Who We Are
Any organization is only as good as their people. Luckily, our people are wonderful.
Tracy Oseran
Founder & Executive Director
Tracy started Urban Gleaners in 2006 with the simple observation that there were hungry people in the Portland community who could be fed with good, edible food that was being thrown away every day in our city. Tracy was previously the owner of a catering company in Los Angeles and sold a packaged food product in local grocery stores. Her love of food and interest in community activism was a natural combination that led to the founding of Urban Gleaners.
Clare stager
Program Director
A Portland native, Clare found Urban Gleaners after launching her own fight against “empty” food through her own business, Ground Breaking Bread. She studied Journalism and Business at the University of Oregon, and is happiest when chatting with new people and offering a helping hand. In her spare time she’s leading local yoga classes, teaching kids about the magnificent outdoors or surfing in cold Oregon swells on the coast.
Ashley Hess
Development Director
Ashley grew up on an organic farm here in Oregon. Together with her husband and toddler, she remotely farms a small herd of miniature cattle and occasionally raises a turkey or forty. A fan of innovation, efficiency, and thriving communities, her passion for fundraising and food pairs perfectly with the mission and work of Urban Gleaners.
Rudy Speerschneider
Warehouse Manager
amber capwell
Weekend Warehouse Manager
Amber has worked in the food industry for the past 13 years in an assortment of cuisines. Former owner of a politically driven vegan bakery in Riverside, CA, Amber now focuses on shifting conventional ideas around our relationships with food, medicine and nutrition to better serve our communities and is so happy to be a part of Urban Gleaners! When they are not a working bee in the hive, they enjoy working with stained glass and wood, playing harp or getting lost in the outdoors with their eyes on the ground to discover the many wonders of the fungi universe.
Alec Boehm
Community Support Associate
Alec is honored and proud to be working with Urban Gleaners. As a child, he collected stamps.
Jason Howd
Community Support Associate
Jason has worked with food in the Portland area for almost two decades. A man of many hats — bread baker, pastry chef, farmers market manager, chocolatier, caterer, and journalist — Jason received a degree in Communication and Latin American Studies from PSU, and has since focused his reporting on food security/insecurity both locally and abroad. Look for his smiling face and have a chat! He loves seeing happy people go home with a full bag of awesome food.
Mike Long
Community Support Associate
Mike was born up the road in Kelso, Washington. With an affinity for jungian psychology, music, and things that are funny, Mike works with Urban Gleaners as an occasional driver, volunteer, and ambassador. He is currently pursuing his life dream of being a bard. He has never seen Game of Thrones.
Wesley mozil
Community Support Associate
Wesley hails from the great white north (Canada, eh). They enjoy cowboy boots, juice, and building pallet furniture. If they’re not at Urban Gleaners trimming hedges or rescuing food, you will find them out in nature building fires and hiking around.
Richard Pacheco
Community Support Associate
Richard is a ninja. He has extensive experience in food service. And on occasion, we learn some new and esoteric fact about our coworker.
Jordan Roach
Community Support Associate
Jordan is a left handed, overly proud born and raised Oregonian. He loves IPA’s, music, his Dachshund and his wife, Kristina. When he’s not at Urban Gleaners you’ll find him playing guitar with his band, sitting outside at a happy hour with his dog and wife, or figuring out how to keep the rats away from his tomatoes.
Dante Caruso
Weekend Community Support Associate
Dante loves the opportunity to help those in need and prevent food waste. He’s passionate about environmental issues, social activism and the arts.
LUCAS toWNSEND
Community Support Associate
Lucas is a Portland raised, queer activist, guitar slasher and dog lover. Once a dependent of his local food bank, his heart is filled with joy to now be able to give back to the community in a substantial way. With a passion for social justice and combating climate change, he is incredibly humbled to be a part of the Urban Gleaners team.
Amanda Pack
Tracy's Small Batch Granola - Head Baker
Granola baker, cruciverbalist, pluviophile, cryptid enthusiast. Amanda went to culinary school kind of on a whim, has been in baking for over ten years, and is really happy with how it ultimately turned out. She has technically seen a UFO, and she wasn’t even alone at the time, ask Shawn if you don’t believe her.
MASCOT
Ray
MASCOT
Chewy
