OFMA Welcomes New Executive Director
This May, OFMA’s Board of Directors hired an Executive Director to provide strategic and cooperative leadership for the association's ongoing and upcoming programs and projects.
This transition marks an important new chapter for OFMA as we continue supporting farmers markets across Oregon through education, networking, resources and support.
We are delighted to officially introduce Hazel Valdez (she/her) as OFMA’s new Executive Director!
Hazel Valdez is a nonprofit and operations executive who has held various leadership roles within Oregon organizations, including as Managing Director for Literary Arts, Executive Director of Portland Women in Technology (PDXWIT) and Associate Director for the Oregon Bioscience Incubator (OBI) & OTRADI.
Hazel studied English at UC Irvine, holds a BA in Culinary Management from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts and served as a board member for Saturday Academy, McConnell's Boxing Academy’s competition team, and Women in Science.
In her free time, she loves spending time with her wife Crystal, traveling, cooking, boxing (she’s a USA Boxing official), and spending time with their cat Maple.
Read on to hear from Hazel about her hopes for OFMA's future, the values that will guide her leadership, and what she looks forward to building together with Oregon farmers markets.
“My hope as the Executive Director is to carry forward the remarkable work that OFMA has championed since 1987, while infusing it with the innovation, energy, and imagination needed to navigate the challenges and opportunities of modern times.
The heart of OFMA has always been its unwavering commitment to farmers markets — and that commitment remains essential. Our capacity to provide training and resources is foundational to the long‑term success and resilience of markets across Oregon, and I’m excited to work with OFMA’s staff and board to continue enhancing the quality of these programs and supports.
This includes working diligently to secure and stabilize funding to invest in member markets. These investments amplify the incredible work happening at markets statewide, while also equipping your markets with tools that enhance your communication strategies, elevate your market’s presence in the community, and support your advocacy around legislative priorities and policies.
In a rapidly changing economy, resilience and creativity go hand in hand, and I believe we can draw inspiration from both. I look forward to seeing you at a farmers market soon!”
Help us welcome Hazel to OFMA: drop a note in our inbox.