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Tawnya Hayes – KCAA Director Candidate

Last modified on 2009-11-03 21:48:45 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

My name is Tawnya Hayes and I was born in Puyallup Washington. My parents, Ron and Susan Gefroh, both moved out west to work for the Boeing Company in the late 60’s. When I was two my family moved back to Velva, North Dakota where I lived until I joined the Navy in 1992.

Tawnya Hayes

I have an older brother, Rick Gefroh, who is lineman in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He has a wife (Renae) of 25 years and they have two wonderful kids.

I attended K-12 grade in Velva which consists of about 1200 people. I graduated High School in 1988 with 33 other friends.

I grew up on a farm of about 650 acres. This land has been in our family for 5 generations. We grew bountiful crops of wheat, flax and barley. Our continual rotation of crops and the resting of the land is the primary reason for our success. My Dad currently rents out his land to a local friend and farmer. His focus now is mainly on raising cattle. His herd consists of an average of 40 head. In the early 80’s my Dad branched out and started breeding American Wagu (Kobe) Beef. He now raises American Wagu exclusively and has had great success with his program. His cattle are among the top 5% of all Wagu produced in the Midwest due to a nearly stress-free living environment, acres of rolling grassy pastures and pure bred bulls that produce only the finest of its class.

I joined the United States Navy in 1992 and spent 13 years on Active Duty as a Hospital Corpsman. During that time I traveled to Florida, San Diego, 29 Palms, Japan, and spent five years in Europe. My last duty station was right here in the Puget Sound working for both the Bangor Medical Clinic as EMT Coordinator and then to the Internal Medicine Clinic at Naval Hospital Bremerton.

I have lived in Kitsap County since 2003. I chose to leave the Navy in 2005 to pursue a career in Business Development with a local bank. Having never been in the banking industry there was much to learn about small and large business operations. My focus was on Business Development and the recruitment of new deposit accounts. While in this arena of young and old, new and established businesses it gave me a deep understanding of the needs of a successful business.

Education
1988-1991 Minot State University, Minot, North Dakota
Attended Old Dominion University; Olympic College Satellite Program for Active Duty
Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT) – 13 years
Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support Regional Coordinator (PHTLS) – 2 years

Awards
Selected for “40 under 40” Kitsap Business Journal 2007. Award recognizes the best “movers and shakers” in business and business development. Only 40 were selected for this award with over 500 applicants.

In 2007 I was recruited by Jim Carlson, Owner and President of Minder Meats. With my life-long experience in farming and ranching on top of being business savvy he knew I would be a perfect fit for his family-owned business.

My job consists of many things since we are all a team here at Minder Meats. I largely focus on Sales and Customer Relations. I have added great value to our team by being out with our customers one on one each and every day. I strive to offer solutions to their problems and to build a relationship built on trust. Our customers aren’t that at all…They are our friends. It’s not about a transaction but rather a partnership.

Why am I a member of KCAA?

It seems like a natural thing based on my childhood. I grew up on a farm and we lived off the land. I have a true understanding of what farmers and ranchers endure to do what they do. It isn’t for the money! I feel I have a lot to learn but still bring added value to the group.
My main purpose is to be the conduit between the farmer and the consumer. Minder Meats is a USDA Certified Meat Plant and our facility has the potential to create more business for our local farmers. Since we are already selling product to both restaurants and retail consumers from Port Angeles to Federal Way I feel our local farmers offer a much needed element to the mix…LOCAL beef, hogs, lamb, produce and much more. I also want to educate and encourage our local restaurants to support this movement. Not only are you supporting your local community but you are offering a better quality product and reducing your carbon footprint.

What do I see as the priorities for 2010 for KCAA?

Moving animals and produce from the farm to the plate. The consumer demands quality and food safety in what they purchase. Our local farmers have what they want but there was no practical way to get it to the consumer…Until now!

I also hope to grow new friendships and continue to learn from others.