Staff Bios
STAFF BIOS
David Bauermeister, Executive Director
Prior to joining NABC in 2006 as its first Executive Director, David Bauermeister served as Director of the Agricultural and Natural Resources division for the Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce and Executive Director of Northwest Natural Resources Institute. His agriculture background includes experience as the head of the Spokane Ag Expo, General Manager of Pacific Northwest Fiber LLC, and Assistant Manager and Shareholder of the Northwest Pea and Bean Company. David enjoys hiking and cycling and is the former head of the Inland Northwest Trails Coalition of Spokane, WA. David is a graduate of Washington State University.
Gary Merritt, Director, Marketing
Gary recently joined the center as Director of Marketing. Before coming to NABC, he was Director of Marketing at Tai Foong USA, a large seafood importer selling to both retail and foodservice customers throughout the US. Prior to this, Gary worked as Director of Marketing for Stockpot Soups and for the well-known retail bakery chain, Cinnabon. Gary enjoys power boating in Lake Washington and Puget Sound, travel, and downhill skiing at Stevens Pass or Whistler. He has many fond memories of spending time with his grandparents on their Guernsey dairy farm near Oakdale, California. Gary holds a Master of Science in business administration from the University of California, Irvine.
Jake Fowler, Project Manager
Jake Fowler is NABC's Project Manager and oversees the client services provided by the Center. Before joining NABC, he was the assistant area sales manager for Alf Christianson Seed Co. focusing on domestic and international trade. During his time in the vegetable seed trade he was involved with the National Garden Bureau, American Seed Trade Association and Future Seed Executives of America. He currently resides in Bellingham and enjoys all things outdoors. Football season is one of his favorite times of year. Jake earned a BS in horticulture at Washington State University.
Sera Hartman, NABC’s Office Administrator, came to NABC in 2006. She supervises office functions, writes grants, and contributes to client projects. Sera has served as Superintendent of the Evergreen State Fair's Agriculture Education Display, Marketing and Administrative Manager for the Snohomish Festival of Pumpkins, head of the Northwestern division of the Society for Creative Anachronism and Event Director of the S.C.A.'s 40th Year Anniversary Celebration. Sera graduated from Western Washington University with a B.A. degree in Environmental Sciences with an emphasis in agroecology and biology. She has 20 years' small business experience as a self-employed craftsman. Sera enjoys micro-farming, archery, competitive running and horse gaming.
Maryon Attwood is one of NABC's Special Projects managers. Maryon oversees special value-added projects at NABC like artisan distilling, meat processing and agricultural branding and marketing. As part of the NABC Team, she also works on grants and business plans for various projects. Maryon has served on the Whidbey Island Sustainable Agriculture Committee for three years and was the Director of the Washington Sustainable Food and Farming Network. Her past roles in non-profit administration provide Maryon with a unique blend of experience needed to organize and facilitate collaboration among producers, their supporters and the consumer public. Maryon’s degree in Art and Biology has served her well in her community-building projects on both the east and west coasts. She raises the critically endangered Poitou donkey on her ten acre farm (atthewoodfarm.com) in Coupeville, WA.
Rick Reed is an NABC Project Manager working on the Puget Sound Food Project to improve food production and distribution in the region. Rick is a former state senator with nearly 40 years' experience as a writer and communications director. Born in Snohomish, Rick spent his summers as a teen helping process the Valley's berries and peas. Rick obtained a B.A. degree in English from WSU where he set several records playing football for the Cougars. He later earned a Master's degree in Education from Pepperdine University. Rick enjoys athletics with his ten-year-old son and tending the family's blueberry orchard and other organic crops on their small farm in Snohomish.
Carolyn Eslick , Event Manager, works with NABC partner organizations to coordinate regional, national, and international events. Presently serving as the Mayor of the City of Sultan, Carolyn has 30 years' business development experience. She owned and operated the Dutch Cup Restaurant in Sultan for 20 years and served as Deputy Director of the Northwest Women's Business Center, business counselor, and facilitator of numerous workshops helping people start their own businesses. Carolyn grew up on a farm in Oregon where she learned farming from parents who met at her father's vegetable stand at a Farmers' Market. Carolyn attended Portland State University, Everett Community College, and WSU.
Zia Gipson, Communications.
Zia has more than twenty years of experience in marketing communications and development work. She works with NABC as our Newsletter Editor and reporter-at-large. Zia shares her Whidbey Island farm with her husband Richard, a herd of pygmy and La Mancha goats, and a standard poodle, Ohno.
Regional Food System Project Staff
Mary Embleton
Cascade Harvest Coalition
(206) 632-0606
4649 Sunnyside Ave N., Rm 123
Seattle, WA 98103