No Food Left Behind – Corvallis is the newest project of the Waste Prevention Action Team of the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition, in Corvallis, Oregon. The Coalition is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
Our team was asked to develop this project in response to the mind-blowing new statistics about the economic, environmental and social impacts of growing food that is never eaten. See our Why It Matters page to learn more about this important issue.
Through grant funding from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, this project was officially launched in February 2018. The team plans to seek continuation funding for 2020 to broaden its reach.
No Food Left Behind – Corvallis Team
Project Manager
Jeanette Hardison
Jeanette has been working as a waste prevention and recycling professional since 1993, since receiving her BA in Communications from Oregon State University. She also spent many years as a professional fundraiser for good causes. As a volunteer co-leader of the Coalition’s Waste Prevention Action Team, she was asked to find funding and create a local effort around preventing wasted food. In response, Jeanette developed the No Food Left Behind – Corvallis project, writing and securing a grant from Oregon DEQ, creating additional employment for herself and an awesome team of the five local, like-minded contractors, below. As Project Manager, she oversees all project efforts, and coordinates and makes community presentations about preventing wasted food. Jeanette now does a much better job remembering to eat her leftovers.
Assistant Project Manager
Amanda Rhodes
Amanda received her Master of Public Policy degree in 2017, has a BS in Nutrition from Oregon State University and is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. Her thesis examined wasted food, carnism and climate change, so Amanda was a perfect addition to our team! As Assistant Project Manager, Amanda led the six-week Challenge to Waste Less Food and provides organizational support for the overall NFLB project. Amanda is already super conscious about not wasting food but is working on the balance between her adventurous side that tries new foods, and the side that knows what she likes, trying not to waste food based on flavor.
Public Outreach Specialist
Karen Kos
Karen holds both a BS and MA in Journalism from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and has worked many years doing similar outreach work and activism for renewable energy and reducing carbon footprints. As a contractor on the team, Karen provides engaging educational outreach at our local Saturday Farmer’s Markets during the 2018 and 2019 market seasons. She collects data and pledges from market-goers to waste less food, and provides resources like our A-Z Fruit & Vegetable Storage Guides and compost pails to the community. Karen now thinks twice about simply composting her lonely wrinkled produce by getting more creative with recipes.
Eco-Edu-Tainer
Kjersten Hallin
Kjersten holds a BFA and K-12 Art Education degree from University of Minnesota Duluth. She has 30 years of experience leading programs in art, adventure and music. She is one talented lady! As “Magic Mama” the Eco-Edu-Tainer, Kjersten delivers brand new, original performance content around preventing wasted food to fifth graders throughout Corvallis during the 2018-19 school year, and is preparing to serve fifth AND fourth graders in Fall 2020, once we secure additional funding. Kjersten is looking forward to helping kids love food even more and bring the message home.
Web Master
Kris Paul
Kris earned her BS in Computational Physics from Oregon State University and has built many websites in her day. She worked closely with Jeanette Hardison and Annette Mills (Coalition Director/Facilitator) in the project development stage of No Food Left Behind. As a contractor on the team, she built and maintains this website and the online “toolbox” for helping the Corvallis community waste less food. She was instrumental in developing the online mechanism for collecting data from our six-week Challenge, and continues to provide website maintenance support. Kris is already awesome about preventing wasted food, but she’s still trying to figure out what the heck to do with the leftover pulp from making her own soy milk.
Graphic Designer
Joel Gustafson
Joel has a BFA degree in Graphic Design from Oregon State University, and received his certificate in Advanced Digital Marketing through OSU. Joel has been involved with the development and planning of this project. As a contractor on the team, Joel designed our graphics and print materials, assisted with branding, and helped streamline our social media strategy. He also provided in-kind services through First Alternative Natural Foods Co-op, by creating and sharing short videos around smart food prep. Since joining the team, Joel and his partner became brand new parents, and are mastering how to feed a hungry tater tot of their own and still prevent wasted food at the same time.
Grant Advisor and Director/Facilitator, Corvallis Sustainability Coalition
Annette Mills
Annette is a co-founder of the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition, and has been instrumental in its development during the past 10 years, making it her full-time focus (as a volunteer!). In addition to leading the organization, she also currently serves as the Steering Committee liaison to several of the Coalition’s 12 action teams, including Waste Prevention. Annette worked closely with Jeanette in the creation of the No Food Left Behind project and continues to serve in an advisory role to the project during the grant period and beyond.
Her professional background as a public-school educator and local government employee includes program development, management, and supervision. She received her BA in History from Stanford University (Phi Beta Kappa) and her MA in Human Development from Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena, CA. Annette now attends the local Farmer’s Market TWICE a week instead of just once a week, to make sure her arugula and cilantro doesn’t go bad before she can use it up.
