FOOD NORTHWEST EDUCATION AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE (ERI)

Established in 2007, the Education and Research Institute (ERI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation subsidiary of Food Northwest.  The ERI has no members; it is governed by a Board of Directors.

Skilled employees are a key asset and vital to the success of any business operation.  The food industry identified the inability to find workers with the necessary skills as a major challenge for the industry.  Thousands of positions throughout the Northwest states remain unfilled.  ERI was founded to assist the industry in addressing this critical need.

ERI VISION:  Epic Talent for the Food Industry.  The vision is what the ERI is working to accomplish.

ERI MISSION:  Recruit, Collaborate, and Educate to Attract Talent to the Food Industry.  The mission is how the ERI will achieve the vision.

ERI’s purposes are to:

• Provide educational and learning opportunities for students interested in a trade, technical or professional careers
• Provide financial support in the form of scholarships, grants, internships, loans or matching funds to students, researchers, continuing learners and incumbent workers for training, education, research, and development of skills for application in business or academia
• Improve the regional pool and pipeline of talented trade, technical and professional workers, with a special emphasis on women and minority workers; and
• Work to improve productivity and innovation capacity in the organizations within the Northwest food and agriculture cluster to help retain and create jobs, support rural communities and improve the regional economy. 

ERI BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ERI Board members are employed by or retired from a food processing company.  They also include suppliers to the food industry and other stakeholders.  However, a majority of the Directors must be employed by, working for, or retired from a member company of Food Northwest.

Dirk Davis, Chair 
Ever Fresh Fruit Company
Director of Business Development

John Damon                                Matt Franke
OFD Foods, Inc.                            Core Botanica Processors
(retired)                                          Plant Manager           

Casey Garten                               Gabino Gispert                             Ed Johnson
Bank of the West                          Oregon Fruit Products                  Oregon Cherry Growers, Inc. 
Senior VP                                         Director of Operations                 (retired)

David Luther                                Jim Munyon                                 Clark Nelson
Milne Fruit Products, Inc.             J.R. Simplot Company                  Mondelez International
VP of Operations                             (retired)                                           (retired)

Melissa Spain                              Damon Vickers   
Moss Adams                                 Cummins, Goodman, Denley & Vickers P.C.
Business Assurance Partner         Attorney
                                                                               

Please contact Board Secretary Pam Barrow, [email protected], if you are interested in serving on the ERI Board or know somebody who would be a good candidate, or are interested in volunteering in the work of the ERI. 

ERI Scholarship Recipients; Mary Graham, Lacey Desserault, and Jenny Bautista with ERI Board Chair, Sue Root at the 2020 Northwest and Beverage World in Spokane, WA.

ENDOWMENT FUND