WA in 1996 and never looked back. After a dozen years on the Front End, including four years in middle management, she has been the Co-op's Administrative Manager since 2008. In 2012, she added Sustainability Manager to her job title and developed framework for tracking and creating sustainability initiatives within the organization.
Melissa has been actively involved with the Provender Alliance for the majority of her natural foods career, planned all conference meals from 2012-2019 and has been a presenter at many conference workshops over the years. She loves systems creation, collecting data, everything Provender, talking about recycling, painting, and going to see live music, particularly if there are members of the Grateful Dead involved.
Rachel has worked in the natural foods trade for over 25 years. Starting at Olympia Co-op, then to Sundance Natural foods, having her own raw foods cafe and then to New Seasons Market in Portland. Rachel left the retail side to be a broker rep for New Frontier Marketing for 5 years and in her current position as Sales Coordinator and Key Account Manager at Maitri Marketing for almost 10 years. She has held all of the positions on the Provender Board for 6 years in the past and is now back on the board after a 3 year hiatus! The Provender community inspires her everyday to do the work she does!!
Treavor has lived on the west coast for most of his life aside from his time in the midwest serving with the Air Force. Back in WA, he went to Evergreen State College to study literature, religion, philosophy, and took the opportunity to study abroad. He would then meet his wife, Pam, who serves as the sanctuary manager at Wolf Haven International-where he now lives with her. In 2017, he began volunteering at the Olympia Food Co-op to build deeper connections within his local community. He would go on to be a part of their working member program for 4 years, a part-time worker for 1 year, and finally, after feeling a deep commitment to the co-op's mission, sought out employment as a full collective staff member.
At the co-op, Treavor has joined the management of the unique working member program that had given him so much in return and has begun training to be a staff representative to the Board of Directors of the Olympia Food Co-op. Pulling on his background, he aims to bridge connections, invite compassion and gentleness, and strengthen the sense of community wherever he might serve. During his time spent at a Provender conference, he quickly saw how closely the values aligned with his own and was excited to be on board with the team.
On a complementary side, Treavor is a gamer and strategist at heart; he loves to host board game parties, is an avid chess and go player, and loves teaching. He has always had a passion for computers and technology and is fascinated with AI, neural networks, and how these are quickly changing the world we live in. He enjoys quiet time at home, cooking plant-based recipes, reading a book with a cat or two on his lap, or taking long prairie walks with Pam and their two rescues.
"Thank you for the lovely conference experience! As well as being educational, it was probably the warmest and most uplifting zoom conference I've ever been to." [Provender Alliance 45th Annual Educational Conference - 2021]
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Board Member Read Bio
Ty is a proud father, leader, devotee and seeker. He resides in Eugene, Oregon.
After receiving his B.A. in Religious Studies at California State University Chico, Ty found himself guided into the natural foods industry. His studies of yoga and esoteric philosophy, along with a personal healing crisis in his early 20s, resulted in a passion for natural foods and a burning desire for a livelihood that embodied his deepest values.
Ty worked with HealthForce Superfoods for 15 years in a multitude of roles, giving him a look at the industry from many angles, from sales & marketing to operations & logistics. Ty then went on to join the team at Sundance Natural in 2022 as Front End Manager. He gives thanks every day for the team of beautiful people he works with there and sees his role at Sundance as being akin to a steward of a sacred space. Sundance has a special place in the heart of the Eugene Community, and Ty is deeply grateful for the opportunity to be of service there.
Ty spends most of his free time practicing kundalini yoga, making devotional music, playing in the garden, and reveling in the beauty and bounty of nature.
"…of all the events I'll be attending this year, Provender is 100% the one I am most excited about…"
Job Titles:
- Psychologist, Lecturer, and Author
Victor is a retired University of Arizona psychologist, lecturer, and author of four books: Deep Creativity, The Way of Play, The Chanter's Guide, and Repose: The Potent Pause. His research is featured in the TEDx talk, "The Art of Creative Inspiration." Besides being the co-founder and director of two non-profit groups, Global Chant and PlayHaven, Victor hosts the "Inspired by Nature" podcast and publishes a dynamic blog on creative inspiration. Victor resides in Tucson, Arizona, and is currently writing his fifth book about creative inspiration, scheduled to appear in print in 2022. He is also the proud and loving husband of Maria Shamas, a continual source of inspiration for creativity.