Shannon Welsh has called Oregon home since the age of 5. For over 20 years she has promoted fiber, textile and apparel design through raw fiber development, regenerative agricultural production, textile systems revitalization and innovation, community organizing, outreach, and education. Shannon has spent over 6 years researching and reviving the historic linen industry of Oregon, and is the Co-founder of Fibrevolution Bast Fiber Producers. She is also the Executive Director of the North American Linen Association (NALA), as well as the Founder and former Affiliate Director of Pacific Northwest Fibershed , a Fibershed Affiliate organization which promotes the development of regional regenerative fiber systems that build soil and protect the health of our biosphere. Shannon has a BFA in Apparel Design from The Art Institute of Portland, a BA in History and Mathematics from Lewis and Clark College, and a Teaching Certification from the Association Montessori Internationale.
John Morgan Video, Photography and Media Producer
John Morgan is a freelance director, shooter and editor with a diverse background in broadcast, commercial production, feature production, and independent film. He has a passion for photography. John's experience includes working with advertising agencies, corporations and artists to deliver amazing videos and broadcast series episodes for both broadcast and the internet; StereoEye Productions. He is also the primary media producer for both Fibrevolution and Pacific Northwest Fibershed.
Georgia Reid Director of Business Development
Georgia Reid has been focused on building regenerative economies for over seven years, including working to kickstart a North American fiber flax and linen industry with Fibrevolution. Her background spans the agricultural, forestry, and energy sectors, including extensive work in project development, marketing and sales of mass timber single-family housing and forest biomass utilization for wildfire mitigation, recovery, and renewable energy resilience. Georgia earned a dual BA in sociology/anthropology and environmental studies from Lewis & Clark College and was awarded a 2020 Oregon Heritage Fellowship for her thesis research on the cultural dimensions of fiber flax revival in the Willamette Valley. Georgia is also the Program Manager for the North American Linen Association.
Angela Wartes-Kahl Co-founder & COO
Angela Wartes-Kahl has been an organic advocate and farmer for well over a decade in the Coast Ranges of Oregon and Washington. Angela is currently focusing on building certified organic supply chains in North America for natural fiber systems. She is the Co-founder of Fibrevolution Bast Fiber Producers, working to revive linen production in the Pacific Northwest. Angela developed and previously managed the fiber and textiles program for Oregon Tilth, is an organic processing and crops inspector - IOS, and former Vice Chair of the Organic Trade Association Fiber Council. Angela is also the President of the, Organic Integrity Cooperative Guild. She studied Agricultural Science at Oregon State University, concentrating on fiber crops, textiles, and merchandise management.
Dr. Jennifer G Kling Plant Breeder and Geneticist
Jennifer G Kling is a Senior Research Professor at Oregon State University as well as an Agricultural Consultant. Jennifer’s current interest is in developing specialty crops for niche markets in Oregon. In 2012-2013 Jennifer was the Principal Investigator for the OSU Agricultural Research Foundation, in Breeding Dual-Purpose Flax Varieties for Emerging Textile Markets in Oregon. Jennifer G Kling has a Ph.D. in Genetics from North Carolina State University, a M.S. in Agronomy/Plant Breeding from the University of Nebraska, and a B.S. in Crop Science from Oregon State University.
Alvin Ulrich Bast Fiber Processing Advisor
Biolin Research Inc. began as a research facility with the goal of producing value-added fiber from flax grown in the Prairie provinces of Canada. It has morphed into a privately-owned company, under the leadership of Alvin Ulrich, with the purpose of processing and marketing the products available from all portions of flax straw. Biolin’s mission is to utilize 100% of the flax straw for commercial end uses so that the straw, traditionally burned or chopped in the fields by farmers, becomes a viable and profitable product, completing the natural recycle circle. Alvin is also a Board Director for the North American Linen Association.
