Elected Position #2 – Board Chair

May 2022 – May 2025

 

TJ is a full-time farmer and the owner of Urban Futures Farm LLC, and was previously a visiting faculty member at The Evergreen State College where he taught food and agricultural policy. He was a founder of the Thurston Food System Council, and served as Chair of the Council for two years.  TJ served two terms on the Olympia City Council, chairing the Finance Committee and the Intercity Transit Authority. During his time on the council he was a passionate advocate for a more sustainable community and a more peaceful world.  He has held professional positions in the public sector and with various non-profits working on energy conservation and supporting public agency whistle-blowers, and is a former union organizer and shop steward.  He holds a BA in Geography from the University of Northern Colorado and a Master of Environmental Studies from The Evergreen State College.  His master’s thesis, titled Sustainability Planning in Thurston County Washington:  Opportunities and Challenges for Eco Civic Agriculture, examined the potential for regional sustainability planning to serve as a catalyst for developing a sustainable local food system.