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.

Clark Nelson, Chair 
Mondelez International
(Retired)

John Damon                                Dirk Davis
OFD Foods, Inc.                            Ever Fresh Fruit Company
(retired)                                           Director of Business Development           

Matt Franks                                Casey Garten                               Ed Johnson
Core Botanica Processors          Bank of the West                          Oregon Cherry Growers, Inc. 
Plant Manager                               Senior VP                                        (retired)

David Luther                                Jim Munyon                                 Melissa Spain
Milne Fruit Products, Inc.            J.R. Simplot Company                  Moss Adams 
VP of Operations                             (retired)                                          Business Assurance Partner   

Damon Vickers   
Cummins, Goodman, Denley & Vickers P.C.
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 along with Dirk Davis at the 2023 Food Northwest Process & Packaging Expo in Portland, OR.

ENDOWMENT FUND