President, 2015-2025

"A rising tide lifts all boats." Supporting our local economy, foodshed, and producers positively impacts our entire community. I joined the Great Basin Community Coop in 2015 because I believed in their triple-bottom line model and through my time and work on the board, my faith in that model has only deepened and I've seen the impact on member-owners, producers, and the GBCFC team.

As a 20-year resident of Reno and a small business owner, I understand the importance of supporting local and keeping our dollars within the community. My role on the GBCFC Board of Directors has allowed me to continue working toward helping our community thrive through access to local and organic food. I bring 8 years experience on the GBCFC board and 10 years experience in the marketing, sales, and event industries.

If I'm not traveling, you can usually find me in the produce section at the Co-op or around town at one of the many amazing restaurants that buys local.

Treasurer, 2018-2024

Jacob was born and raised in the farming community, from homesteads in North Carolina to high tech greenhouses in the Sierra Nevada desert. His father founded Hungry Mother Organics, the family’s organic farming operation, in 2006. Jacob worked there for years, cultivating a passion for growing food. He earned his bachelor’s degree from University of Nevada, Reno and later his Professional Maintenance Management and Boiler Operator Certifications through the Association for Facilities Engineering.

He has been designing and constructing hydroponic, aquaponic and traditional greenhouse facilities for over 10 years, and he is passionate about empowering businesses and individuals alike with the ability to produce organic and sustainable products. Recent projects inlcude FSMIP program grant coordination and aquaponic system prototyping with Hungry Mother Organics, commercial facility design and construction management for Dayton Valley Aquaponics, and most recently, serving as VP of Operations for Bonanza Pharms, a certified organic indoor CBD cultivation and processing facility.

Secretary, 2015-2025

I am a Nevada native, born and raised in Reno. Several of the buildings around the Co-op were the homes of my relatives. A couple of the law offices on Arlington and Court Street were where my aunts lived as well as the building that now houses the Reno Fly Shop. My wife and I live in the Old Southwest in the house that my Grandma and Grandpa designed and lived in. Spending my entire life here, I have seen many changes in “The Biggest Little City”. I feel there are so many wonderful qualities of our town. We have quick access to the mountains, lakes and wilderness areas and there are many great events centered around the arts. I am very excited about our food scene, with an incredible energy being focused on sustainability and sourcing local. Many restaurant owners are supporting, promoting and even carrying each others’ products.

Thirty years ago I decided to become vegetarian and later took on a solely plant based diet. With this came a passion about growing much of our own food as well as helping others do the same. Each year I take part in the Co-op Seedling Sale, growing for the community, over 1000 plants to place in their own gardens. I am currently in the process of developing a business to grow sustainable, local food year around.

This brings us to the Co-op. They are all about local and sustainable. They are about community. They are like family. It is their passion and that is why I love the Co-op. I am so excited to be a part of that and I hope to be able to help make this amazing, community-owned grocery store even better.

Director, 2017-2024

Erin Meyering is California-born and Reno-raised writer and designer. She’s been an editor for a local food magazine, contributor to local publications, and currently works in marketing at Carson Tahoe Health. Her knowledge of brand awareness, public relations, and all things digital make her a great addition to the co-op’s board of directors.

Her philosophy behind sitting on the board was to be closer to food, to help support positive change within the food system, and to devote time and expertise towards the development of sustainability in the Biggest Little City.

A believer in grace, grit, and grains, she is continually seeking to expand her horizons. Between yoga classes and making her own (veg) sushi bowls, you can find her walking her 75-lb lab/boxer mix, Biscotti and mini labradoodle, Isabelle.

Director, 2015-2024

I was raised a sharecropper’s son in Arkansas in a family of 15 children. Most of our food supplies came from a very large garden we maintained. After finishing college at Marquette University in Milwaukee, I began moving around the country with the military and later Allstate, where I continued to garden in different environments.

My responsibilities at Allstate included expense management for a department of 1,500 employees, compliance, auditing and group facilitation.

Retiring from Allstate after 31 years, I came to Reno and began gardening in a much more challenging growing environment. I have lived in different parts of the city of Reno where the various micro-climates provide even more challenges. To improve my chances of gardening success, I enrolled in and finished the Master Gardner program through the University Of Nevada Cooperative Extension in 2012. In 2014, I was named one of the two Master Gardeners of the year.

Though I grow many different vegetables, my passion is growing and understanding how to successfully grow garlic here. I have been featured in the Reno Gazette Journal, Edible Reno Tahoe and I have spoken on the topic at Bartley Ranch, and the UNR Cooperative Extension.

I have volunteered the past three years at Great Basin Food Coop in the demonstration garden and currently volunteer at Sun Valley elementary school working with kids and teachers demonstrating how to grow vegetables and the value of healthier food choices. For the past two years, I have served on the Advisory Council for the Master Garden program at the UNR Cooperative Extension.

Director, 2022 - 2026

I was born and raised in rural western Pennsylvania in a region (Indiana County) dotted by forests, fields, and small family-owned dairy farms. Living in this area informed my beliefs and values about what farming is and should be. After moving to northern Nevada in 2008, I joined the co-op shortly after its
formation, because I wanted to support local food production in my community and have the opportunity to purchase food that is ethically and sustainably sourced.

I attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where I studied journalism and biology. Thereafter, I earned a law degree at the University of Pittsburgh. I have been a licensed attorney since 2005, and I am currently employed as the Court Administrator for Reno Justice Court. Prior to joining the Court, I worked for a non-profit legal aid organization (Northern Nevada Legal Aid (formerly known as Washoe Legal Services)) as a staff attorney and, later, the organization’s Executive Director.

In my spare time I enjoy traveling (especially international travel), cycling, mountain biking, skiing, and playing ice hockey. I live in Reno with my partner, Evie, and our daughter, Clementine.