Chehalem Valley Innovation Accelerator Advisory Board
Erik Andersson
Erik is like Thor, charged with energy. He is a graduate from the ag college in the U.S., Cornell, with an economics degree, and holds an MBA from the “Duke U. of Canada,” McGill University. 
Erik has 30+ years of experience in economic development. He worked for public utilities in the Pacific NW building economic capacity in their service areas, was a regional coordinator for Gov. Ted Kulongoski’s Economic Revitalization Team, a Business Development Officer with Business Oregon, a board member for SEDCOR, president of the Oregon Economic Development Association, a chair of the Oregon Infrastructure Finance Authority, and a board member of both Restore Oregon and Rural Development Initiatives. Boom! Mic-drop. As the “Thor” of SEDCOR, Erik uses his boundless energy to vitalize the Mid-Willamette Valley region.
(Erik’s LinkedIn Profile)
Carr Biggerstaff – Chief Wrangler
It takes a Renaissance strategy-technology-marketing-operations-winemaker type to wrangle the resources & people responsible for the 
Chehalem Valley Innovation Accelerator at this moment of such dynamic change in Oregon. Carr has extensive experience in companies of all sizes & stages – public & private – from start-ups and IPOs, to turnarounds. He has held a variety of executive positions in sales & marketing, business development & investment, and information technology – in industries ranging from agribusiness to hi-tech manufacturing, music downloads to cybersecurity. When not chasing technology, Carr makes wine – and after a decade in the local wine industry, he’s found his niche as a vermouth maker.
Shawn Daley
What has two thumbs, a PhD and belongs to a secret society of wizards? This guy. Shawn is like a wizard of old. Beard. Ponytail. Full of knowledge. He’s the person you go to for strategy and ideation. And like some Gandalf, 
Shawn is driven to harness people’s creativity to solve the world’s greatest problems. All things academic, he has run classrooms, departments, and divisions for two different universities, and his experiences with Design Thinking and LEAN have cemented a commitment to continuously improve and collaborate. Shawn is a connector and bridge builder who links like-minded creatives to each other. Like all great wizards, he is always in the listening/learning mode. Oh, and his secret passion is technology. Shhh. Don’t tell anyone. Wizards are always listening.
(Shawn’s LinkedIn Profile)
Maryl Dunkel
As the CMO of the Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce, Maryl steers the ship. Being a Chief Multitasking Officer takes focus, attention to detail, ideation, and a passion for customer support. She graduated from UC Berkeley and co-owned a family business in Yamhill before becoming the Chamber’s CMO. 
A darn-near native of Newberg, she’s hauled her husband and 2 kids all over the city and knows it like the back of her hand. Let’s talk multitasking. Maryl’s basically the Swiss Army Knife of the Chamber. She oversees the day-to-day operations at the Chamber, including membership renewals and outreach, social media & marketing, graphic design, and events management. Maryl staffs the Chamber Leadership Chehalem Valley Committee, Finance Committee & Government Affairs Committee. Whew. And Maryl loves every minute of it because her passion is building community and economic capacity and advocating for local businesses. After all, she’s local. Maryl’s invested.
(Maryl’s LinkedIn Profile)
Alvin Elbert
Alvin’s motto might be something like “never quit, just fix the process.” Alvin’s first job in manufacturing was a bust 
because he didn’t have the skills to succeed. So, he started his own company (A.R.E. Manufacturing) and created the training programs and processes necessary to make sure his employees are the best at advanced manufacturing – an OMEP award-winning training program. Providing manufacturing internships for youth for over 30 years, Alvin determined that the best way to have great employees is to hire newbies and invest in them. When not leading A.R.E or trying to play golf, Alvin enjoys mountaineering, his family, and helping youth however he can.
(Alvin’s LinkedIn Profile)
Bob Harder
As a creator, Bob has a vision equal to none other. We refer to him as the “knowledge enterprise architect.” In 1988, he started the Engineering program at George Fox University and has turned it into a powerhouse that includes mechanical, civil, electrical, and 
computer engineering, computer science, and mathematics and applied science. What makes Dean Harder great is his tireless efforts to broker partnerships between industry and students, creating teams that solve problems ranging from severe burn treatment to high-tech applications for agriculture. Businesses of all sizes benefit from the leverage that the GFU students provide and the students graduate with sophisticated industry experience.
Bob’s research interests are broad and range from combustion, energy systems and biomedical devices, to tribology and agricultural technologies – but only when you can tear him away from his desire to create success. His latest idea just opened: a 16,000 sq ft maker-space on the George Fox campus. His plan is to make it easier for everyone to invent, make and create.
(Bob’s LinkedIn Profile)
Julie Marshall – Advisory Board Chair
Tenacious and formidable, Julie is a driving force behind the Accelerator and the Chair of our leadership team. A native of Chehalem Valley, Julie’s passion is to better the community and the Accelerator is her latest project.
Fresh out of the University of Oregon, Julie helped establish a genetics laboratory at the Oregon Graduate Institute. And, knowing how important it is to raise community, she took time off to raise her children before returning to the workforce at A-dec, the largest dental equipment manufacturer in the nation. Scientist-turned marketing professional, Julie focuses on brand strategy, market research, end-user product development, and salesforce training – publishing journal articles, technical documents and catalogs, case studies, and other research. Like the at-home-mom/scientist/marketing guru that she is, no challenge is more fun for her than bringing up the Accelerator.
(Julie’s LinkedIn Profile)
Nathan Moshman
Nathan liked trying to solve problems as a child. Like how do car and rocket engines work. He liked mathematics, then he discovered physics. 
Circle complete, he now knew “how things work.” That took him to a Ph.D. in astronautical engineering. Nathan worked in government defense research before founding Moshman Research, an R&D consultancy that has racked up a track record of federally funded government research sub-awards. His company is now graduating to lead investigator, IP development and commercialization. Nathan’s wife, a doctor, joined Providence Newberg and the family moved to Newberg. Good for us. That means that Nathan’s here to help you imagine what you can do with your company – and make it happen.
(Nathan’s LinkedIn Profile)
Malee Ojua
What do you get when you combine a rocket scientist (really!) with shamanism, and a passion for people and connecting them? 
The extraordinary Malee. With a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from MIT, she joined the workforce and discovered her true passion – using her remarkable people skills, and her stellar engineering talents, to foster collaboration within engineering teams, improving communications and success rates. Relationships matter, especially for engineers. Once Malee discovered her first passion as a connector, she walked the shaman’s path to develop her ability to connect with people in physical, emotional, and spiritual realms. Combine critical thinking and analysis with intuition and a passion for healing and helping people – with a drive to build relationships – and you have the “rocket scientist” who can help you build your business and live your higher purpose.
(Malee’s LinkedIn Profile)
Scot Siegel
Scot is known for leading high-performing organizations and teams focusing on exceptional customer service. He is currently 
the City of Newberg’s Community Development Director. Scot’s prior roles include founder and president of a consulting firm providing planning and development services to clients in six western states, which sold in 2020, community development director for local governments, project manager, educator, and planner. Scot also co-founded an after-school learning center in 2003 that serves over 200 students weekly in grades K-12. In his free time Scot loves to fish, ski, cook, rockhound, and write. He is an award-winning poet, as well, with seven books published as of 2025.
(Scot’s LinkedIn Profile)