Mr. Bernau has been President and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Company since its inception in May 1988. Willamette Valley Vineyards was originally established as a sole proprietorship by the Oregon winegrower in 1983, and he co-founded the Company in 1988 with Salem grape grower, Donald Voorhies. From 1981 to September 1989, Mr. Bernau was Director of the Oregon Chapter of the National Federation of Independent Businesses, “NFIB”, an association of 15,000 independent businesses in Oregon. Mr. Bernau has served as the President of the Oregon Winegrowers Association, the Treasurer of that association’s Political Action Committee and the Chair of the Promotions Committee of the Oregon Wine Advisory Board, the State of Oregon’s agency dedicated to the development of the industry. In March 2005, Mr. Bernau received the industry’s Founder’s Award for his service.

Mr. Ellis, a founding shareholder in the Company, has been a member of the Board of Directors since July 1991 and served as Corporate Secretary from June 1997 to July 2009. Mr. Ellis served as the Company’s Director of Human Resources from January 1993 to May of 2009; he served as  Vice President /Corporate from June 1998 to July of 2009.  From 1990 to 1992, Mr. Ellis was a partner in Kenneth L. Fisher, Ph.D. & Associates, a management-consulting firm. From 1980 to 1990, Mr. Ellis was Vice President and General Manager of R.A. Kevane & Associates, a Pacific Northwest personnel-consulting firm. From 1962 to 1979, Mr. Ellis was a member of and administrator for the Christian Brothers of California, owner of Mont La Salle Vineyards and producer of Christian Brothers wines and brandy.


Stan G. Turel

Mr. Turel, a founding shareholder of the Company, has served as a Director since November of 1994. From 2001 to present, Mr. Turel has served as president of Turel Enterprises, a real estate management company managing his own properties in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Prior to his current activities, Mr. Turel was the Principal and CEO of Columbia Turel, (formerly Columbia Bookkeeping, Inc.) a position he held from 1974 to 2001. Prior to the sale of the company to Fiducial, one of Europe's largest accounting firms, Columbia had 26,000 annual tax clients including 4,000 small business clients. Additionally Mr. Turel successfully operated as majority owner of two cable television companies during the 1980’s and 1990’s which were eventually acquired by other corporations. Mr. Turel is a pilot, has previously served as a delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business and has previously held positions on several state and local government committees.

Ms. O’Brien, a founding shareholder of the Company, has served as a Director since July 1991. Ms. O’Brien is a co-owner of Elton Vineyards L.L.C., a commercial vineyard located in Eola Hills in Yamhill County, Oregon and established in 1983. Ms. O’Brien was the Executive Director of the Oregon Wine Board from 2001 to 2004. Ms. O’Brien was employed by Willamette University as its Director of News and Publications from 1988 to 2000. She is a member of the Oregon Winegrowers Association, having previously served as its President and Treasurer and as a director. Ms. O’Brien is a member of the Vineyard Management/Winemaking Program Advisory Committee at Chemeketa Community College (CCC). She headed a wine industry task force developing a new wine marketing program and curriculum leading to a two-year degree at CCC. She now teaches Introduction to Wine Marketing. She serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology).

Mr. Brian was appointed to the Board of Directors in June of 2004. Mr. Brian has served as Chairman of the Washington County Board of Commissioners since 1999. Previously, he served for 10 years in the Oregon House of Representatives. While in the legislature, Mr. Brian was Chairman of the Revenue Committee and served on the Judicial and Ways and Means Committees. He also served 10 years as City Councilor and Mayor of Tigard, OR. Mr. Brian has successfully owned and operated a commercial/industrial real estate company for nineteen years.

Ms. Jones has served as a Director since November 1994. Ms. Jones resigned from the Board in December of 2002 having moved to Southern California and was reappointed to the Board in March of 2005 having returned to Oregon. From January of 2004 to present, Ms. Jones has served as President of Delna Jones and Associates, an independent consulting firm. Ms. Jones also currently serves as the Chair of the Oregon Ethics Commission. Ms. Jones was elected in 1998 and served as a County Commissioner for Washington County, Oregon from 1998 to 2000. Ms. Jones previously served as project director for the Capital Center, an education and business consortium from 1994 to 1998. From 1985 to 1990, Ms. Jones served as Director of Economic Development with US West Communications. Beginning in 1982, she was elected six times to the Oregon House as the State Representative for District 6. During her tenure, she served as the Assistant Majority Leader; she also chaired the Revenue and School Finance committee, and served on the Legislative Rules and Reorganization committee and the Business and Consumer Affairs committee.

Mr. Cary was elected to the Board of Directors in 2007. Mr. Cary is the Corporate Controller of National Warranty Corporation, a Eugene, Oregon based provider of finance and insurance products sold through automobile dealers located in the Pacific Northwest, a position he has held since November of 2008. Previously, Mr. Cary served as the CFO of Cascade Structural Laminators, a laminated bean manufacturer headquartered in Eugene, Oregon from July 2007 to September of 2008 and prior to that as Controller of Willamette Valley Vineyards. Mr. Cary served in the U.S. Air Force as a Financial Officer. Mr. Cary holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Oregon and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management from the U.S. Air Force Academy.

CPA, MBA, JD. Mr. Smith was appointed to the Board of Directors on September 24, 2007 and as Corporate Secretary in January of 2010. Mr. Smith is the Vice President/Chief Financial Officer of Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Oregon a position he has held since June of 1986. He was an Adjunct Professor at the Atkinson Graduate School of Management at Willamette University, as well as Managing Partner of Faler Grove Miller and Smith, a large Salem, Oregon CPA firm. He has served on many State of Oregon commissions, and he has served as the Board Chairperson for many of the local non-profit and educational institutions including the Salem-Keizer School Board, Chemeketa Community College Board of Education, State Fair Dismissal Appeals Board, Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments, Oregon School Boards Association and the United Way. Mr. Smith is an active member of the Oregon State Bar and a Certified Public Accountant. Mr. Smith is an independent director as defined under NASDAQ rules.