OEN NewsPress Release – Oregon Entrepreneurs Network Builds Out New Strategy With Key Additions to Staff and Board of Directors
The Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN) announces the appointment of two new members of its Board of Directors and two new staff members as the organization implements its statewide industry cluster strategy, announced earlier this year.
OEN welcomes new Board members Gary Bracelin, and Ron Milio, who will lead the Cannabis and Food & Beverage clusters, respectively. “Gary and Ron bring talent, expertise, and a deep understanding of their industries. They both understand what it takes to start and scale business in Oregon and are in terrific positions to help us create statewide support for F&B and cannabis companies. We are very excited to have them join us as we continue to support entrepreneurs through robust statewide clusters,” said Maggie Finnerty, Executive Director of OEN.
Board appointments
Bracelin, OEN’s newest board member and first to be located outside the Portland metropolitan area, has been appointed to lead OEN’s Cannabis Cluster. Gary is a seasoned entrepreneur with experience in sales and marketing strategies. He is Co-Owner of Tokyo Starfish, a marijuana retail and grow operation in Bend, where he manages buying and distribution efforts. He is also Founder and President of Outdoor Worx, an outdoor industry accelerator that helps outdoor companies scale and succeed, and Co-Founder of GB2, a full-service marketing agency.
Milio has been selected to lead the new Food & Beverage Cluster. He is Director of Organic Procurement for Dave’s Killer Bread with more than 10 years of experience in supply chain management and packaging systems. After earning a BS Packaging from Michigan State University, Ron served as Regional Project and Packaging Manager with Unilever, where he implemented a packing cost-reduction program that saved $20 million over five years.
Staff additions
OEN has also added two new staff members. Clara Gilbrough joins as Marketing and Events Coordinator—Miles Shattuck joins as Marketing and Communications Manager.
Gilbrough has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Portland, where she served as Vice President of the Student Alumni Association (SAA). Gilbrough will be responsible for executing digital marketing initiatives including content, social media and email marketing. She will also support OEN events.
Shattuck is a digital content producer with over 10 years of experience in people and project management. He will be responsible for all aspects of internal and external communications, including membership communications, media relations, and management of OEN web, social and email channels. Shattuck has also served as Content Producer for KPSU and Content Developer for The Public Interest Network. He holds two Bachelor’s degrees, one in Marketing from Portland State University, and a one in Spanish from the University of Oregon.
Marissa Schwartz has been promoted from Community Outreach Facilitator to Cluster Manager. In her expanded role, Schwartz will be responsible for leading the development of industry clusters, focusing on partnerships with organizations and businesses throughout the state to inform OEN’s cluster-specific programming. Julie Brown, who has been with OEN for 14 years, has been promoted to Director of Operations.
The slate of board members for 2018 is listed below.
President & Executive Director: Maggie Finnerty, OEN
Chair: Jon Maroney, Oregon Venture Fund
Vice Chair: Carrie Jeske, JLL
Treasurer/Finance: Caleb Pilling, Geffen Mesher
Secretary: Tyler Harkness, Tonkon Torp
Staff Liaison: Jennifer Fox, OTRADI & OBI
Fundraising: Gilian Fenner, USI
PR & Marketing: Cliff Chestnut, 30 Point
Investor Development: Dan Ellis, Investor
Core Curriculum: Robyn Knox, Executive Sales Solutions
Cluster Development: Ken Tomita, Grovemade
Cannabis Cluster: Gary Bracelin
Food & Beverage Cluster: Ron Milio, Dave’s Killer Bread
PubTalk: Ann McQuesten, Perkins Coie
At-Large: Derwyn Harris, Talkoot
At-Large: Jim Coonan, Investor
Past Chair: Scott Davidson, White Summers Caffee & James
For more information on OEN Board of Directors and staff, see: https://www.oen.org/about/meet-our-team/
For more information on OEN’s cluster strategy, see: https://www.oen.org/2018/03/14/oregon-entrepreneurs-network-establishes-food-beverage-cluster-support-industry-specific-needs-entrepreneurs-statewide/
