FOUNDER and PRESIDENT

Laura is from a multi-generational commercial fishing family, the founder of Local Ocean Seafoods, an Independent Systems Seafood Consultant, and at the forefront in Oregon’s sustainable fishery movement. She has an M.S. in Marine Resource Management from Oregon State University. Laura served two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines, where she helped a village start to restore its coral reef fishery. After returning to the United States, she earned an M.S. in Marine Resource Management from OSU in 2000 and became a consultant to nonprofits trying to improve the coastal fish industry through ecological restoration, salmon marketing and community-based fisheries management. In Port Orford, Laura co-founded a highly visible effort that sought to give local fishermen a greater voice and more responsibility in figuring out how to restore depleted fish stocks.

Laura and her husband purchased the Yaquina Lab in 2020 and began developing the facilities to provide critical infrastructure to local food producers. Laura serves on the Board of Directors for Local Ocean Seafoods, the Oregon Coast Aquarium, the Oregon Ocean Science Trust and the Nature Conservancy of Oregon.

VICE PRESIDENT

Since 2015 Kristen has actively participated in several of Oregon’s fisheries as a boat owner, commercial fisherman and seafood entrepreneur. Over the past five years, she has also worked as a Food Systems Consultant, providing services to Columbia Pacific Economic Development District of Oregon, Ecotrust, Kitchen Sync Strategies, and the Oregon Coast Visitors Association where she is currently engaged as the regional value chain coordinator for the Ocean Cluster Initiative Project. With a background in hospitality, Kristen is certified in Community Food Resource and Hub Management and Sustainable Food Enterprise Financial Planning and Management from the University of Vermont, and holds a Hospitality and Restaurant Management degree from Western Culinary Institute. She co-founded the successful Winter Waters event in Oregon and is a member of the Oregon Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia Council.

Enrique is the Local Ocean Seafood Executive Chef and the head of the fillet and processing operations.

Local Ocean Seafoods specializes in buying fish directly from the local fishers that dock in Newport, Oregon.

The wonder of Oregon’s ocean bounty and local food has influenced Chef Enrique’s culinary career. After 16 years in the business, he is constantly inspired by a diverse, seasonal selection of fresh ingredients that allows him to design mouth-watering combinations of flavors for the palate, as well as pure beauty on the plate. His love of cooking was inspired by his mother and grandmother.

Sarah is the Project Manager for the Economic Development Alliance of Lincoln County. She gained experience in both restaurants and rural economic development while working as a chef and pursuing her Economics degree at Eastern Oregon University. Sarah currently resides in Siletz with her significant other who fishes on the FV Northern Ram. She also serves on the board of Strengthening Rural Families and is passionate about community service and helping rural communities thrive.

Evie is the Small Farms and Master Gardener Program Coordinator for OSU Extension in Lincoln County. She works closely with the farming community by providing educational opportunities, answering agriculture-related questions, and conducting applied research on coastal farms. In her role with OSU, she also co-leads and annual study abroad program focused on sustainable food systems in Ecuador. She is passionate about local food systems, and excited to support the work of the Central Coast Food Web!

Lorissa joined the board as a producer in March 2024. She is a Lincoln County native and grew up working on her family’s farm in Siletz. She left home to pursue a degree in Biology and returned to spend a year working at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in a marine fisheries genetics lab. She went on to get her MS in Conservation Biology in fisheries and aquatic sciences and worked as a genetics lab manager for the University of Minnesota.

Summer time always found her back at the farm, helping with berry harvest and hay. She has always been passionate about providing high quality, responsibly grown, affordable, locally produced food to the people who work and live here. To that end, she transitioned back to her family farm with her husband in 2013 where they currently manage Gibson Farms and produce blueberries, grass-fed beef, and meadow hay.

Bob Kemp has been fishing crab, salmon, and tuna for 35 years. Although he has had several careers throughout his life, fishing came easily thanks to his comfort around the ocean from an early age. Now, he owns his own operation and represents the fishing industry as the Newport Sea Grant Fisherman Representative, a Fisherman Representative at Science and Fisherman Exchange Meetings, and the secretary of the Newport Fisherman’s Crab Association. Previously, he served as the Fishing Representative to the Mid-Coast Watershed Council from 2000 to 2012. Throughout his career, he has been dedicated to providing his perspective and ocean observations to the scientific community.