Isabel Montclaire
My endless curiosity led me to visit interesting places and explore many topics, but my passion has always been food. My research has taken me from studying my own garden to analyzing macroeconomic trends in agriculture.
When it comes to food, I focus on quality and simplicity. I like to dress up humble ingredients with flavor bursts to make inexpensive and delicious meals and treasure hunt for the best food resources on the planet.
I was once an avid equestrian and was inspired by the German six-step system of horse training to structure the six-steps in the Plenty Method. For thirty-five years, I was the primary subject model for professional artist Arne Westerman who painted over eighty portraits of me. As a municipal planning commissioner, my work with local farmers, citizens, and elected officials laid the foundation for the Joy of Plenty.
Charlotte Lehan
Charlotte Lehan is a Wilsonville City Councilor, former three-term Wilsonville mayor, and former Chair of the Clackamas County Commission. Much of her lifetime of public service has been focused on farmland protection, especially of Oregon’s lush Willamette Valley. She has worked with citizen groups and government officials at the local, regional, and state levels. She has degrees in Human Development and completed graduate studies in Urban Geography, as well as the University of Oregon’s Pacific Program for State, Local Government, and Nonprofit Executives.
A fourth generation descendant of Willamette Valley farmers, Charlotte has a deep affinity for the changing needs of agriculture and the importance of food security. As a public official, she has been a popular speaker on these and other topics. She has served on numerous local, regional, and statewide committees throughout the past twenty years.