Murdock & White Sales Staff

Our great sales staff offers you decades of collective knowledge and expertise. Find out who to contact in your area...

Charlene Murdock
Principal
503-357-4992, 800-234-3688
Fax: 866-880-9917
charlene@murdockandwhite.com

Charlene has always had her hands in the dirt -- so to speak. As a child she grew up in a family of farmers and learned the value of real, farm-raised food. As part of her formal education, she spent a year in France and Spain where she gained immeasurable knowledge of European food and culture.

She began her professional career as a bibliographic librarian profiling romance language textbooks. Her passion for food eventually led her back to a small farm in Gales Creek, Oregon, where her goal was to grow, harvest and preserve everything on her family's table. It was through an association with neighboring wineries that she was introduced to several Oregon producers of specialty foods. The inspiration to take these wonderful products to market matched her own dedication to wanting to know where food for her family and friends comes from. The original connection to people through the soil has now been broadened to include products the world over.

Richard White
Principal
503-357-4992, 800-234-3688
Fax: 866-880-9917
richard@murdockandwhite.com

Richard has been in the specialty food business, officially, since retiring from a 21-year career in the US Public Health Service (assigned to the Environmental Protection Agency) in 1987. Prior to that point, Richard's food experience was heavily influenced by his mother's cooking -- wonderful recipes with the best ingredients, which included vegetables from the family's own garden. Even the government travel around the country provided a glimpse of many regional cuisines.

Perhaps the greatest influence to his career was his involvement with the Northwest Enological Society, from 1976 to 1988. In addition to expanding his knowledge of wine, he was introduced to an endless variety of gourmet foods and their preparation. Upon retiring from the Federal Government, Richard immediately jumped into the gourmet food business as a broker of several northwest food producers.

Chris Allen
Puget Sound area grocery and gift accounts, and all Alaska accounts
206-459-5661
Fax: 800-210-1798
chris@murdockandwhite.com

Chris Allen has accumulated 20 years of experience in the Food & Beverage industry from restaurant and retail management to purchasing and product development. Chris is available for employee and consumer product education, category consultation and private label development.

She enjoys gardening, cooking, wine, chocolate and collecting 19th century cookbooks. Being an avid supporter of sustainable agriculture Chris loves to eat the heirloom vegetables that come from Richard & Charlene's Portland Farm!

Ann Gruber
Eastern & S.W. Oregon, Montana & Idaho grocery and gift accounts
208-457-1222
Fax: 208-773-2555
ann@murdockandwhite.com

Annette Jackson
Eastern Washington grocery and gift accounts, and wineries in Eastern Washington & Oregon
509-735-6350, 877-755-5509
Fax: 509-735-2312, 866-725-2405
annette@murdockandwhite.com

Annette Jackson lives in Kennewick, Washington and comes to us through her involvement in the wine business. She and her husband, Darren, were very involved in the California wine industry, relocating to be a part of Washington's burgeoning wine community several years ago. Annette graduated from the University of California at Davis with a B.S. in Home Economics and Foods and Nutrition specialization.

Her career highlights include catering, restaurant management, winery hospitality coordinator and tasting room manager: before starting her own business as a sales consultant to winery tasting rooms. Having grown up in the Bay Area in CA, Annette loves to cook and dine out. Her other passions are gardening, travel and voracious reading.

Teeter McPherson
Seattle area key gift accounts
206-517-4313
Fax: 206-517-4314
teeter@murdockandwhite.com

Teeter McPherson started working in sales, buying and merchandising 30 years ago in the quiet village of Kailua-Kona, on the Big Isle of Hawaii. The lure of Hawaii and owning her own store, Tickle Pie, kept Teeter's attention until 1986. Upon returning to the Pacific Northwest, Teeter joined the Kerr family at their established interiors business, Keeg's, in the colorful world of Capital Hill. During her 5 years at Keeg's, Teeter was introduced to an up and coming master of the gourmet foods arena, Charlene Murdock. By 1991 Teeter had joined Charlene to embark upon her career at Murdock & White, and she has never turned back.

Kathy Passage
Distribution Support
206-542-4821, 877-753-9289
Fax: 866-295-1316
kathy@murdockandwhite.com

Kathy Passage has worked in the specialty foods industry for over 15 years; in Arizona and starting with Murdock & White in 1997. Her background includes manufacturing of gourmet desserts, owning a restaurant, catering, making gift baskets, giving cooking demonstrations, education and product sales. She is well versed on specialty foods and loves to support the sales of products combined with education classes for staff and consumers, demo suggestions, recipes and POP displays.

Liz Sleeper
Greater Portland, Western Oregon and Southwest Washington grocery and gift accounts
503-901-6425, 877-375-9241
Fax: 866-260-5488
liz@murdockandwhite.com

Liz Sleeper was raised in Dallas, Texas, then spent many years in Palo Alto, California, where she met her husband, Bill. She brought her extensive sales background to Portland, Oregon in 1999, attracted by Oregon's varied produce, fresh seafood, excellent wines and tasty micro-brews.

Liz and Bill love exploring the Pacific Northwest but spend most weekends entertaining at home where Liz very much enjoys tending her vegetable garden and creating new recipes. With two girls in grade school, Liz keeps very busy but thrives on the creativity involved in working with her customers in the gourmet food business.

Gina Willis
Puget Sound area grocery and gift accounts
206-459-0285, 877-621-1915
gina@murdockandwhite.com

Gina knows what it's like to work on the "front lines" of specialty food retailing; she owned and operated a successful retail store called Feast-O-Rama: Everything for A Well-Stocked Pantry, in the Washington, D.C. area before relocating to the Northwest in 2005. Gina's first-hand experience in product selection, merchandising and customer service is backed by her professional culinary training at l'Academie de Cuisine and externships in some of Washington, D.C.'s finest restaurant kitchens.

Gina entered the food business from a 20-year career in newspaper journalism. After serving as a features editor for Gannett Co. Inc., Gina entertained newspaper readers in Virginia with her lively food column, "Word of Mouth". She continues to write as a freelance food columnist based in Seattle. Gina is a passionate cook, golf nut, movie buff and dog lover.

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