Board Of Directors

The Current Board of Directors:

Jim Sims: Elected President of the Co-op Board, Jim currently lives in Medford and has been a resident of Jackson County for 36 years. He is an attorney and the former Chairman of the Board of Southern Oregon Public Television and a former City Councilman in Ashland. Jim was a former President of the Ashland Food Co-op during its start up years. It is his love and belief in all things natural that make him a tireless advocate for the Co-op.

John Miele: John is retired from the National Park Services after 36 years. He served as management assistant at Crater Lake National Park, overseeing the concession program, a $7 million business operation, including two hotels, the retail grocery store, and campground operations. Currently residing in Central Point with his wife Kasorn. Activities include tending a large organic garden.

Tommy Larson: Tommy is a native Oregonian, raised in the Eugene and Portland area. He has an engineering degree from the US Air Force Academy and a Masters Degree in Systems Management from the University of Southern California. Experienced in project management, system development, engineering and modeling, and sustainable building. Tommy is a USAF Reserves pilot and commercial pilot for United Airlines.

Donna Kessler: Donna has over 30 years experience in accounting for small businesses and corporations. She has served as controller, tech support and accountant for numerous businesses including nine years with Southern Oregon ’s Carpenter Foundation. Her experience includes full range bookkeeping, financial statement development, payroll, accounts receivable and payable, data base maintenance, reconciliations, budgeting and inventory control.

Ben Truwe: Ben has been a member of the Medford City Council since 2007. He is the publisher of several non-fiction and historical books, is a typographer/graphic artist and the owner-operator of ProType. Ben is on the Board of Directors of TheaterQuest, on the Rogue Valley Council of Governments, and on the Citizens’ Planning Advisory Committee. He is also a founding member of the Bad Film Society.

Debi Boen: Debi has been an active volunteer throughout Jackson County, serving such programs as the American Red Cross, Jackson County Public Library System, WinterSpring, and the State of Oregon Department of Human Resources. She also provides design and editing services to her church, and The Movement Teen Center in Redding, California. Debi has been employed in the prepress department of Valley Web printing for 25 years, and recently started her own editing business (“EditPro”). She has a Bachelor’s degree in English from Northwest Nazarene University, and recently completed the Professional Sequence in Editing program from U.C. Berkeley Extension. Debi embraces Community Supported Agriculture, and is excited to be part of a local, co-operative adventure.

BJ Buxton: BJ (Barbara Jabaly) Buxton has lived in Medford since 1979. She is married with two daughters who are both currently teaching English overseas. Her education includes a BA from UCLA in History and a BA from the University of North Dakota in Education. BJ is recently retired from working as a Classroom Literacy Assistant (CLA) at Roosevelt Elementary. While working at Roosevelt she initiated and organized a reading program based on the national, program called “Battle of the Books” which she continues to run. As a volunteer she has served on many boards and committees over the years including chairperson of the Abraham Lincoln site council. An environmentalist for nearly four decades, BJ recycles, composts and advocates buying organic whenever possible.