Board of Directors
Paula Schnese
President/Co-Treasurer
Paula grew up in a family of nine siblings in a small Wisconsin town surrounded by farms. With so many growing children to nurture, she learned at a young age the value of locally produced, healthy, fresh foods. Longing to spread her wings as she grew older, Paula set her sights on California, specifically Santa Barbara where she earned her degree in professional photography. Following graduation, she moved to the Bay Area where she established a successful commercial photography studio.
Living in California, surrounded by the abundance of healthy, flavorful and local food choices, only increased Paula’s interest in health and nutrition. In 1992, she read John Robbins’ book, Diet for a New America. Embracing Robbins’ connections between food, health, diet and environmentalism, Paula immediately became a vegetarian, an eating style she has maintained. Nurturing body and soul had become her mantra.
Following the birth of her 3rd child, she formally closed her studio in order to focus on nurturing her children. Living near Berkeley at the time, she had access to a variety of natural food stores where she could get the foods she wanted for her family. However, moving to Benicia in 2013, she immediately noticed a food void and decided to do something about it! (Read “Our Story.”)
Paula uses her “outside the box” thinking and organizing skills as a photographer and her analytical bookkeeping skills (she’s the account manager at her husband’s law firm) to lead this grass roots effort to establish a food co-op in the Benicia/Vallejo area. Passionate about the food co-op, Paula is patient and determined, envisioning Cultivate Community Food Co-op’s grand opening when it reaches 1200 owner members.
Since Covid-19, Paula has dedicated herself to a daily yoga and meditation practice. In her free time, she enjoys walking her dog, playing her fiddle, sailing with her husband and doing pretty much anything with her close family.
Feel free to reach out HERE
Dave McAdams
Vice President
Video Team Director
Although I recently became an owner of Cultivate Community Food Co-op, I’ve worked with CCFC since 2018 on video productions. I’ve had the pleasure to interact with other owners and board members at social events leading to an understanding of the need for a local grocery store. Not only a store, but a destination for people to gather to create a strong community of respect and understanding.
But it’s not enough to attend events. I want to contribute to the vision and see it succeed. As a 22-year-US Air Force veteran, with over 750 hours of formal leadership and management training, I’ve had the opportunity to work with a diverse group of individuals to complete the mission. After the service, I worked in manufacturing and shipping utilizing techniques of Just-in-Time Inventory Management and Continuous Improvement concepts.
But my interests lie in video production. This is where I believe I can make the best impact to help CCFC reach their goals. Document the process/journey. Create interest to attract new owners. Keep current owners informed of the progress CCFC is making to open the doors. If you feel my experience and skills would benefit CCFC, as a two-year board member, then I am happy to serve.
Feel free to reach out HERE
Taryn Shawstad
Board Member
My husband and I are originally from Minnesota but have considered Benicia our home since 1994. This area offers the rare blend of convenient location, good schools, a vibrant art scene, historical value, a strong sense of community, and stunning views. We knew it was the right place to raise our daughters.
We were members of a food co-op in our youth and loved the sense of community and healthy food options it provided. We were thrilled to find CCFC in 2021 and even more excited to discover plans for a storefront. I recently retired from a 30-year career at Chevron and saw an opportunity help bring this dream to fruition.
I have a Master’s in Industrial Relations and have worked in a variety of roles in the corporate setting. I have extensive HR expertise, have created business strategies, met budgets, established governance, collaborated across businesses and departments, managed a global team of over 100 colleagues, worked with the board of directors, developed communications, and managed change.
The opening of a seat on the Board of Directors coincided beautifully with my recent retirement. I am excited to learn about the unique challenges co-ops face as we work to further build the business case and infrastructure necessary to make this dream a reality.
Feel free to reach out HERE
Mike Klug
Board Member
I’ve been an owner of the Cultivate Community Food Co-Op since 2022, and I’m very excited to join the board to help turn it’s vision into reality, serving Vallejo and Benicia.
I grew up in Philadelphia, and even after all these years, I’m still an avid Phillies and Eagles fan. After graduating from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1979, I decided to take a job for a year or two (at least that’s what I told my Mom) in San Francisco. 46 years later, I’m still here, and still loving every minute of it. We are pretty entrenched in the Benicia/Vallejo area – I’ve been a Benicia resident since 1985, have raised 5 kids through our outstanding school system, and have been married to my wife, Peg, a retired Benicia High Culinary Arts and Fashion teacher, for 26 years.
Professionally, I’ve played a few different roles, working in customer management positions for consulting and tech firms like Price Waterhouse, Oracle and Microsoft. My clients included Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, PG&E, eBay, AT&T, and many other consumer brand names. Most recently, I held executive positions for two “tech ed” firms (Udemy and Elsa), where we focused on developing people’s potential through continuous education – something I remain passionate about. I had the great good fortune to retire in February 2025, where my final work week was spent in Bali at ELSA’S annual sales convention! A great way to go out!
My skills center around Organizational Development – helping companies develop their business strategies, tying them to execution plans and executing those plans. I’ve learned that many times, there’s no shortage of great ideas – but success revolves around how well you can “herd the cats”. I hope to bring those skills to CCFC as we enter our next stage of development.
After watching and being involved in the changes in the area over the last 40 years, I’m excited to help CCFC achieve it’s vision while keeping true to cooperative principles – social innovation, serving and involving the community, working with local producers, and delivering a unique and sustainable shopping experience.
Feel free to reach out HERE
Steven Hahn-Smith
Board Member
I have been a resident of Benicia since 1998, drawn to the community for its small-town vibe, strong culture and excellent schools, where my three children were educated. I joined CCFC several years ago to support local enterprise and healthy, sustainable food.
Throughout my career I have held numerous leadership roles in healthcare and social programs, including leading Quality Management Departments and senior research positions. My career spans senior leadership roles in service‑ and research‑focused non-profits, providing a strong foundation in executive administration, complex budgeting, and data‑driven decision‑making. These skills are directly aligned with the co‑op’s long‑term strategic planning. I currently serve as Deputy Director of Behavioral Health for Contra Costa County, not quite retired yet.
My professional focus on health has reinforced the critical connection between nutrient‑dense food and overall human well‑being. As a graduate of the Soil Food Web School, certified Permaculture Designer, and active worm wrangler (200K and growing!), I view the co‑op as both an economic enterprise and a meaningful public health investment.
Ensuring access to food grown in healthy, living ecosystems supports stronger outcomes for individuals and communities in Benicia, Vallejo, and throughout Solano County. I value collaborative, solutions‑oriented work and look forward to contributing both strategic leadership and technical insight to help secure a permanent, resilient future for CCFC.
Feel free to reach out HERE