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 twice from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, this project was officially launched in February 2018 and will continue throughout 2020 to broaden its reach.
No Food Left Behind – Corvallis Team
Director/Founder
Jeanette Hardison
Jeanette has worked as a waste prevention and recycling professional since 1993, since receiving her BA in Communications from Oregon State University. She has also spent many years as a professional fundraiser for great causes including projects she runs or works on. As 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 No Food Left Behind – Corvallis, writing and securing now TWO grant awards from Oregon DEQ, creating additional employment for herself and an awesome team of the several local, like-minded contractors (see below). As Director, she oversees all project efforts, and coordinates and makes community presentations about preventing wasted food. Jeanette now does a much better job remembering to use up her own leftovers, and spreads The Word wherever and whenever she can about how easy it is to prevent waste in the first place.
Public Outreach Specialist
Karen Kos
Karen holds both a BS and MA in Journalism from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and has spent many years doing similar outreach work and activism for renewable energy and reducing carbon footprints. As an original contractor on the team, Karen provides engaging educational outreach at our local Saturday Farmers’ Markets during the 2020 market season. She collects data and pledges from market-goers to waste less food, providing resources like our A-Z Fruit & Vegetable Storage Guides and compost pails to the community. She is also lead author of NFLB’s new “Kitchen Confessions” posts for social media. Karen is excited to share our kitchen lessons with you.
EcoEduTainer
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 EcoEduTainer, Kjersten delivered brand new, original performance content around preventing wasted food to fifth graders throughout Corvallis during the 2018-19 school year, and is now preparing to serve both fifth AND fourth graders in Fall 2020, on our new DEQ funding! Kjersten is looking forward to helping kids love food even more and bring that waste prevention 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) on the project development stage of No Food Left Behind. As a contractor on the team, she built and continues to maintain this website, helping the Corvallis community waste less food. She was instrumental in developing the online mechanism for collecting data from our 2018 six-week Challenge. Kris is already awesome about preventing wasted food, and is constantly working on getting her college-aged son to eat leftovers, too.
Graphic Designer (2017)
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 was involved with the development and planning of this project. 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.
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.
