LEADERSHIP

Kellee James

Kellee James is Founder and CEO of Mercaris, a market data service and trading platform for organic, non-GMO and other identity-preserved agricultural commodities. Prior to Mercaris, Kellee spent five years at the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX), the first electronic trading platform and registry for spot, futures and options contracts on carbon, sulfur, clean energy and other environmental products. In 2009, she was appointed by President Barack Obama as a White House Fellow where she advised members of the administration on environmental markets. She has also worked with coffee farmers and commodity banks in Latin America on risk management and income diversification strategies. Kellee was named by both Black Enterprise Magazine and Crain’s Chicago Business Magazine as a ’40 under 40′ rising leader. Ms. James is an Aspen Institute Catto Environmental Fellow and has also served on the board of Net Impact, a membership organization of more than 12,000 MBA professionals committed to sustainability. She is currently a non-resident senior fellow at the Joint Center for Political & Economic Studies, a think tank in Washington, DC. Kellee received her MBA and MA in International Development from American University and completed a BA in Spanish from the University of Kentucky.

Lynn Youngbar

President

Lynn Youngbar currently provides organization development consulting services to non-profits and government agencies in Oregon. Her career focused on starting and leading innovative, community change-oriented non-profits and founded Rural Development Initiatives, Inc. in 1991. She has extensive experience in the Oregon Legislature and other policy forums in Oregon and the Northwest and consults on community and economic development, non-profit interim management, strategic planning, succession planning and environmental resource issues.

Steve Crider

Vice President

With 30 years in the Natural and Organic food world, sustainable agriculture is Steve Crider’s passion. Crider worked in many capacities within the natural food industry, including business development and sales, opening international markets, and education on both business and policy aspects of the organic trade. Fluent in Japanese and French, Crider has an in depth understanding of international trade issues and export procedures, as well as organic food production systems and manufacturing.

Susan Schechter

Secretary

Susan Schechter is the Executive Director of Provender Alliance 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, ensuring continued success through dedication, commitment and the relationships built within the industry and extended community.

Ryan Wist

Treasurer

For the past twelve years, Ryan Wist has worked in the food processing industry, focusing on food safety and quality management. This role has allowed Wist to serve as the organic program administrator for two companies working with certification agencies QAI and OTCO. He was also the regulatory liason to the USDA, FDA, EPA and their state partners. As an active member of the organic industry, Wist has served as a delegate to the Northwest Food Processor’s Association’s Operations and Technical Affairs committee, and chaired a workgroup to issue comments on the FDA’s proposed Preventive Control Rules.

Emma Sirois

Emma Sirois coordinates the national Healthy Food in Health Care Program (HFHC) at Health Care Without Harm. Emma leads a team of content experts and organizers to work with health care institutions and health professionals across the country to promote sustainable food systems by leveraging the purchasing power and health authority of the health care sector. From 2007 to 2014, she directed the Regional HFHC Program in Oregon by developing educational and networking opportunities and direct technical assistance to advance regional and national program goals. Previously, Emma worked in Arizona building sustainable food resources and regional food systems through direct marketing opportunities for local farmers, urban and school agriculture projects, food and nutrition education, and public policy advocacy, with the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, the Arizona Community Action Association and the not-for-profit, Community Food Connections. Emma holds a master’s degree in Urban and Environmental Planning from Arizona State University. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and two girls, enjoying the bounty of the region.

Justin Freeman

Justin Freeman is the General Manager of Hummingbird Wholesale, an organic foods wholesaler based in Eugene. Hummingbird sources a wide range of agricultural products from farmers in Oregon and the greater Pacific Northwest, supporting both established organic producers and farmers who are transitioning or are new to organic cultivation.

Justin brings a diverse professional and educational background to the sustainable food industry, having previously worked in academic biological research and in corporate and non-profit settings. He holds bachelor’s degrees from the University of Colorado Boulder and The University of Texas at Austin (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and Management Information Systems, respectively), as well as an MBA from the University of Notre Dame. Justin and his wife Jennifer call Eugene home.