Our Team

Founder and Proprietor

Bill Stoller

Bill Stoller spent the first few weeks of his life here on the property and was raised on the family farm outside of Dayton, Oregon. He received a degree in business and economics from Pacific University, as well as an MBA from Portland State University. In 1983, Bill co-founded Express Employment Professionals, currently the largest privately-held staffing company in the world, with more than 800 offices in three countries. In 2001, he founded Xenium, a human resources outsource company. Success in business has enabled Bill to pursue his passion of wine and to contribute to his community.

True to his Oregon upbringing, Bill sees himself as a custodian of the land he loves, and cares deeply about sustainability and environmental protection. Driven by these values, he sought to create a business that would last for the next two centuries and beyond.

President

Gary Mortensen

As president, Gary brings to Stoller Family Estate thirteen years of senior leadership in the Oregon wine industry. As a start-up veteran he brings a passion for bleeding-edge technology and pushing boundaries. In 2022, Gary was named one of the Portland Business Journal’s Executives of the Year.

As a devoted historian, he is committed to preserving and sharing our nation’s diversity and heritage. He is also an active foundation board member of the Technology Association of Oregon, and is helping to found “Innovation Academies” for kids. Gary is an award-winning director of two documentary films telling the stories of Oregonians who served in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Vice President of Winemaking

Melissa Burr

Melissa Burr, an Oregon native, graduated from Portland State University with a Bachelor of Science degree with the intent to practice naturopathic medicine before discovering her true passion in wine. She studied winemaking and fermentation science at Oregon State University and interned during harvest for several local wineries before becoming production winemaker for Cooper Mountain. In 2003, Melissa joined Stoller Family Estate as the winery’s first dedicated winemaker.

Celebrating her 20th harvest with Stoller Wine Group, Melissa Burr continues to work in concert with the vineyard team to oversee the site’s continued refinement and lead the winemaking production team across the Stoller Wine Group portfolio. She has helped grow production from 1,000 cases to 190,000 while acting as a steward of Stoller’s legacy.

In 2013, Melissa partnered with Bill Stoller to launch History, a brand dedicated to paying homage to historic vineyards in the Pacific Northwest. The collection will continue to evolve as she tells more stories about these esteemed vineyards and the people who started them.

Melissa enjoys the creative and natural process of winemaking and the dynamic nature of the Oregon wine industry. The constant evolution of every new vintage pushes her to learn more about her craft.

Vice President of Vineyard Operations

Jason Tosch

A native of Oregon’s Tualatin Valley, Jason Tosch has made his career farming premium wine grapes. An Oregon State University graduate with a degree in horticulture, focusing on small fruits and berries, Jason has served in leadership roles for the Oregon wine industry’s wine research, and sustainability-focused communities.

In his role, Jason oversees 585-acres across four estate properties, while cultivating relationships with high-end growers throughout the state. With his vineyard team, Jason grows high-quality wines that reflect the vintage. His love of Oregon drives his holistic approach to viticulture and the connectivity to the surrounding forests and biodiversity-rich areas. The growth of the Stoller Wine Group suits Jason’s skillset. His shared core vision will allow the Stoller Wine Group to carefully scale while increasing wine quality and farm-land stewardship.

Vice President of Operations

Ben Howe

Born and raised in the Midwest, Ben received his Bachelor’s degree in Fermentation Sciences from Oregon State University. Ben has winemaking experience in New Zealand, India, Oregon, and California. In 2015, after climbing the ranks at King Estate, he joined Stoller Family Estate to bolster the production of the Dundee Hills wine tier and build a new winemaking facility for those wines.

In 2022, Ben was promoted to Vice President of Operations. Under his leadership, the winemaking team launched the Canned Oregon and Chemistry brands. Ben believes that a winemaker’s job is to be as transparent as possible and let the vineyard shine through. To that end, he enjoys making Pinot Noir and Chardonnay as they lend themselves to this style of winemaking.

Vice President of Business Development

James Falvey

Born and raised in southeast Portland, James holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration with a focus in sports marketing from the University of Oregon. James worked with the Portland Trail Blazers before joining us at Stoller Family Estate. He fell in love with the winery the first time he drove up to the estate and saw the breathtaking approach.

Vice President of National Sales

Patrick Hiley

Patrick Hiley has 30 years of experience in the wine industry. He caught the wine bug after many years working in fine dining restaurants in New Orleans, served as a buyer at a high-end grocery store, worked for a large wine supplier covering the Southeast, and eventually as a distributor holding multiple senior positions. When the opportunity to join a family of quality-driven wineries presented itself, Pat jumped at the chance to work for the Stoller Wine Group. He lives in Atlanta with his wife, Gretchen, and their three college age children. Pat enjoys traveling with Gretchen, listening to vinyl, and spending time with friends and family. He holds Certified Wine Specialist accreditation from the Society of Wine Educators as well as Certified Sommelier credentials from the Guild of Master Sommeliers.

Vice President of Communications

Michelle Kaufmann

Michelle Kaufmann is a powerhouse voice and crusader for the Oregon wine industry, having previously led communications for the Oregon Wine Board before joining the Stoller Wine Group in 2017. In her new role, she oversees all media relations, government relations, community relations, and communications efforts, working in lockstep with the marketing, sales, and production teams. With a knack for storytelling and the gift of the gab, Michelle is on a mission to make the business of Oregon wine a national conversation.

A Portland, Oregon native, Michelle earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oregon, focusing on public relations and communications. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the International Pinot Noir Celebration, Willamette Valley Wineries Association, and the Chehalem Mountains Winegrowers, as well as the associated marketing committees. When not working, you can find Michelle exploring the culinary bounty of the Pacific Northwest or devouring the latest indie flick with a glass of wine in hand.

Vice President of Finance

Steve Caldwell

Steve, a native Oregonian, graduated from OSU with a Bachelor’s Degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting. Prior to joining Stoller, Steve was the CFO of Willamette Valley Vineyards.

Vice President of Trade Development

Bill Hanson

Bill brings more than 25 years of wine industry experience to Stoller. He has served as past Chair of the Board of Directors as well as Marketing Committee Chair for LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology), the leading certifier of sustainable vineyards and wineries in the Pacific Northwest. Bill has held Certified Wine Educator’s accreditation through the Society of Wine Educators since 2007. In addition to his extensive wine management experience, Bill also brings the skills of a winegrower, as the owner of Libra Vineyard.

Estate Winemaker

Karl Weichold

Karl Weichold has more than a decade of winemaking and enology experience, working with both large and boutique wineries. A graduate of Texas A&M with a degree in biochemistry, he began his career working with several wineries in the Texas Hill Country before relocating to Oregon in 2009 as enologist at 12th & Maple. In 2015, Karl joined Erath Winery as assistant winemaker, where he helped create and implement novel approaches to winemaking across different modes of production in the pursuit of crafting fine Oregon wines. Ready for a new challenge, Karl joined the Stoller Wine Group team in fall 2020 as production winemaker. When not busy making wine, he enjoyed spending time in the great outdoors with his dog, Louie.

Assistant Winemaker

Evan Rose

The wine bug bit Evan as a teenager when he started working in vineyards in the Ohio River Valley outside Cincinnati. That early exposure lead him to study Botany and Molecular Biology at Miami University. From there, Evan worked harvest at Adelsheim Vineyard, and then spent the next four vintages as Assistant Winemaker at Meier’s Wine Cellars in Ohio, all the while Oregon was calling to him. Crazing some international experience, he went down under to work a harvest at Craggy Range in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, before finally making it back to Oregon in 2016. Working with both Anne Amie and Paul O’Brien Winery, Evan knew he wanted to spend the rest of his career in the North Willamette Valley, and in 2019 his dream came true when he joined the passionate Stoller winemaking crew. Evan is a big wine geek at heart, and he’s fortunate that his hobby is also his profession. When not going down the wine rabbit hole, he enjoys hiking and camping in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and dogs.

Estate Winery Assistant Winemaker

K’Sondra Fredrickson

Although K’Sondra grew up splitting her time between Portland and the Willamette Valley, she had never considered a career in winemaking. Fortunately, a part-time summer job at a tasting room while attending Oregon State University opened her to the world of wine. After that, there was no going back. She landed her first internship working for a winery in Napa, and from there worked in New Zealand and Australia before making her way back to California to make Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the Santa Lucia Highlands and Cabernet in Napa. But returning to Oregon was always K’Sondra’s dream, so when an opportunity arose at the Stoller Estate Winery, she knew it was time to come home. When not at the winery, you can find K’Sondra trying out new recipes for family and friends, watching old movies, or enjoying the outdoors.

Reserve Winery Cellar Master

Alex Arena

Originally from Madison, Wisconsin, Alex became interested in wine while living in Colorado, raising organic vegetables, being a ski-bum, and working at a restaurant in the off-season. As his interest grew, Oregon stood out right away as an intriguing region. Alex decided to try a harvest at a small winery, quickly falling in love with the Willamette Valley and the winemaking process. Since then, he has traveled the world, working harvests in California and Argentina, but Oregon always felt like home. In 2020, Alex jumped at the chance to return to the Willamette Valley and join the Stoller team. He loves the process of shaping wines off our estate and the passion that goes into the vast spectrum of wines he helps craft in the Reserve Winery.

Viticulturist

DJ Cook

Known for having a green thumb, DJ knew that his future was in farming from a young age. An Oregon State University graduate with a degree in Horticulture, focusing on Viticulture, DJ has farmed Pinot Noir for world-class vineyards in Sonoma, Napa, New Zealand, and Oregon’s Dundee Hills. It’s fitting that he has joined our vineyard team as his first research field experience was at Stoller Family Estate. When not in the vineyard, you can find DJ on the Oregon Coast listening to Jimmy Buffett and throwing back a couple of oyster shooters, fishing, crabbing, clamming, and hiking with family and friends.

Director of National Brands

Cory Davis

Cory joined Stoller as our national sales manager in the fall of 2005. He fell in love with Pinot Noir during his three-year stay in France, and moved to Oregon in the mid-90s, drawn by the natural beauty and burgeoning potential of the Pacific Northwest wine scene. Prior to joining Stoller, Cory worked as a distributor of some of the world’s finest wines.

Southeastern Regional Sales Manager

Brian Driver

The wine bug bit Brian while waiting tables at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in Nashville, Tennessee during college. Now, more than 15-years later, his career has spanned some of the best restaurants in the southeast and management on both the supplier and distribution side of the wine business, including stints with RNDC, Zonin USA, and Milbrandt Family Wines. Brian has made a lifelong commitment to his craft and continues to develop his skills as both a supplier and wine lover. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, he fell in love with the Tampa, Florida area, where he resides with his family to this day. Brian loves spending time with his family and doing anything active. He is an avid comic collector and loves reading biographies of historical figures.

Southwest Regional Manager

Jeff Floyd

Jeff Floyd fell in love with wine while working for a beer distributor straight out of college. Now with 27+ years in the wine industry, his passion for family-owned wine has only grown. Jeff enjoys spending his time outdoors, either hunting or fishing, with some music on in the background, or gathered around a campfire with friends and glass of bourbon in his hand.

Regional Sales

Craig Havlinek

Craig Havlinek has more than 15 years’ experience in the wine industry. His passion for wine began in his early 20s while running the wine department in a local grocery store. From there, he expanded his experience by working for an Oregon winery where he oversaw national and international sales, followed by working in distribution with the fine wine team at Young’s Market Co. where he was awarded “The Best in the West” sales representative for three consecutive years. In August 2019, Craig joined the Stoller Wine Group family, overseeing regional sales. In true Oregon native fashion, his hobbies include roasting coffee, brewing beer, talking about all things wine, cooking, and spending time in the great outdoors with his wife, Angela, and daughter, Lily. 

Senior Business Analyst

Christian Bennett

A Salt Lake City native, Christian Bennett first fell in love with Oregon as an undergrad student at the University of Oregon. During grad school at the University of Utah, he would often pine for his days back in Oregon, dreaming of visits to the coast, hiking at Mt. Hood, listening to live music, and fully indulging in the food and beverage scene. After graduation, Christian quickly moved back and made Oregon home. He entered the wine industry in March 2017 as a tasting room associate at Chehalem, before his business savvy financial skills were discovered. In September 2018, Christian was promoted to senior business analyst for the national sales team.

Director of Wine Clubs

Natalie Schmidt

Originally from a small town in northern San Diego County, Natalie gradually made her way north through California and Oregon to the Willamette Valley, which she now calls home. She got her start in the wine industry in Sonoma County and instantly fell in love with the tight-knit community and the joy of knowing there is always something new to learn. She loves working with our outstanding club members and curating memorable experiences. When not at work, you can find her exploring all the Pacific Northwest has to offer, enjoying good food and Brut Rosé, gardening, and traveling.

Culinary Director and Executive Chef

Becca Richards

Becca started cooking for fun as a kid, destroying her mother’s kitchen in an array of extravagant sandwich and pasta creations for her friends. It wasn’t until Becca turned 19 that she started down the culinary path. Hostess, busser, dishwasher, waiter, line cook, baker, sous chef, bartender, bar manager, chef, Becca did everything she could in the restaurant industry to learn the business. 

After several years of hard work and sweat, Becca gained the speed and confidence that pushed her to move to New York City. In 2010, she joined the team at Recette in Greenwich Village in spite of not having any NYC experience. She then went to Flex Mussels and eventually became the savory chef teaming up with the pastry chef. 

From there, Becca realized her dream and attended culinary school at International Culinary Center (formerly the French Culinary Institute) where she graduated with honors while working as a captain at Lincoln. The day of graduation, Becca was offered a job as the Sous chef at the Lion and eventually worked to take over as the Chef d’ Cuisine.

In 2017, Becca moved to Oregon to be closer to her family. Shortly after that, she joined Stoller Family Estate. In her role, Becca creates dishes that showcase the harmony between locally-sourced food and wine.  

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE

Michelle Fritts

A native of Oregon, Michelle Fritts’s Italian roots serve as her base for wine and culinary appreciation. She joined Chehalem in 2018, utilizing her experience in planning and implementing programs for the Portland Rose Festival, the Seattle Mariners, and small start-ups Sharing Spree and NW Star Productions. Her ability to quickly build rapport in the community and build relationships with both non-profits and corporate businesses made her the perfect fit to manage business development at Chehalem. Michelle is also an avid sports enthusiast, as she sits on the Friends of Baseball board, supporting opportunities for youth, on and off the field. She and her husband live in Newberg and are the proud parents of two gents and their beloved four-legged friend, Zeus.

Business Development Manager

Arianna Paulson

A fourth-generation Oregonian born and raised in the Columbia River Gorge, Arianna has always had an adventuring heart, enthusiastically embracing every challenge life throws her. She graduated from the University of New Orleans with a B.S. in Industrial & Organizational Psychology, intending to practice in the business sector, but she fell in love with southern hospitality. Arianna held various management positions at several top restaurants throughout the south before coming home to Oregon in 2018. Ready for her next adventure, she joined the Stoller Wine Group family in 2020, quickly rising through the ranks before settling in with the business development team. She loves that her role gives her the flexibility to build connections and foster relationships with businesses across the region. 

When not working, you can find Arianna exploring new restaurants, hiking, gardening, playing a board game (or two) with her family and friends, or heading off to the river or beach with her puppy, Georgia.

Creative Director

Austin Raz

As a native Oregonian with family roots in Newberg, Austin has had his eye on the wine industry for quite some time. Austin has worked for two of the world’s most influential brands at Nike and MTV, and studied New Media Communications at Oregon State University. What drew Austin to Stoller was the team’s vision of innovation and sustainability towards the environment, community, and economy. He is excited to bring his unique perspective into a creative role.

Content Producer

Mindy Gimarelli

Mindy Gimarelli fell in love with wine while vacationing in the Priorat region of Spain during a cooking school adventure. Raised in Oregon, Mindy spent most of her career in education, teaching Montessori for six years before joining the Beaverton Education Foundation where she supported building stronger classrooms in public schools. At the same time, Mindy spent the last 10 years as a consultant, managing social media platforms for local restaurants, small businesses, and multiple public accounts. With a firm understanding of social media strategy, she left education to follow her passion for wine and joined Chehalem in early 2018. In her free time, Mindy enjoys exploring Portland’s amazing food scene, spending time with her family, and spoiling her Golden Retriever Macallan and Orange Tabby Bubbs.

Brand Manager

Alexa Casebeer

Alexa Casebeer stumbled into the wine industry through a college internship in marketing and never looked back. The hook for her is that the business is an ecosystem: farming, manufacturing, hospitality, marketing, sales, and accounting—it needs each piece to flourish. Being a part of that ecosystem allows Alexa to learn about the interworking of a business and look at both the big-picture perspective and the minute details, so she can continually grow in her position. She loves that her job allows her to work collaboratively across the company to develop and maintain the marketing thematic calendar and continuously align content needs across our organization. A graduate of Oregon State University, Alexa is WSET Level 2 certified. When not at work, you’ll find Alexa walking her French Bulldog, Franky, running, cooking, or exploring new restaurants in Portland with her husband, Chad. 

Logistics & Purchasing Manager

John Vanover

Born in Santa Cruz, John Vanover spent most of his life in the South. Birmingham, Alabama’s vibrant food and wine culture led him to an 8-year career with a wine distributor. In 2019, John jumped at the opportunity to get closer to the source and to enjoy life in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. He comes to the Stoller Wine Group with a firm understanding and experience in logistics and operations management. John is inspired every day by Stoller Family Estate’s stunning vineyard and its innovative approach to winemaking.

Warehouse Manager

Kyle Stoller

Growing up on our estate, Kyle has worked with almost every department. He helped the vineyard, assisted with building a fence, cleaned barrels in the cellar, organized pallets in the warehouse, orchestrated both intimate and grand private events, and treated guests to world-class hospitality in our tasting rooms. He enjoys the ever-changing daily roster of tasks, all of which focuses on bringing people and wine together. When not at work, you can find him and Fletcher, his 1-year-old, 70 pound German Shepard puppy, playing soccer or enjoying a great bottle of wine.

Bottling Manager

Joshua Tikhonoff

Joshua never thought he would work in wine, but after taking an job opportunity at a California winery he quickly discovered this was something he excelled at and enjoyed. He and his family moved to the Napa Valley so Joshua could immerse himself in the heart of the California wine industry, working various jobs in the cellar, bottling, and distribution departments while expanding his palate with many delicious wines along the way. Joshua enjoys that his job requires high attention to detail and organization to provide a quality product, which creates the opportunity to continually improve himself and his team. When a new exciting opportunity came his way, Joshua and his young family relocated to the heart of the Oregon wine industry in early 2021 so he could join our team as Bottling Manager. When not at work, you can find Joshua exploring Oregon through cycling and hiking, and spending time with his family.

Bottling Supervisor

LaJoy Toney

What LaJoy loves most about their job is how wine always makes people smile. A Bay Area native and passionate foodie, they pursued a career in culinary while working at the Lake Tahoe Ritz Carlton when a sommelier changed the course of their life forever. LaJoy laughs, “I fell down the rabbit hole and can’t get out.” Now, eight years later, LaJoy takes solace in the freedom provided in the wine industry. Everyone is so happy and helpful, which makes their job easier, but they also feel supported and encouraged to take an entrepreneurship approach to their work. Every day, they learn something new on the bottling line, which makes coming to work fun, knowing something exciting will happen. Looking to the future, LaJoy was inspired to keep paving their own winemaking path after briefly working with Bertony Faustin, Oregon’s first black winemaker and founder of Abbey Creek Winery. When not working, you can find LaJoy fishing and hiking with their dog, Rebel. 

Facilities Manager

Ryan Thornton

Ryan Thornton has spent more than a decade working with wineries throughout the Willamette Valley to increase their quality and efficiency with water. A self-proclaimed “human tool,” he enjoys learning about mechanics and how things operate so he can share that knowledge with and help others. This passion has taken Ryan around the globe, building sustainable irrigation systems, and teaching communities how to best utilize them, with his goal of helping more than a million people with their water needs. When not working, Ryan enjoys teaching scuba diving.

Head of Corporate Gardens

Corinne Gosnell

Corinne Gosnell is a rare native of the Pacific Northwest. Over the tenure of her occupation in fine gardening, Corinne has transformed agricultural estate garden practices to develop clean, sustainable, beautiful landscapes throughout the holdings of great wine estates across the Willamette Valley. A keen observer of the unique natural splendor Oregon presents, Corinne has worked tirelessly to advance the B Corp model. She is also a talented floral stylist, translating color theory to the landscape with a tapestry of scented roses, shrubs, fruiting trees, and perennials, which will be used as cutting garden on the Stoller Family Estate grounds. While beautiful, the garden also enhances rare and vital insect populations unique to the Stoller Estate, which Corinne holds so dear as a preservationist of the living environment.

HR Director

Cecilia Barrera

If you asked Cecilia what she wanted to be when she grew up, working at a winery was probably not on the top of her list. But the 25+ year Human Resources veteran is learning how to appreciate the craft one sip at a time. Much like growing grapes or making wine, Cecilia loves knowing that there is no typical day in HR. She enjoys helping others and seeing how her job makes a positive difference to our people and our organization. Cecilia is bilingual and proficient in translating legal documents from English to Spanish, including OSHA, BOLI, and Safety Regulations Law, making her an indispensable member of the Stoller Wine Group. In her spare time, you can find Cecilia spending time with her family, taking long walks with her husband and three dogs, riding tricycles, reading books, watching movies, scrapbooking, designing her own earrings, and of course, enjoying delicious and inspiring cuisine.