Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems Leaders

Below are several of the leaders from our 2009 program. The 2010 program on Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems will be very similar in structure and focus.

Unlike a traditional academic experience or conference, this program is presented by a combination of leaders — including business people, university professors, government officials, and not-for-profit directors.

We assemble a multi-disciplinary group of thought leaders, recognizing that powerful learning and innovation often come from combining disparate skills, and that advances in sustainability require systems-oriented thinking.

Ted Kulongoski, Govenor of OregonGovenor Kulongoski

The Governor provided the senior policy perspective on the built environment, agriculture and food systems, and their part in the state's broader sustainability strategy.

The program delivers a carefully planned curriculum, not a loosely connected set of talks and panels. This includes a strong focus on addressing your questions, and applications to your situations.

Throughout the dynamic 5 day program, you can expect to meet with over 25 leading professionals and experts.

Featured Leaders Included:

Anita Azarenko
Professor and Head of the Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University

Dr. Anita Azarenko is Professor and Department Head of the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University. The Department of Horticulture is a comprehensive department with active research, Extension, and teaching missions with emphasis on ecological landscapes and sustainable cropping, farming and food systems.The department serves a diverse and dynamic high-value horticulture sector and strives to serve the horticultural needs of all citizens in Oregon. Anita is responsible for strategic planning, program development, priority staffing, public relations, marketing, and other activities that e,nhance or serve the Horticulture Department, faculty, and statewide programs. She also conducts research on integrated and organic tree fruit farming systems, especially orchard floor and soil management systems. With her husband, they are stewards of a small direct-market farm that grows organic fruit and hazelnuts for local markets in the Willamette Valley of Oregon.

Dr. Azarenkos educational background includes a B.S. in Horticulture, M.S. in Horticulture/Genetics, and a Ph.D in Horticulture/Plant Physiology all from the University of Maryland.

David Chen, Founder and Managing Director - Equilibrium Capital Group LLCJaime Arredondo
Fund Development Director, Farmworkers Housing Development Corporation (FHDC)

Jaime was born in 1982 in a small village in Michoacan, Mexico. He immigrated to Salem, Oregon in 1992 with his family and that is where he currently resides.

Jaime grew up working as a farmworker until the age of 22, including 7 years of fighting wildfires and 12 years of picking crops in the fields. At the age of 16 he started working at Willamette University's food cafeteria (Bon Appetite) as the "beverage boy" and was admitted as a student in 2001.

Jaime graduated from Willamette in 2005 with a Liberal Art Degrees in Rhetoric/Media Studies and Spanish. In 2005, he began working with FHDC as a Community Organizer for one its housing projects in Salem, Oregon — Colonia Libertad.

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David Bragdon - President, METRODavid Bragdon
President, METRO

David was voted as the Metro Council's first regionally elected President in November, 2002, and re-elected to a second four-year term in 2006.  He previously served as a district Councilor from 1999 through 2002.

The Metro Council is an elected regional government responsible for planning, protecting natural areas, handling solid waste and recycling, and facility management of the Oregon Zoo, Oregon Convention Center, and Expo Center.

Prior to serving on the Metro Council, Mr. Bragdon worked in the private sector transportation industry, first for Nike and later for Lasco Shipping Co., Evergreen International Airlines and, the Port of Portland.

Mr. Bragdon holds a Bachelor’s degree from Harvard University.

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Tom Brian - Chair, Washington County Board of CommissionersTom Brian
Chair, Washington County Board of Commissioners

Tom Brian brings a variety of personal, professional and political experiences to his role as Chairman of the Washington County Board of Commissioners. He was raised on a farm outside of Monmouth; educated at Western Oregon State College and Portland State University; worked as a Deputy Sheriff, Director of the statewide Oregon Council on Crime and Delinquency, and for the past eighteen years has been a small business owner. 

Prior to being elected to the Board Chairman role in November 1998, Mr. Brian's political and civic involvement was divided between his home in the City of Tigard and the state legislature in Salem.

Chairman Brian currently serves on:

  • the Board of Clean Water Services
  • Washington County Visitors Association Board of Directors & Grants Committee
  • Westside Economic Alliance, Board of Directors
  • Vision Action Network (VAN), Resource Council Member
  • METRO Policy Advisory Committee (MPAC) Chairman
  • Fairgrounds Revitalization Task Force, Co-chair
  • Public Safety Coordinating Council, Commissioner Rep
  • METRO Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation (JPACT), Alt. Commissioner Rep
  • Association of Oregon Counties, Board of Directors, Special Operations Committee & Legislative Committee
  • Urban Rural Reserves Coordinating Committee
  • Urban Rural Reserves Core Four
  • Urbanization Forum Steering Committee
  • Tualatin Basin Water Supply Project Steering Committee, Chairman

Mr. Brian's term as Board Chairman runs through December 2010.

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John Caputo Organic Crop & Livestock Inspector, Oregon TilthJohn Caputo
Organic Crop & Livestock Inspector, Oregon Tilth

Bachelors of Science in Soil Science from University of Idaho, 1980
Masters of Science in Soil Fertility from Oregon State University, 1985
Research Assistant, Soil Science Department at Oregon State University, 1982 - 1985
Agronomist, Seed Research of Oregon, 1986 - 1992
Extension Seed Certification Specialist, Oregon Seed Certification Service, 1992 - 2005
Organic Crop & Livestock Inspector, Oregon Tilth, Inc., 2007 to present; Organic Processing Inspector, 2008 to present; Farm Reviewer, 2009 to present
Established an organic blueberry/apple/pear/Asian pear orchard near Wren, Oregon.  One year growing organic onions and miscellaneous leafy vegetables.   Chickens raised for eggs, lambs for meat, & sheep for wool; organic gardening since 1977.

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Linda Colwell Director, Eat Think GrowLinda Colwell
Director, Eat Think Grow

Linda Colwell is a classically trained chef and founder of the Garden of Wonders and Abernethy Scratch Kitchen. Linda has a thirty year culinary history with fifteen years devoted to local producers, restaurants, markets and school districts. Currently, Linda is the founding Director of Eat Think Grow, a project of the Portland Schools Foundation. Eat Think Grow supports Portland Public Schools in meeting its Wellness Policy through Farm to School and School Garden Education. Linda works on a 145-acre orga

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Alison Dennis - Director of Supply Chain, BurgervilleAlison Dennis
Director of Supply Chain, Burgerville

Alison Dennis serves as the Director of Supply Chain for Burgerville, where she champions the company's fresh, local, sustainable values within every link in the food supply chain, from the farm to the kitchen to dining room to the compost bin. In her first year with the company she led a cross-functional green team who found over $2.1 million and counting in triple bottom line contributions through process improvements, and launched a groundbreaking composting and recycling program — a first of its kind in the fast food industry. Prior to joining Burgerville in 2006, Alison served as Purchasing Director for Oregon Health and Science University. Between jobs, she took a full year off and traveled the world, eating and drinking her way through the local food traditions of 27 countries across 6 continents in 365 days. When she got back, Alison knew she was looking for company who would see her year of culinary travel as a asset rather than a gap on her resume. She's grateful every day that Burgerville is that company.

Burgerville has been a family-owned restaurant company since 1961, with 39 locations now operating in Oregon and Washington. Burgerville is committed to sustainable business practices which provide fresh, local, sustainable food for our guests and contribute to a healthy local community.

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Ann Forsthoefel - Executive Director, Portland Farmers MarketAnn Forsthoefel
Executive Director, Portland Farmers Market

What do Ohio, Colorado and Oregon have in common? These are all states where Portland Farmers Market Executive Director Ann Forsthoefel has literally gotten her hands dirty – tilling soil to create local, sustainable food systems that support a restaurant, education center, and farmers market. Her varied work experience in all three states has given her deep roots in her life’s passion – the development of local, sustainable food systems – and makes her the natural leader for the iconic Portland Farmers Market.

A lifelong avid gardener and grower, in 1991 Ann opened a restaurant and catering business in Ohio that focused on dishes made from locally-sourced food … a novel idea for the area at that time. She then transplanted herself to Colorado in 1998 where she was Executive Director of Naropa University’s Hedgerow Sustainable Education Center and developed educational, business and community outreach at the 20-acre offsite campus. From there, she joined, Colorado-based AeroGrow International, a start up that developed the first “Indoor Smart Garden,” a hybrid hydroponics system which enables people to grow fresh vegetables, herbs, tomatoes and flowers indoors all year. After moving to Portland, Ann helped distribute millions of pounds of food to those in need as Director of Agency Relations for Oregon Food Bank. Ann joined Portland Farmers Market in August 2008. Since that time, she has been busy getting to know the local farmers and entrepreneurs of PFM, and cultivating relationships with local shoppers, city officials, PSU personnel and sponsors of the market.

Ann holds a MA in Sustainable Leadership from Antioch University McGregor in Yellow Springs, Ohio. She also received a Certificate for Coaching for Authentic Leadership from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado.

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Ron Hays President, Marion-Polk Food ShareRon Hays
President, Marion-Polk Food Share

Ron Hays has been the President/CEO of Marion-Polk Food Share since August 2005. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Eastern Oregon University and a Masters in Business Administration from George Fox University. Ron currently serves on the boards of SEDCOR and Marion County Children & Families Commission as well as the Statesman-Journal editorial board. He is also a member of Salem Rotary Club.
Ron believes that the term “food insecurity” should be replaced with “nutritional insecurity” and
worked to establish a new and innovative program at Marion-Polk Food Share called the CORE Foods Project, which focuses on providing healthy and nutritionally-balanced foods to its member agencies, identifying 16 core foods that MPFS promises to always have available. During Ron’s tenure, the MPFS network has grown from under 60 to close to 90 member programs across the two county region,
and seen the addition of over 30 community garden programs.

Ron Hays, President, Marion-Polk Food Share

Ron Hays has been the President/CEO of Marion-Polk Food Share since August 2005. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Eastern Oregon University and a Masters in Business Administration from George Fox University. Ron currently serves on the boards of SEDCOR and Marion County Children & Families Commission as well as the Statesman-Journal editorial board. He is also a member of Salem Rotary Club.
Ron believes that the term “food insecurity” should be replaced with “nutritional insecurity” and
worked to establish a new and innovative program at Marion-Polk Food Share called the CORE Foods Project, which focuses on providing healthy and nutritionally-balanced foods to its member agencies, identifying 16 core foods that MPFS promises to always have available. During Ron’s tenure, the MPFS network has grown from under 60 to close to 90 member programs across the two county region,
and seen the addition of over 30 community garden programs.

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David Chen, Founder and Managing Director - Equilibrium Capital Group LLCJim Johnson
Land Use and Water Planning Coordinator, Oregon Department of Agriculture

Jim's land use planning career has bridged local, state and regional perspectives including positions with Klickitat County, Washington; Wasco County, Oregon, the Columbia River Gorge Commission and the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development, the Sate of Oregon’s land use planning agency.  Jim is currently a member of the City of Lake Oswego Planning Commission. 

Jim earned a MA in geography from the University of Nebraska-Omaha and a BS from Western Oregon University.

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David Chen, Founder and Managing Director - Equilibrium Capital Group LLCDr. Lea Ann Kinman
Meat Science Instructor, Oregon State University

Dr.  Lea Ann Kinman, a native Oklahoman, comes from a very diverse industry background.  Following the completion of her Master’s of Science degree, she worked as a beef cattle nutritional consultant for a small coop in northeast Texas for two years.  She then went to work for Pilgrim’s Pride in Winnsboro, TX as a broiler service technician for four years.  After careful consideration she decided to return to college and pursue a Ph.D. in Food Science at Oklahoma State University.

Dr. Kinman is currently the new Meat Science instructor at Oregon State University.  Her philosophy on teaching begins with a hands-on approach.  She feels that students learn the most from actually carrying out the work themselves.  Along with teaching, her duties include managing the student employed Clark Meat Center.  Employees are given the opportunity to learn the entire process, from harvesting of animals, carcass breakdown and sausage manufacturing.  Her goal while at Oregon State University is to expose students to an additional agricultural industry sector, and answer questions concerning meat and meat products. She also serves as an ex-officio board member for the Northwest Meat Processors Association.

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Jill Kuhler - Executive Director, Zenger FarmJill Kuhler
Executive Director, Zenger Farm

Jill is the Executive Director of Zenger Farm, a 16-acre working farm and wetland that educates over 4,500 youth and adults every year about healthy food, sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship.  The Lents International Farmers Market, one of Zenger Farm’s programs,  provides outer Southeast Portland with access to healthy food.  Zenger Farm also serves as a training ground for emerging farmers, hosting apprentice farmers and providing land-based training to immigrant farmers. The newest program, Healthy Eating on a Budget, teaches underserved families how to prepare healthy, affordable meals on a limited budget.


Growing up in Texas, Jill was inspired by her summers spent in her grandmother’s garden digging for worms, and she still cannot keep the dirt out from under her fingernails. While in the Peace Corps in Guatemala she helped a rural elementary school install a garden that continues to provide food for school lunches. Commitment to connecting children with their food source has been her passion ever since.

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John Luna, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Dept. of Horticulture, Oregon State University, Corvallis.John Luna, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University

As an applied researcher in sustainable agriculture, John works with Oregon farmers to develop more economically viable and energetically efficient farming practices, while enhancing soil, water and environmental quality. His research focuses on cover cropping and conservation tillage systems, and on biologically-based pest management alternatives. John has also serves as consultant to agricultural businesses and nurseries transitioning to more sustainable practices.

John received his Ph.D. in entomology from Virginia Tech in 1986 and served as statewide Extension specialist in integrated pest management and sustainable agriculture until he joined the faculty at Oregon State University in 1992. He served as statewide Extension coordinator for sustainable agriculture until 2002, and has taught courses in agroecology, integrated pest management, and organic vegetable production.

Both he and his wife Sue are avid gardeners and grow and process most of their own fruit and vegetables. Their home garden serves as an off-campus "research station" to develop and implement practical approaches to ecological gardening.

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John Luna, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Dept. of Horticulture, Oregon State University, Corvallis.Harry MacCormack
 Owner, Sunbow Farm

Co-founder and first Executive Director of Oregon Tilth, which was incorporated at Harry’s Sunbow Farm in Corvallis, and where the publication In Good Tilth was created.

Harry is currently Director of The Insititue of BioWisdom, and is a founding board member of Ten Rivers Food Web, a  three county local food systems organizing effort. At 67 he continues to farm, write, teach and speak in all kinds of venues. He just released the 4th edition of The Transition Document: Toward A Biologically Resilient Agriculture. 

He has published hundreds of articles on agricultural topics, five books of poetry, and has authored six stage plays and two movie scripts. In retirement after serving 31 years as an instructor at OSU, he and Cheri are busier than ever.

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Bill MacKenzie Communications Manager, U.S. Corporate Affairs, Intel Corporation Bill MacKenzie
Communications Manager, U.S. Corporate Affairs, Intel Corporation

As Communications Manager with Intel for the past 13 years, Bill works with internal communications channels and external media to maintain Intel’s strong reputation as a good corporate citizen and environmental steward. He makes use of his strong knowledge of the company to deliver key messages on Intel’s commitment to managing its operations responsibly, designing products for energy efficiency and the environment, promoting sustainability initiatives and solving environmental challenges with technology. He has a B.A. from the University of Denver, an M.A. from the University of Maine and a M.M.A. from the University of Rhode Island.

Before joining Intel he worked as a business/politics reporter for The Oregonian, Professional Staff on the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife Conservation and the Environment with the U.S. House of Representatives, Policy Analyst with the U.S. Department of Commerce and consultant to the Conservation Foundation.

Leather Storrs Chef, Noble Rot James R. Myers,
Professor of Vegetable Breeding and Genetics, Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University

Myers holds the Baggett-Frazier Endowed Chair of Vegetable Breeding and Genetics in the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University.  He works on a number of crops including dry and snap bean, edible podded pea, broccoli, tomato, winter and summer squash, and sweet corn.  Prior to employment at OSU, he worked as a dry bean breeder at University of Idaho.  His main interest has been to improve vegetable varieties for disease resistance and human nutrition while maintaining quality and productivity in improved varieties.  He is the originator of high anthocyanin tomatoes.  Internationally, he was involved for 17 years in with colleagues in Malawi and Tanzania in the Bean/Cowpea Collaborative Research Support Program to develop disease and insect resistant dry beans for sub-Saharan Africa.  Dr. Myers is also breeding tomatoes, broccoli, and summer squash for organic systems.  He has snap pea and tomato varieties nearing release. 

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Leslie Pohl-Kosbau Portland Community Gardens Leslie Pohl-Kosbau
Portland Community Gardens

Community Gardens, sponsored by Portland Parks, was started in 1975 by Leslie with three sites. It has grown to 35 garden sites, with over 1,000 garden plots and serves 4,000 people. Each year the gardeners also donate over 14,000 pounds of fresh produce to the local food pantries through the Produce for People effort of the Community Gardens Program.

Portland Community Gardens was the focus of an Oregon Solutions Project in 2009/10 to address the expanding needs and demand for gardens in Portland.

Leslie has a background in horticulture, fine arts and educational programming. She has served Portland Parks as a Horticulturalist, an Operations Maintenance Supervisor, and a Botanic Specialist. Organizations she has helps found are: the Friends of Portland Community Gardens, the Hillsdale Farmers Market and the Portland/Multnomah County Food Policy Council.

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Lisa Sedlar, President, New SeasonHeather Saam
Certification Manager, Food Alliance

Heather Saam is the Certification Manager at Food Alliance, where she oversees the inspection and certification process for farmers, ranchers, and food handlers working toward certification of their sustainable agricultural and facility management practices.  Heather has several years of experience working closely with farmers, and grew up on her family’s century farm in the driftless region of Northwest Illinois.  She serves on the Board of Directors of Zenger Farm, an historic 16-acre urban farm and education center located in outer Southeast Portland.  

Prior to joining Food Alliance, Heather was at University of Wisconsin-Madison doing nutrient management research on dairy farms.  Heather holds an MS in Land Resources from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a BA in Philosophy and Chemistry from Clarke College in Dubuque, Iowa.

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David Chen, Founder and Managing Director - Equilibrium Capital Group LLCDr. Ramesh Sagili
Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University

Dr. Ramesh Sagili is a honey bee researcher in the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University. He obtained his PhD in Entomology from Texas A&M University in 2007 specializing in honey bee research. He has bachelors and a Masters degree in Agriculture from A.P. Agricultural University, India. He did a short post doctoral research at Texas A&M before coming to OSU in March 2009.

His primary research focus at OSU is honey bee health, nutrition and pollination. His appointment also includes extension and hence he works closely with the state stake holders i.e. both beekeepers and producers. His goal is to establish a vibrant and dynamic honey bee research and extension program at OSU that will cater the needs of beekeepers and producers in the state.

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Lisa Sedlar, President, New SeasonLisa Sedlar
President, New Seasons Market

Lisa Sedlar is the president of New Seasons Market. She hails from the mighty Midwest and has lived in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Chicago, Illinois, and Boulder, Colorado. Lisa is a formally trained chef and has worked in retail food markets for over 20 years, in positions ranging from store chef to director of purchasing for the nation's largest natural foods retailer.

Lisa is on the board of directors for the Oregon Food Bank, the Sustainable Business Network of Portland, and the Portland Public Market. She also serves on the business advisory committees of the Food Alliance and the Food Innovation Center. Lisa is a member of the City Club of Portland and the Portland Rotary.

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Manuel V. Silveira, ��Vice President - Agricultural Services, NORPAC Foods, Inc.Manuel V. Silveira
Vice President, Agricultural Services, NORPAC Foods, Inc.

Manuel is Vice President of Agricultural Services for NORPAC Foods, Inc., a farmer-owned cooperative of over 200 family farms located in the Willamette Valley.

Manuel has been with NORPAC since 1982, and in his current position since 1995. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Entomology from San Jose State University. Prior to working in the Food Processing industry, Manuel worked as an independent Integrated Pest Management consultant in the Central Valley of California.

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Leather Storrs, Chef - Noble RotStacey L. Sobell, M.P.H.
Farm to School Coordinator, Food & Farms Program, Ecotrust

Stacey L. Sobell, M.P.H., is the Farm to School Coordinator for the Food & Farms Program at Ecotrust, a Portland, Oregon, based conservation organization committed to building a future that strengthens communities and the environment from Alaska to California. Ecotrust is the Lead Agency for the 8-state western region of the National Farm to School Network. At Ecotrust, Stacey designs, researches, evaluates, and advocates for farm to school programs at local, state, and regional levels. In 2008-09, she piloted one of the first farm to preschool programs in the nation. Her recent focus has been working with schools, childcare centers, and colleges to increase their procurement of local foods via FoodHub (www.food-hub.org), Ecotrust’s new online directory and marketplace for buyers and sellers of regional food.

Raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Stacey completed her undergraduate work in Cultural Anthropology at the University of British Columbia. She moved to Hood River, Oregon in 2003 and later received her Masters of Public Health from Portland State University with a focus on Advocacy and Social Change. She currently serves on the Steering Committee for the Multnomah Food Initiative, and is a member of the Oregon Farm to School and School Garden Statewide Network and Policy Workgroup, as well as the Oregon Nutrition Policy Alliance.

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David Chen, Founder and Managing Director - Equilibrium Capital Group LLCErnie Spada
Owner, Duck Delivery Produce, Inc.

Ernie Spada, Jr. leads the largest privately owned produce distribution business in the Pacific Northwest.  Duck Delivery Produce, Inc. and Duck Delivery of Washington, Inc. serve the food service sector while United Salad Co. serves the retail sector.

Today’s thriving business began humbly in the late 1930s when Grandparents,  Mary and Leo Spada immigrated from Italy  and settled  as farmers on the Oregon coast. Success there brought them to Portland where they established United Salad Co. in 1940 along Produce Row. As a teenager Ernie learned the produce business at his Father’s side and  began his full time career nearly 40 years ago.

Ernie respects his predecessor’s hard work and the uncompromising standards for  consistent quality and service that have led to their success.  He takes pride in the many steps he has initiated to operate the companies in an environmentally responsible manner while still providing highest quality produce to their customers.  Duck Delivery and United Salad were the first produce distributors in the United States to become Food Alliance Certified.   Pride Packing Co., is a family-owned fruit growing operation in Yakima, Washington.  With Pride Packing’s  Food Alliance Grower Certification the four companies are the first vertically integrated Food Alliance Certified growers/distributors in the United States.      

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Leather Storrs, Chef - Noble RotLeather Storrs
Chef, Noble Rot

Leather Storrs, a native Oregonian, grew up on the rough and tumble west side of Portland. His mediocre academic career culminated in a B.A. in English from the University of Colorado. After graduation, Storrs got serious at the Culinary Institute of America, taking home the coveted 'Perfect Attendance' award. Formative cooking experiences included stints at Chez Panisse and the French Laundry, under the frightening brilliance of Thomas Keller.

Leather returned to Portland in 1998 to run dinner service at the Bijou Caf̩, a venerable breakfast joint. The experiment was disastrous. In an attempt to retire from cooking, Storrs took a position at Brick House wines as an assistant to Doug Tunnell. He also worked as a food critic for the Portland Tribune and Citysearch.com. His wife, Courtney, rescued him from his desert wanderings and installed Leather as the chef of her (and partner Kimberly Bernosky's) new wine bar, Noble Rot, in 2002. That was big. Noble Rot was a critical and commercial success.

Leather's food menu, a revolving selection of small plates, is grounded in seasonality and wine friendliness. The press has been kind and the humble onion tart has reached cult status. Now 35, Storrs is nearing the end of his run as a young Turk, but he remains cheeky and opinionated. He, Courtney and Bernosky are designing a new restaurant, but his finest creation by far is his young son, Rye.

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Peter Truitt, Truitt Bros. Inc.Peter Truitt
President, Truitt Bros. Inc.

Peter and his brother, David, took over a cannery in Salem, and eventually formed Truitt Bros. Inc. which has always been more than just a food processor. They represent the third generation of a food processing family and are leaders in bringing quality and innovation to the industry. They provide shelf stable products for a wide variety of establishments, from restaurants and businesses to health care and retailers.

Peter was raised in rural Louisiana in the 50s and early 60s. He left for boarding school in '62, began college at Cornell in '64, finished at Oregon State. His family includes his wife, Lynda, a Louisiana native, married 39 years; daughter Kathleen, 36, an actress lives and works in NYC; son Jordan, 25 and an Agriculture major at OSU, Ag harvesting business.

Peter has been active on the business advisory council of the Food Alliance and the advisory council for the State of Oregon Food Innovation Center.

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