Meet The Team

Staff

Sage Fairman

Executive Director (se habla español)

Sage Fairman (she/her) has over 7 years of experience in food systems work across the Pacific Northwest, and joined OrCAN in 2024 as Program Manager. Prior to her work at OrCAN, she managed programs focused on market access, regenerative agriculture, bilingual farm business support, and farmworker advocacy. Sage's personal experience with wildfires growing up in the mountains of California, and seeing both community and land resilience first-hand, brought her to the intersection of climate and agriculture.

Penny Feltner

Program Manager

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Penny Feltner (she/her) has over 15 years of experience in the agriculture and environment sector, with a focus on agroecosystems, climate change adaptation, and program development. She’s donned a variety of hats including farm camp counselor, laboratory manager, and agroforestry advisor. She worked with farmers on a variety of environmental initiatives in the Midwest and the Caribbean before settling in Oregon. Penny enjoys painting, reading, cooking, and has an uncommon enthusiasm for fresh produce.

Sophie Els

Policy Coordinator

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Sophie Els (she/her) is an experienced writer and policy analyst, and holds a graduate degree in climate science & policy from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Sophie comes from a family of wheat farmers in Eastern Washington, and is passionate about increasing access and support for climate-smart farming. Outside of work, you can usually find her at the local library, trying to beat her yearly reading goal.

Emeric Turner

Operations & Communications Production Coordinator

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Emeric Turner (they/them) has worked in nonprofit education and administration for 7+ years, focusing on equitable, sustainable program development and financial management. As a formally trained freelancing artist, they have over a decade of practice at the intersection of art and activism. Emeric loves connecting with the forest, trying to turn their living room into one, and the magic of creation.