Charlotte Narjes is a University of Nebraska Rural Prosperity Nebraska Extension Educator at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln focused on cooperative development. Charlotte works with communities exploring multi-owner businesses including grocery stores. She is also part of a UNL team exploring rural grocery store transition.

Ren Olive (they/them) is the statewide Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Program Associate for the University of Minnesota Extension - Regional Sustainable Development Partnersips (RSDP). Ren leads and manages RSDP’s rural grocery portfolio of work, and has experience with cold chain analysis, piloting and researching ways that rural grocery stores can act as distribution and supply chain actors, as well as working with small farmers on on-farm food safety and market access. They also serve on the Local Foods Advisory Committee, working with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Minnesota Department of Health, and the local food community to problem-solve issues surrounding local foods.

Amie Oltman teaches Special Education Life Skills at the Bluestem Jr./Sr. High School in Leon, KS. She has been teaching for 16 years. Oltman also assists with running the Bluestem Mercantile alongside students, community members, and school employees. Amie, her husband, and three boys enjoy living on a small hobby farm near El Dorado, Kansas.

Jenny Osner holds a bachelor's degree from Wichita State University and a master's degree from Baker University in Curriculum and Instruction and was a certified teacher for eighteen years in Conway Springs, Kansas. In July of 2008, she and her husband opened their grocery store in Conway Springs, Kansas, building it from the ground up, naming it Hired Man's Grocery and Grill, Inc. where she serves as president. Hired Man's has been part of Kansas State University Center for Engagement and Community Development's Rural Case Study and Healthy Eating Grant. Jenny has been awarded Kansas State University Rural Grocery Initiative Leadership Excellence Award and Associated Wholesale Grocers OKC Store Manager of the Year; she serves on the Kansas Healthy Food Initiative Executive Board.

Alex Ostenson grew up in Rural Minnesota near his grandparents' cattle farm. During Ostenson's upbringing, he developed strong problem solving skills which, linked with determination, helped him create a model that allowed him to bring grocery back to his small town.

Caileen Ostenson was born in rural Iowa and lived in several small communities while growing up as a pastor's kid. Having local and healthy food options readily available is an essential cornerstone in any size town, and for many small communities, it can be a challenge to maintain. Thankfully, Caileen and Alex like a bit of a challenge and it’s been quite the adventure bringing an idea into reality.

Thomas Papadatos is a graduate of Wichita State University and a Wichita native. He has been with NetWork Kansas for 5 years and is part of the statewide program team. Originally hired as a referral coordinator, Thomas's role has evolved into funding process management, partner relations, and program management.

Sean Park was previously a grocery store owner/operator, SBDC business adviser, and an economics teacher. He works with communities in food deserts to find solutions for food access that are financially self-sustaining.

Trisha Purdon is the Director for the Office of Rural Prosperity (ORP) at the Kansas Department of Commerce, located in Independence, Kansas. Trisha has been the Director for the past year, working to create new and innovative programs to help rural Kansas communities prosper. Trisha has a background in local economic development, a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Kansas School of Public Administration and Local Government Management, and a Bachelors in Social Welfare. She is a mom of two small boys ages 5 & 7, and wife to Joe Purdon, who is an environmental engineer at Powerflame in Parsons.

Jessica Ramirez is a Graduate Research Assistant for the Rural Grocery Initiative. Ramirez received a B.A. in Sociology from California State University, Chico in 2020 and is currently pursuing an M.A. in Sociology from Kansas State University while simultaneously serving as a Food Security Scholar through the Staley School of Leadership. Her interests revolve around the dynamics of food and housing security in both urban and rural environments. As an undergraduate student at CSU Chico, Ramirez worked within the on-campus food pantry, where she assisted students with applying for, maintaining, and renewing their SNAP benefits. During this same time, she spearheaded the Swipe Against Hunger program, the first-of-its kind meal swipe donation program on the Chico campus. Before moving to Kansas to pursue graduate school in 2021, she served as a Community Nutrition Program Assistant and Multi-Media Lead for the Center for Healthy Communities of Chico California, where she gained experience providing SNAP outreach targeted toward college students. Over the last several years, her passion for housing and food security has been recognized by local and national Basic Needs initiatives such as the Swipe Out Hunger program. In 2020, Ramirez became the first student in CSU Chico history to receive both the Glenn Kendall Public Service Award and the CSU Chico Outstanding Student Leadership Award while also being awarded the Student of the Year award for the College of Behavioral and Social Science of CSU Chico. Looking ahead, Ramirez plans to pursue a doctoral degree in Public Health where she hopes to further her knowledge of food and housing security and ultimately, make impactful policy change to better serve impoverished communities and communities of color.

Stuart Reid began providing startup co-op support as the first staff person of Food Co-op 500, a pilot project organized by visionary co-op leaders in 2005. The project incorporated in 2010, as Food Co-op Initiative where he continues to serve as Executive Director. Over the years, he has presented training at national and regional conferences, developed webinars and written guides to provide communities with the information and encouragement they need to successfully start new food co-ops across the U.S.

Lauren Schaumburg is a Public Health Planner at the Mid-America Regional Council in Kansas City, Missorui, and helps coordinate the Double Up Food Bucks program, a $12.5 million nutrition incentive program funded by the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNip), GusNIP covid relief funds (GusCRR), and local and regional funders. Lauren works directly with grocery store locations in Kansas and Missouri on recruitment, technical assistance, implementation, and data collection.

Marilyn Schlake is an Extension Educator with the University of Nebraska - Lincoln’s Rural Prosperity Nebraska and Department of Agricultural Economics. She focuses efforts on business, community, and economic development. Schlake works with communities to engage citizens and facilitate community economic growth.

Shawn Shepherd works as the national Director of Development for ReFED, the nonprofit working to reduce loss and waste across the food system. She has worked extensively in agriculture, including growing up on a family farm in Indiana and joining her husband’s ranching family in Idaho. She has also worked in rural and indigenous economic development sectors. How we keep our rural communities thriving is part of what motivates her work.

Travis Snider has been with USDA Rural Development for 7 years and work out of the Newton Office. He will be discussing the Business & Industry Guaranteed Loan Program, the Rural Economic Loan and Grant Program, and the Rural Energy for America Program.

Gabe Spurgeon is a first generation farmer in Baldwin City, Kansas, primarily focused on tree fruit. The orchard at South Baldwin Farms covers over 50 acres with continued expansion. Their fruit is marketed as directly to consumer and grocer as possible.

Matthew Thompson is a St. Albans, West Virginia native with a decade of experience in community and economic development, currently focusing on local foods Placemaking and the expansion of the WV Rural Grocer Network at the WV Food and Farm Coalition. They formally served as Statewide Director of WV Lemonade Day, Assistant Director of Try This WV, and Nutrition Outreach Instructor with WVU Extension - Family Nutrition Program. Matthew received a BA in Marketing from Glenville State College, where they also earned minors in art and nonprofit leadership & management.

Jason Tuller has been working in the economic development field in rural Nebraska for more than a decade. He has worked as a small business consultant and as a rural economic developer. His goal now is to help grow stronger communities in Southeast Nebraska and throughout the state as part of the Rural Prosperity Nebraska team.

Mr. Usher serves as senior program officer for the Foundation’s leadership, healthy behaviors, and growing community philanthropy Initiatives. His responsibilities include working with foundation staff to develop program initiatives. He also provides technical assistance to applicants and grantees, reviews proposals, and monitors existing grants. In the last 24 years, Mr. Usher has supervised a portfolio of nearly 800 approved grants totaling more than $170 million to support the mission of improving the health of Kansans.

Jeff Wingo is currently the Produce Director for Gott Town and Country Supermarkets Inc., which has a total of 31 stores in Missouri and Arkansas. Wingo has been in the grocery industry for 38 years. For the last 10 years, he has been fortunate to oversee Produce Operations for a few different retail groups. Wingo loves the day-to-day challenges and opportunities that the produce industry has to offer.

Jimmy Wright is a lifelong independent grocer. He is President of Wright’s Market in Opelika, Alabama and Wright2U.com, an e-commerce fresh food delivery company. He is also President of Wright Food Solutions, consulting with retailers, wholesalers, nonprofits and community development groups in the areas of food access and food security, with a focus on inner city and rural America. In addition to his work with Wright’s Market, he consults for the NGAF TA Center which provides education and assistance to grantees, retailers, and POS companies on nutrition incentives.