OUR TEAM
ABOUT
Ensoterra is an Oregon-based consulting firm that provides innovative, practical solutions that allow leaders to focus on serving their communities. Founded in 2023 by Katrina Van Dis, we partner with government agencies, universities, nonprofit organizations, and private businesses to strengthen operations, secure funding, and create measurable impact.
Our services span planning, implementation, evaluation, communication, and continuous improvement. We have extensive experience supporting food systems, public health, and community-based initiatives, including local food procurement, food security, workforce development, and cross-sector collaborations.
Drawing on both lived experience and professional expertise, we apply an equity-centered approach to every project using a sliding scale fee structure. We prioritize transparent communication, collaborative problem-solving, and practical tools that help organizations measure outcomes, improve programs, and create lasting impact.
KATRINA VAN DIS
Katrina grew up on a cherry orchard in Eastern Oregon and is deeply passionate about rural communities, nature, and resilience. An entrepreneur at heart, she has founded multiple for-profit and nonprofit organizations. With strong intuition, a tireless work ethic, and a vision for how systems connect and overlap, Katrina translates big-picture ideas into actionable projects and links them to funding opportunities. She applies the principles of Ecological Economics—focusing on the interdependence of human economies and the natural environment—to help communities make thoughtful, sustainable decisions.
Katrina founded Ensoterra (“truth + earth”) to offer much-needed services on a sliding scale, believing that purpose should outweigh profit. She is also the founder of the High Desert Food & Farm Alliance and co-founder of the Oregon Community Food Systems Network.
Areas of Expertise & Interest: Grants, nonprofits, board development, operations, community and economic development, food systems, community wildfire resilience, ecological economics, social determinants of health, and natural resources.
FOUNDER & PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT
SAM SIMONICH
Sam is an artist, educator, and gardener born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. She has a BFA in Modern Dance and BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Utah, a combination that reflects her jill-of-all trades nature. Her attention to detail and adaptability has been honed over years of teaching dance to all ages, working at nurseries, and managing community gardens. Sam spent the last year camping, climbing, and canyoneering in the American Southwest and pet-sitting across Northern Europe. She is happy to now be a part of the Ensoterra team gathering and condensing resources to make a wide variety of funding more accessible.
Areas of Expertise: Organization, research, technical writing and creativity.
GRANT & SPECIAL PROJECTS COORDINATOR
CAITLIN SEYFRIED
Caitlin keeps her hands busy in the soil growing produce on leased farmland near Astoria. When not working the land, she has supported Oregon’s food system, including positions at The Dalles food bank, the Astoria-based local foods nonprofit North Coast Food Web, and as a farmhand on two coastal small farms. In 2022, she dove into the world of food systems consulting, working remotely to support projects across the US as a contractor with Food Works Group. More recently, Caitlin worked for the Oregon Community Food Systems Network on statewide food hub network support and grant administration. She grew up in eastern North Carolina among the monocultured corn, soybean, and tobacco fields and deeply believes in centering people, equity, and community in food. Most importantly, she is inspired by the movements of food sovereignty and agroecology.
Areas of Expertise: food hubs, farming, consulting
FOOD HUB / SYSTEMS COORDINATOR
ZACH HERRNSTADT
Zach brings more than a decade of experience at the intersection of community food systems, public health, and community sustainability. Throughout his career, he has led initiatives focused on expanding food access, strengthening local food systems, and building community capacity through collaborative, systems-level approaches. His work spans nonprofit, academic, and policy environments, and is rooted in the belief that access to healthy, sustainably grown, and culturally appropriate food is a basic human right. Zach is passionate about working alongside individuals, communities, and organizations to strengthen local food systems and support community-driven solutions that promote equity, health, and resilience.
Areas of Expertise: community food systems, food access, community engagement & coalition building, food and agricultural policy, program evaluation, community sustainability, and policy, systems, evaluation and environmental change interventions
ASSOCIATE CONSULTANT, COMMUNITY SUSTAINABILITY
TRUSTED PARTNERS
Timothy brings curiosity, creativity, and a passion for problem-solving to everything he does. As founder of Backstitch Collective, he designs innovative solutions that make nature more accessible and joyful for everyone, with a focus on removing barriers for people with disabilities. Tim enjoys exploring the outdoors with his wife, Katrina Van Dis, and their dog.
TIMOTHY GORBOLD
A native Oregonian, Janel has extensive non-profit and local government experience. She Co-Founded of Present and Positive, was a Founding member of Idyllwild Forest Health Project, was the Community & Economic Development Program Administrator at Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council and works at Forage Wellness Collective.
JANEL RUEHL
Shelley is the founder of Lane County Bounty, a food hub partnering with more than 40 agricultural producers. She works alongside nonprofits to advance food equity programs, provide healthy grocery boxes for BIPOC community members experiencing food insecurity, and expand services to rural communities.