Sara Baer-Sinnott, President
I’ve always thought a best of the year list should focus on things people can relate to – such as Top 100 books of the year, favorite hotels in Europe or the best beaches in the Caribbean.
Because our mission at Oldways is to inspire people to embrace the healthy, sustainable joys of the “old ways” of eating, we work year-round to provide trustworthy, useful, and engaging resources, recipes, and programs – something we believe is relatable to everyone.
To do this, it all comes down to the wonderful Oldways staff and board members. They make my days rewarding, full of fun and, importantly, result in positive impacts.
Since going through a strategic planning process pre-COVID, we’ve emerged post-COVID even stronger. More people are signing up to teach A Taste of African Heritage, our six-lesson curriculum that brings the African Heritage Diet to life. We’re enlarging our educational culinary travel program, offering six week-long programs in Turkey (2), France (2), Italy and Spain in 2025. Whole grain consumption continues to increase, with consumers choosing to find great-tasting, healthy whole grain foods at retail by looking for the Whole Grain Stamp.
We hope you’re inspired; visit our new website and you’ll find a roadmap to a healthy and delicious way of life.
(That’s me above on the island of Brac in Croatia – enjoying every minute of an educational Oldways Culinaria – hoping you’ll join us!)
Abby Sloane, Vice President of Finance and Administration
I am most proud of our Culinaria program. After having two babies in two years, I was finally able to get back on the travel circuit, and I traveled with Oldways to the Peloponnese and Athens in May 2024. I was instantly reminded of how special the Oldways Culinarias are. From learning to roll dolmas at a neighborhood restaurant and phyllo at an organic farm, to touring ancient sites (Acropolis in Athens and Epidaurus near Nafplio); from visiting producers who have been perfecting their crafts for generations, to learning from Chef Cassie Piuma (Sarma) and Chef Michael Costa (Zaytinya) at cooking classes, it is a gift to travel with Oldways!
Kelly LeBlanc, Vice President of Nutrition Programming
I am so pleased to have worked with many of our esteemed scientific advisors to help bring our peer reviewed journal article to publication this year. “Perspective: Beyond the Mediterranean Diet—Exploring Latin American, Asian, and African Heritage Diets as Cultural Models of Healthy Eating” was a labor of love that was many years in the making, and we are proud to help strengthen the evidence base for these diverse cultural food traditions.
Caroline Sluyter, Senior Director of Operations & Whole Grains Council Program Director
Our team has accomplished so many great things this year, but my single proudest moment was helping to facilitate the launch of our new Oldways website. This is a project that has been a few years in the making, and one that I have been intimately involved with for a while. We love that the new site helps visitors more easily navigate our programs and resources and understand the ways they are all interconnected through our nonprofit mission of nutrition education. Stay tuned for our new Whole Grains Council website coming in 2025!
Vik Bensen, Whole Grain Stamp Program Manager
As Oldways’ newest staff member, it’s been great to spend this year settling into my daily duties and getting to know my wonderful colleagues. It’s been satisfying to restructure many of our regular tasks, streamlining the processes for efficiency and accuracy. There are always opportunities here to learn something new and explore creative solutions, and I’ve learned so much more about whole grains in the reading and writing I’m able to do with the Whole Grains Council.
Katherine Kelley, Marketing Communications Manager
A highlight of 2024 has been the surge of creativity within our marketing department. We have had lots of fun brainstorming engaging social media content and unique newsletter topics that help fulfill our mission. The best part of my job is getting to learn something new everyday, and to be surrounded by such interesting and passionate people who appreciate food and travel just as much as I do!
Tess Wells, Marketing Communications Coordinator
Being in marketing at Oldways means there’s never a dull moment. From working with partners to promote culinary trips to creating social media graphics, I have gotten to witness and highlight the incredible work done by everyone on our team this past year. One thing specifically I’ve loved getting to do has been taking over our biweekly Fresh Friday blog and accompanying newsletter. I was deeply involved in arts and life journalism before starting at Oldways, so getting to highlight our wonderful heritage diets in a similar format has been such a joy.
Sarah Anderson, Heritage Diet Curriculum Manager
This year, I have enjoyed spreading the word about Oldways’ Heritage cooking classes at several wonderful events. By giving presentations for The Public Library Association, The Food Trust, Jubilee Restored Roots, the NIH, and Oregon State University, I have connected with current and potential partners far and wide.
Katie Boardman, Office Manager
The best part about Oldways is always working with our team, and getting to connect with our amazing customers! Whether it’s a large or custom order, or an individual calling about a recipe, I get to learn about the customer’s goals. It means a lot to be part of supporting our customer’s educational projects.
Joan Kelley, Graphic Designer
I was hired this year to replace the previous designer. Having worked for Oldways before in that capacity, I was able to seamlessly step into the position and support the various departments. I feel my most creative and challenging accomplishment was creating an animated marketing video for one of our members, Parmigiano Reggiano, that illustrated the many food combinations using their cheese. It has been very satisfying for me to collaborate with my colleagues — developing and designing their ideas to help them accomplish their goals of promoting new marketing, resources and programs for the Oldways mission.
Here is to a wonderful 2025!
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