Schedule

Annie Hoy, Outreach/Owner Services Manager at Ashland Food Co-op

Annie grew up in a family of grocers. Her dad retired in 1968, and she never dreamed that she would follow in his footsteps.

Her career started at the El Paso Times and Herald Post art department where my primary duty was creating the weekly grocery ads. After graduation from University of Oregon, she began a 15 year stint in Public Radio.

Out of radio and searching for the next thing, she applied for a Public Relations Specialist position at Ashland Community Food Store and got it.  

Her passion now lies in telling people about cooperative enterprise. As part of Rogue Co-ops, a cross-sector collaboration between 2 food co-ops, 2 farmer co-ops and a credit union, She has the opportunity to spread the word about the co-op advantage.

Panel topic: How Co-ops Empower People, Build Communities and Help Farmers

Panel members:

 - Tracy Dudzinski – Cooperative Care, Wautoma, WI

Tracy Dudzinski has been a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) since 1996.  After working for a nursing home for seven years, she moved to home health care.  When her client moved to Cooperative Care, Tracy followed and became an owner/member of the worker cooperative.  During her eight years with Cooperative Care, Tracy has moved from working in the field to administrative coordinator for the cooperative.  She is President of the Board of Directors of the cooperative and is also chair of the Wisconsin Direct Caregivers Alliance, the statewide association for direct caregivers.

 - Bob Holder, City Bella, Richfield, MN

Bob and his wife Patricia raised their family in a single family home in Eden Prairie, MN.  In 2005, they moved to the City Bella Cooperative in Richfield, MN where Bob serves a member of the board of directors.  Bob has held a variety of positions in several industries including 20 years in the computer industry in sales, marketing and management.

 - Jonathan Jenner, Board Chair, Local Growers Guild

Jeff Quyle, Hoosier Energy’s Economic Development Coordinator, has worked for rural electric cooperatives in Indiana for more than 20 years.

Jeff has also served in local government. As a former county commissioner he served as chair of his county’s plan commission, where he led the successful effort to write the zoning ordinance. He also led the creation of a regional sewer district to install a sanitary sewer system in a subdivision with multiple failing septic systems.

Now on the Morgan County Council, Jeff has headed the consideration of creative ways to build on the community’s strengths in order to support local existing businesses.

The Indiana General Assembly appointed him to serve on the interim study committee on economic development incentives in 2010, allowing Jeff to bring his unique dual perspective as both a local elected official and an economic development professional to the task. The study committee has provided legislators with a number of recommendations that have been enacted into law.

Jeff has also served on the board of directors of the Indiana Association of County Commissioners and the executive committee of the Association of Indiana Counties, working with leaders from other counties to develop practices and strategies that serve the needs of local government.

He earned a bachelor’s degree from Wittenberg University and Masters Degrees from Indiana

University and the University of Kent at Canterbury, and completed the Indiana Agricultural Leadership Program.

Gina Sheets is a born Hoosier married 19 years to Travis.  They have built a small diversified farm (Purple Rock Farm www.purplerockfarm.org) operation raising all natural pasture poultry, free range laying hens, pasture beef, rainbow trout and a variety of fruit and produce, all for retail sale. She and Travis also own several other small businesses.

Gina’s passion is economic development with an advanced accreditation by the International Economic Development Council in Economics through the University of Oklahoma and Business Administration from Stanislaus State University of California.

Gina has spent the past 13 plus years working in the field of economic development (10 on the local level) and three years now serving as the Director of Economic Development for the Indiana State Department of Agriculture.

She and Travis have been host parents to seven exchange students from around the world, and they have been recognized as Clinton County’s Citizens of the Year in 2006. Gina is a Paul Harris Fellow and past president of Frankfort Rotary. Gina has literally traveled and ran all over the world, competing in many ultra races, including winning a 24 hour run.

In 2013 Gina and Travis (and their 3 dogs) will move to Liberia to teach diversified farming and entrepreneurial development.

Danise Alano-Martin, Director, Department of Economic & Sustainable Development, City of Bloomington

After an 11-year stint culminating in a position as vice president and marketing director of a local community bank (the former Monroe Bank headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana), Danise Alano-Martin was appointed in 2005 by Mayor Mark Kruzan to head-up small business relations, launch the City's sustainability initiatives, and establish a downtown arts district. Under her direction, a new Department of Economic & Sustainable Development was created in 2008, formalizing the integration of sustainability, arts and economic development for the City of Bloomington.

Danise is past president and a current board member of Downtown Bloomington Inc., as well as a board member of the Humanetrix Foundation Inc., which has provided superstructure to new technology-focused public events such as The Combine creativity conference, TEDx Bloomington, and Ignite Bloomington. She also serves on the Bloomington Industrial Development Advisory Commission, the Bloomington Urban Enterprise Association and the Indiana University Hutton Honors College Alumni Association Board. She has held past volunteer board and advisory positions with the Lotus Education & Arts Foundation, the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce's Franklin Initiative and its Business Expo committee, and many other local organizations.

Danise has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Indiana University and an area certificate in environmental studies from the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs. She will sit this year for the certification exam for the National Development Council's Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP) credentials.