Joaquin graduated from Willamette University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology, and serves as Native Plant Nursery Coordinator. His work involves developing our native plant nursery at two sites while teaching and mentoring cohorts of interns participating in EWF’s TEK Internships. He guides his teams to learn more about and cultivate the trees, shrubs and pollinator species native to Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
Renee is a member of the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Indians along with her father, and her mother is a member of the Confederated Tribe of Grand Ronde Indians. She grew up in the beautiful foothills along the Umpqua River. She loves the farm here, enjoys watching the deer that inhabit the back acreage of the farm and feeding the hummingbirds, frequently giving them all names. She specializes in the removal of invasive species on the farm using manual removal since no herbicides, pesticides or fungicides are used on the land.
David is a 2025 graduate of the University of Oregon and majored in Environmental Studies. He specialized in riparian restoration and ecological research, including pollinator research and analysis. He is coordinating EWF’s Urban Forestry project which includes the development of partnerships with Salem-Keizer schools as well as the Oregon Department of Forestry: Urban and Community Forestry and the City of Salem’s Urban Forestry program.
Wohpe Twofeathers lives in Northern California and serves as Board Communications Secretary of Elderberry Wisdom Farm. She brings with her over 25 years of experience and service in the Native American Community. In earlier years she served the Paradise Pow Wow as a committee member and later co-chair as well as being a committee member for the Oroville Salmon Pow Wow.
She entered the Pow Wow Dance Circle as a Jingle Dress Dancer with a dress that her and her Great Aunt created for a year together. As a Pokanoket Tribal Member from 1999 until around 2010 she was a cultural educator for the west coast, sharing the tribes history and stories with elementary school students through college level. Wohpe has been a family historian and genealogist, not only to discover her own ancestors, but assisting others in their quest as well, focusing on the challenges of Native American Ancestry.
She is also a co-founder with her husband of a California non-profit that was established to help catalyst Native American spirituality and community. Her current projects include outdoor education on culturally significant plants and ecosystems.
Most importantly, Wohpe considers being a wife, a mother of 4 and grandmother of 7 her primary “career” and priority. In younger years she was also a foster mother to 14 children ages ranging from infants to teenagers transitioning out of the system into adulthood.
Roxanna hails from southeast Alaska, with Tsimshian roots near the city of Ketchikan and Metlakatla. She is from the Tribal clan Killerwhale, and subclan bear and eagle. Roxanna is a retired reading specialist and taught for 22 years in various school districts as her husband’s job took them all over the country.
Roxanna is grateful to be a member of the Sealaska Corporation which helped her through school with several scholarships. The commitment to give back to the community has been a big part of Roxanna’s dedication to the field of education. Working with Elderberry Wisdom Farm is in alignment with that wish to give back to the Native community, and she is looking forward to helping youth learn about native plants and how they can help build healthier communities.
Iris M. DeGruy-Bell was Executive Director of the Oregon Youth Development Council (OYDC) from its inception in 2012 until her retirement from government service in 2017. Appointed by Oregon Governor John A. Kitzhaber, M.D., and re-appointed by Governor Kate Brown, she served as the Council’s Chief Administrator.
She has worked with federal and state agencies and national organizations on initiatives aimed at supporting the health and wellbeing of youth and young adults; including the Oregon Health Authority, The Northwest Health Foundation, Casey Family Programs, and The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Prior to her work in state government, Ms. DeGruy-Bell served as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) for Multnomah County. As COO, Ms. Bell oversaw the daily operations of Oregon’s largest County and managed a budget of 1.1 billion dollars.
Ms. DeGruy-Bell has expertise and experience in management principles and methodologies supporting the development and implementation of service programs for federal, state and local government, and has extensive background working with foundations and non-governmental organizations.
Ms. DeGruy-Bell holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Master’s Degree in Government with an emphasis on Public Policy Studies from the School of Politics and Economics at Claremont Graduate University.
She has training in Interdisciplinary Professional Development from Harvard University; Congressional Training in Legislative Affairs and Federal Executive Board training in Executive Leadership.
