Meet Our Staff
Shawn Donnille
Owner and President
AT MOUNTAIN ROSE HERBS SINCE 1999
Shawn first became involved with Mountain Rose Herbs as a passionate young idealist with a fervent desire to change the world. He was the town's notorious rabble rouser, always petitioning for mandatory labeling on genetically modified food crops, encouraging people to support a strong conservation ethic, fighting for the protection of endangered or threatened species, and the protection and enhancement of our riparian areas. When Mountain Rose Herbs came into his life, Shawn saw it as an opportunity to change the way business is conducted on this planet. To this day, the revolutionary business principles that Shawn initiated have been used as a successful model by countless other organizations around the world.
Shawn became co-owner of the company in 2001 and since then he has initiated several bold and daring changes, most notably the eradication of all conventionally grown products from our product line, introducing the first line of fair trade certified medicinal herbs in the United States, implementing the design and deployment of our web presence, launching our zero waste program, our charitable giving program, and so much more!
As President and Owner Shawn currently oversees every aspect of Mountain Rose Herbs along with all of the directors and managers at the company to be sure they are leading the business in a direction we can all be proud of. In addition to this he is intimately connected with developing all of our sustainability initiatives to further enhance and propel bold ideas that are being shared with numerous other corporations, non-profits, state agencies, and civic groups as a working model for success.
In his spare time, Shawn can be found deep within Oregon's wilderness system, or lost in the pages of any book about ecology and the environment. He currently retains one of the nation's largest collections of rare and antiquarian books that deal exclusively with nature writing and outdoor literature. With Thoreau, Abbey, and Muir being his favorites, of course!
"All of our environmental issues can be connected to the embarrassing way that business abuses this planet. My objective is to stop this destructive pattern by offering an alternative modality and sharing that modality with others so we can all lead the change necessary to heal the planet."
Shawn's Favorite Picks:
Patchouli Essenital Oil, Lapsang Souchong Tea, Persephone's Tea
Cameron Stearns
CEO AND CFO
MOUNTAIN ROSE HERBS EMPLOYEE SINCE 2014
As a young adult, Cameron developed an appreciation of diverse cultures and approaches to nutrition and health as she traveled to distant countries while earning her Bachelor's degree in International Relations. These travels were driven by a curiosity for new experiences and tastes. Often when returning from her travels, she would experiment with recreating meals and crafts that were not readily found at home. Deciding that food and belongings possessed higher quality when built up from scratch, she felt drawn to explore her surroundings down to their foundation. Scratch cooking, home fermentation, natural fiber dyeing and spinning, herbal remedies, and home-grown vegetables became her daily routine as a young mother setting up her home. With two boys running amok, she certainly had her hands full and plenty of opportunities to make and use herbal salves, elixirs, and tonics to keep her littles ones healthy. As her children grew, so did a desire to set out on new adventures. Her love for Eugene led her to search for a career that was both nourishing and local. She went back to school and learned the foundations of accounting, working her way up through the ranks of public accounting and finally earning her CPA license. This journey brought her to Mountain Rose Herbs in 2014 where she now serves as both CEO and CFO. More than just a bean counter, she oversees the general workings of the entire company and provides the expert guidance needed to help steer our ship towards a productive, sustainable future. At her core, she is guided by the belief that the nature of business is to serve. To this end, she embraces deeply and happily one of the key tenets upheld by Mountain Rose Herbs, “people and planet before profit” and sets this up as her North Star for navigating the waters of business. On her days off, you will most likely find her with her husband, boys, and dogs scrambling across the lava beds in the Cascades or taking a dip in one of Oregon's fabulous swimming holes.
Cameron's Favorite Picks:
Thomas Dick
Vice President of Brand Marketing
MOUNTAIN ROSE HERBS EMPLOYEE SINCE 2008
Thomas is the Vice President of Brand Marketing here at Mountain Rose Herbs and controls and creates the look and feel of the company. He has been in the field of graphic design and marketing for more than 20 years and has spent the last 10 years building the Mountain Rose Herbs brand. Born and raised in the Appalachia, Thomas' appreciation of the natural world was cultivated during his childhood spent outdoors, roaming the creeks and hills of Kentucky and Ohio. While pursuing a degree in Environmental Studies, Thomas discovered his passion for Design and Marketing, eventually earning dual degrees from The Ohio State University. It's his love for the environment and for visual communications that makes working at Mountain Rose Herbs the perfect fit for him. When he is not designing beautiful packaging or mapping out our next marketing campaign, you will most likely find him in his machine shop pursuing his other passion, restoring vintage racing motorcycles.
Thomas' Favorite Picks:
Steven Yeager
VICE PRESIDENT OF QUALITY AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS
MOUNTAIN ROSE HERBS EMPLOYEE SINCE 2007
Originally from Philadelphia, Steven moved to the Pacific Northwest in 1994 and has been rooted in Eugene ever since. He has been an employee of Mountain Rose Herbs since 2007. Steven Yeager has been exploring Oregon's wild places and studying the Pacific Northwest's native flora since 1995, botanizing, wildcrafting, and preparing herbal preparations for himself and his family. Steven is also an herbal educator and former co-owner of the Columbines School of Botanical Studies. His years of working in the plant world has contributed enormously to Steven's ability to direct quality control, laboratory operations, and regulatory compliance at Mountain Rose Herbs, where a thorough knowledge of plant identification, GMP and FSMA regulations, and herbalism is essential. He believes cultivating a relationship with plants and the natural world is vital for a healthy existence on this planet In 2011, Steven became an elected trustee of the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) and is currently participating with many of AHPA's committees. He also serves on the Board for the AHPA Foundation for Education and Research on Botanicals, United Plant Savers, and the Native Plant Society of Oregon. When not at work or volunteering with various non-profits Steven enjoys spending time with his family, cooking, hiking, camping, wildcrafting, and botanizing in the Cascade Mountains.
Steven's Favorite Picks:
Osha Extract, Szechuan Pepper Whole, Echinacea Angustifolia Root
Mary Appelbaum
Controller
MOUNTAIN ROSE HERBS EMPLOYEE SINCE 2016
Mary is our Controller and supervises all of accounting. She wears many hats for this role and does it all with excellence and a keen eye for detail. She has been with Mountain Rose Herbs since 2016, with a career in accounting that spans 25 years. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking in the mountains and on the coast, trying out new recipes, and practicing self-care. She is also an avid reader, even started a book club that has met monthly for seven years. Mary has three grown children and loves cooking holiday meals for them. She also parents two energetic and loving dogs, Suki and Ruby, who keep her entertained. Mary is glad to be part of the Mountain Rose Herbs family.
Mary's Favorite Picks:
Green Sunrise Tea, Coconut Rooibos Tea, Ylang Ylang Essential Oil
Meghan Barr
Senior Procurement Officer
MOUNTAIN ROSE HERBS EMPLOYEE SINCE 2010
Born and raised in coastal Massachusetts, Meghan’s love of nature started with the sea and a desire to identify each thing she found in the tide pools. She had wonderful environmental science teachers throughout her schooling who expanded her education beyond the tide pools, and these days she can’t pass by a new tree without the urge to identify it. Meghan oversees our Procurement Department, which works closely with our farms and other vendors to ensure a steady supply of high-quality herbs, teas, and spices are available. Meghan enjoys learning something new every day about the growing and harvesting techniques of all the botanicals we work with. Outside of work, you can find her doing anything crafty, from glass bead making, to sewing, to knitting. If she can create something, she’s happy. She has traveled to 10 different countries, where she happily consumes all of the local favorite dishes, shops for the strangest things she can find, and seeks out local art.
Meghan’s Favorite Picks:
Alyssa Bascue
Human Resources Director
MOUNTAIN ROSE HERBS EMPLOYEE SINCE 2012
Alyssa leads Mountain Rose Herbs’ talented HR team. She has more than 20 years of experience in both leadership and support roles in sustainability and people operations. Fostering positive company culture through authentic connections and employee engagement programs, gives Alyssa a sense of pride in the workplace. Growing up in an income-sharing, egalitarian community in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, she’s a farm girl at heart. She received her bachelor's degree in Environmental Sociology and is always looking to expand her HR knowledge and skillset. In her off time, she enjoys gardening, reading, cooking spicy foods, and hiking with her husband, kiddos, and brindle pup named Kiwi.
Alyssa's Favorite Picks:
Azra Besic
Customer Experience Director
MOUNTAIN ROSE HERBS EMPLOYEE SINCE 2013
Azra oversees the ever-friendly and helpful Customer Service Department at Mountain Rose Herbs. She grew up as a child in the mountains of Bosnia and Herzegovina and her love for nature and all things herbal was ingrained in her from a very early age. Raised on a self-sustaining farm, she was instilled with the practices of sustainable organics as a lifelong pursuit. Her passions grow from strong roots in the traditions of her family and their land. When she is not in the wilds of Oregon mushrooming, fishing, or gardening, you will find her in her kitchen cooking amazing food from her home country or baking another decadent dessert from scratch. Her devotion to her family and friends is as obvious as it is deep, as is her love of travel and chasing after the next adventure. Her favorite saying is “Never Enough!” meaning that there is always more life to be lived and she will give it her all to make this time on earth count!
Azra's Favorite Picks:
Julie Debord
Production Manager
MOUNTAIN ROSE HERBS EMPLOYEE SINCE 2001
Julie is a revered veteran at Mountain Rose Herbs and the longest serving staff member at the company. Julie oversees the extraordinarily difficult task of managing the production and packaging of nearly all the products we produce. From our capsules and bottled seasonings, to our clays and herbal teas, many of our products are managed under her astute and dedicated eye. She also oversees our tea and spice formulation, and she is the proud creator of our beloved Herbal Coffee and Firefly Chai. Julie grew up in Ohio and traveled out west to Oregon. She immediately fell in love with the natural beauty, flora, and fauna found here. When she is not hurriedly managing production schedules at our facilities, she can be found hiking our state's numerous wild areas while capturing its majesty on film.
Julie's Favorite Picks:
Turmeric Ginger Tea, Wild Rose Facial Serum, Lavender Essential Oil
Aaron Dietrich
Director of Information Technology
MOUNTAIN ROSE HERBS EMPLOYEE SINCE 2019
Aaron brings over 23 years of web development and IT experience to Mountain Rose Herbs and has been here since September 2019. When not doing IT work, Aaron love immersing himself in the live music scene, both as an active partipant and as a concert promoter. Sometimes he'll even pick up the guitar and attempt to play a few songs himself around the campfire. Also being a lover of the great Oregon outdoors, Aaron often spends time along the Oregon coast, in the Cascade Mountains, or in the vast rivers throughout the state. Hiking, biking, skiing (old school, refused to snowboard), kayaking, camping, and generally taking big breathes of fresh Oregon air are additional past times that he participates in!
Aaron's Favorite Picks:
Osha Root Whole, Elder Berry Syrup, Sandalwood Essential Oil
Timothy Mull
Production and Inventory Director
MOUNTAIN ROSE HERBS EMPLOYEE SINCE 2012
Tim is our Production and Inventory Director. Tim came to Mountain Rose Herbs as a member of the Order Fulfillment team in 2012. Over the years, he has brought his organizational skills, enthusiasm, “Can Do” attitude, and willingness to roll up his sleeves to multiple roles here at Mountain Rose Herbs, including in Order Fulfillment and Production. He also spent a good part of his time in the Decanting department, which gave him a keen eye for our herbs and showcased his superior attention to detail and product quality. Tim was promoted from decanter to the assistant to the Director of Warehouse Operations and finally has come full circle back to his original department (and first love), the Order Fulfillment Department.
Tim grew up in Oregon, and loves the beauty of the Willamette Valley. As a youngster, he could often be found along the rivers or riding his bike through the woods. Growing up in Oregon allowed him to experience nature, from camping on beaches and in forests to hiking the high lakes, fishing any and every river, and foraging for food.
Timothy's Favorite Picks:
Christine Rice
Director of Product Development & Management, Aromatherapist
MOUNTAIN ROSE HERBS EMPLOYEE SINCE 2004
Christine is our Product Manager and our Certified Aromatherapist. A longtime employee with over a decade under her belt, Christine collaborates with almost every department at Mountain Rose Herbs on a daily basis and knows the intimate details of every product that we offer. Christine researches and selects new and exciting herbal products to offer in addition to managing all of our current products. With more than 3,000 product offerings, this is no small task! She also oversees the quality and approval of the essential oils and hydrosols that Mountain Rose Herbs offers. Born and raised in the Midwest, Christine has considered Oregon a home since 2000. When away from the office, she enjoys gardening, running around with her energetic little one, canning and food preservation, homebrewing beer and wine, and spending time outdoors.
Christine's Favorite Picks:
Clary Sage Essential Oil, Skullcap Extract, Valerian Extract
Julius (Chooch) Vanis
DIRECTOR OF FACILITIES
MOUNTAIN ROSE HERBS EMPLOYEE SINCE 2019
Julius (aka Chooch) masterfully manages every fabric and facet of our facilities which is no easy task when you take into consideration that this involves all our buildings, equipment, vehicles, and expansion efforts! The foundation of Mountain Rose herbs rests upon all of this and thankfully we have him to ensure that everything is in working order.
Chooch brought over 32 years of Emergency Management experience to Mountain Rose Herbs in 2019, when he served as our Occupational Health and Safety Manager. His skills in project management, personnel, communications, and problem solving proved to be an asset to help us successfully navigate the rough waters of the COVID Pandemic, and we earned the respect and admiration of local municipalities for our efforts to control COVID from breaking out in our facilities, and in securing peace of mind from our employees.
Chooch was recently promoted to Director of Facilities to assist Mountain Rose Herbs on the exciting adventure of moving our operations to our new Campus and streamline our facilities operations. Originally from Central Florida, Chooch moved to Oregon in 1987 and has since planted his roots in the Willamette Valley. When not at work, Chooch and his wife are avid “junkers” and love to re-purpose and upcycle Vintage and Antique furniture and tools. He also enjoys Travelling, Camping and Kayaking by spending family time in the great outdoors of the Pacific Northwest.
Chooch's Favorite Picks:
