Meet the Oregon Seed Council: Willamette Valley Specialty Seed Association Representative, Angie Smith
ABOUT ANGIE SMITH
Angie Smith is the executive director of the Willamette Valley Specialty Seed Association (WVSSA) and serves as the representative of the organization. Angie works at Pac/West Resources, a communications and government affairs firm in Tigard, Oregon. At Pac/West, she assists clients with a variety of needs including marketing and communications, as well as managing non-profit trade organizations.
ABOUT THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY SPECIALTY SEED ASSOCIATION
WVSSA was founded to facilitate the growing of quality specialty seed in the counties of western Oregon that comprise the watershed of the Willamette River. The WVSSA Seed Quality Management Program includes the use of an electronic mapping system, and policies to isolate seed production fields of related species, or other crops with contamination potential, to maintain genetic purity.
WHAT INTERESTS ANGIE IN THE SEED INDUSTRY
When asked what interests her in the Oregon seed industry, Angie said, “the vast variety of crops that Oregon producers grow, and the science and technical nature required to do so. It is so much more than the average person understands agriculture to be.”
WHAT ANGIE LOVES ABOUT THE OREGON SEED COUNCIL
“The collaboration amongst council members on issues where members may not always see eye-to-eye, and the flow of information regarding the industry that may not exist without the organization,” Angie said.
WHAT ANGIE SEES FOR THE FUTURE OF THE OREGON SEED COUNCIL
Angie says that she feels the organization is in a really good place. She sees the organization continuing to grow in the future with the actions being implemented now.
“I see real growth in the organization with the new sponsored membership category, the improvement with lines of communication, and efforts to reach the general public through several social media channels. The organization was stagnant for many years, until Megan Chuinard was brought on. It is very obvious that she sincerely wants to improve the industry in a way that benefits everyone involved along the product chain – from growers, to researchers, to the companies that sell the seed and their customers, and everyone in between.”
WHAT ANGIE WISHES PEOPLE KNEW ABOUT THE SEED INDUSTRY AND THE OREGON SEED COUNCIL
Angie said she wishes people knew “that this small, niche industry (specialty seeds) existed and that it is a huge contributor to the state’s overall economy. And how these crops are almost exclusively grown in our little valley and yet known worldwide for its quality.”
HOW ANGIE GOT INVOLVED IN THE SEED INDUSTRY
Pac/West was retained as the lobbyist for another seed association, then to manage its organization. A board member of both organizations, Greg Loberg, formerly of WCBSC, suggested Pac/West be hired when WVSSA was looking to transition from a volunteer-run organization to hiring a professional administrator.
WHAT ANGIE DOES OUTSIDE OF THE SEED INDUSTRY
When she’s not at work or helping the Oregon Seed Council with public relations efforts, Angie enjoys baking homemade, custom-decorated cakes and cupcakes, as well as cookies and specializes in gluten-free. Baking is Angie’s love language and it makes her happy to bake things for others.
Contributed by: Khloe Free | Oregon Seed Council Intern
