October 5 / 7:00 - 8:15 pm ET

Guild Townhall: Meet the Candidates

Join us on Zoom to meet the five members running for our open Board of Directors seat starting in 2027. This is your chance to hear directly from each candidate, ask questions, and get to know the people who could help shape the Guild's future.  Voting will open on October 6.

Whether you're still deciding how to vote or just want to connect with fellow members, we hope you'll join us.

Below is a short introduction to each candidate, drawn from their applications.

Ellen King - Owner, Hewn Bread (Evanston, IL) | Member since 2015

Ellen has been a Guild member since planning her bakery in 2012, volunteering at WheatStalk, taking Guild classes, and joining Guild bakery visits in Paris. She has since grown Hewn into a multi-location, woman-owned bakery, published a cookbook, and purchased a farm to grow grain for the business. She's especially focused on the connections between bakers, farmers, and regional grain systems, and hopes to give back to an organization she feels has given her so much. Her strengths include fundraising, marketing and brand, financial management, and strategic planning.

Why do you want to join the board?  Over the years, I have truly valued being part of the Guild and the opportunities it has given me to learn, grow, and connect with other bakers. In 2012, while I was still in the process of planning my bakery, I had the opportunity to volunteer at WheatStalk at Kendall College. Since then, I have attended Guild classes that helped shape my skills as a baker, participated in bakery visits in Paris through the Guild, and benefited from the generosity, knowledge, and mentorship of so many people within the organization. 
 
The Guild has played an important role in my development, both as a baker and as a bakery owner. I have been fortunate to meet many people and learn from others who were willing to share their experience and expertise. At this point in my career, I would very much like the opportunity to give back to an organization that has given me so much and to help serve and support the Guild and its members.

Kara Schlagheck - Owner, Coop Equipment Distributors (Buffalo Grove, IL) | Member since 2024

Kara brings roughly eight years in the baking industry and over twenty years in supply chain and distribution, along with about a year running her own equipment business. She's motivated by a desire to challenge the idea that automation and artisan craft are mutually exclusive, and believes bakeries can scale thoughtfully while keeping their identity. She offers skills in marketing and brand, financial management, and strategic planning. 

Why do you want to join the board?  I want to join the board because your core mission aligns with my own values and feels authentic. I'm hoping to disrupt the perception that automation and artisan craft are mutually exclusive. I believe they can co-exist, and that many things can be true at the same time: a bakery can scale, can consider phasing into automation, and can still maintain their identity as a brand. This would help me continue to expand my network, provide an even deeper view of the craft, and continue to build better version of myself as a business owner.

Tarit Tanjasiri - Founder & CEO, Crema Artisan Bakers (Irvine, CA) | Guild member since 2011

Tarit's career in foodservice began on the restaurant side, where he held ownership stakes in five different restaurants. His bakery journey started in 2006, baking out of his own cafe, and has since grown into both a retail and wholesale business employing over 70 people. Crema remains a family affair — Tarit runs the business alongside his two children and a close team of key staff. Beyond baking, his career has included real estate development and import/export work between Mexico and Thailand, and he's currently a partner in a wetsuit manufacturing business in northern Thailand. He points to the relationships he's built in and out of the industry as his most meaningful asset and the one he's most excited to bring to the Guild.

Why do you want to join the board?  I hope to provide insights to business of baking to members, as well as providing support to the guild board in fundraising and membership recruitment.

Chrissy Traore - CEO, See and Be Kitchen (Cairo, NY) | Member since 2024

Chrissy brings a blend of for-profit and nonprofit experience to her candidacy, having founded a NYC-based cooking nonprofit and worked in marketing and brand strategy for major national clients before moving into food and bakery ownership. She's also taught culinary science at John Jay College (CUNY) for 14 years. Chrissy wants to help the Guild continue educating and connecting bakers, and would bring skills in fundraising, marketing/brand, nonprofit management, financial management, and strategic planning.

Why do you want to join the board?  First and foremost, I believe in the mission of the Bread Bakers Guild and want to help other bakers in establishing, learning, and thriving. I believe in real bread and real food in general and think that the work being done to educate and connect with bakers is important. 

Laura Unverzagt - Associate Professor of Baking and Pastry, Cascade Culinary Institute (Bend, OR) | Member since 2014

With thirty years in the profession, Laura is a baking educator, executive pastry chef, and baking nutrition scientist with a strong interest in sustainable and regional grain systems. She has taught at Johnson & Wales University and studied under Chef Harry Peemöller, GMB, while completing a Master's in Nutrition Science. Laura hopes to expand the Guild's reach by connecting more educators and professionals with the BBGA community, particularly in the Pacific Northwest and Western states. Her strengths include fundraising, marketing/brand, nonprofit management, and strategic planning.

Why do you want to join the board?  After thirty years in the profession, I am at the point in my career where I want to give back to the baking community in a meaningful way. The Guild has been an important part of my journey in baking education, providing opportunities to learn through workshops, lectures, formulas, resources, apprenticeships, and perhaps most importantly, through the relationships I've built with fellow bakers and leaders since beginning my career as a baking and pastry instructor 15 years ago. Some of the most memorable and formative moments in my career come from these shared experiences. The quality and depth of education available through the Guild expanded my knowledge, challenged my skills, and shaped the baker and educator I am today. I align with the Guild's belief that education is a shared resource, and I value how the Guild has created a community where ideas are freely exchanged to strengthen the industry. It would be an honor to serve on the Board of Directors and contribute my time, skills, and passion to the community that has given me so much. I hope to strengthen the Guild through connection, educational opportunities, and pathways supporting the next generation of professionals. At this point in my career, I can give back through the perspective, connections, and experience I have gained throughout my career.

Thank you to all five candidates for their willingness to serve, and thank you to our members for staying engaged in the Guild's leadership.

This townhall will be recorded and available for future viewing. 

Craft • Culture • Careers • Community