Staff

Kiara Caruso, Blue Foods Coordinator

Blue foods, food from oceans and rivers, are the underpinning of food economy in coastal Oregon. As our resident Blue Foods Coordinator, Kiara will provide technical and social support to fishers and seafood producers, with the ultimate goal of increasing  the availability of and access to local seafood products in the region.

Kiara joins the Central Coast Food Web team with a wide array of experiences, including project management, land-based and aquaponic farming, marketing and event planning, sustainable food production, and blue foods research. Her 2022 Master’s in Food Science focused on seaweed value-added processing. Her background in environmental science and conservation also informs her approach to the blue foods industry. She cares deeply about food access, supporting small producers, and creating sustainable food systems. She is excited to collaborate on a range of projects and support Lincoln county’s beautiful community.

Joe Sewall, Co-Executive Director for Operations and Administration

Joe was born and raised in the Newport area, and has always cared deeply for Lincoln county’s people and natural resources. After years working with nonprofits all over the country as an AmeriCorps VISTA member, and AmeriCorp NCCC Field Team Leader, and later as a nonprofit strategy and management consultant, he is turning his experience and his Social Impact MBA toward strengthening Lincoln county’s local food economy. He is hard at work building infrastructure and managing facilities here at the Yaquina Lab to help local producers process harvests and manage inventory efficiently.

Sara O’Neill, Co-Executive Director for Communications and Engagement

Since 2017, Sara has owned and operated a small farm in Siletz producing beef, lamb, wool, and seasonal vegetables. She is well-versed in the challenges producers face starting a business, navigating regulatory agency requirements, and building a customer base while managing natural resources sustainably. She is passionate about meeting the critical needs of local food producers so that the next generation of farmers and fishers in Lincoln county can access the infrastructure and support they need to continue to feed us.

Board of Directors

  • Laura Anderson

    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.

  • Kristen Penner

    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 Sanchez Rodriguez

    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.

  • Cari Brandberg

    Cari is from a fishing family, and has worked in fishing industry as a seafood buyer for most of her life. She and her husband own and operate Chelsea Rose Fisheries which brings a fair market for local fishermen and customers and increases the availability of local seafood. She is the parent of 4 kids, and an active foster parent, helping children and struggling families in Lincoln County. Her community service includes 10 years with the Newport Fishermen’s Wives, as a board member and treasurer. She is the Secretary and Treasurer for the Oregon Albacore Commission. She is on the OSU extension and Oregon SeaGrant advisory board, the Oregon Entanglement Advisory Committee, the Port of Newport User Group Board, the Oregon Crab and Biotoxin Committee, and the Community Advisory Board for the Pac Wave project.

  • Sarah Buddingh

    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 Smith

    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!