Hazel Valdez

Hazel Valdez is the Executive Director of the Oregon Farmers Markets Association (OFMA). She is a nonprofit and operations executive having held various leadership positions at Literary Arts, Portland Women in Technology (PDXWIT), and the Oregon Bioscience Incubator (OBI). She was also part of the Women, Infant, and Children Program (WIC), the Farmers Market Program, and several adjacent programs for the state of Arizona. Being at OFMA is a full circle moment where her passions meet: supporting farm producers, market vendors, and food lovers across Oregon while championing fresh ingredients, expanding access to local food, and celebrating the vibrant communities that make farmers markets thrive.

Hazel studied English at UC Irvine and holds a BA in Culinary Management from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. Hazel was previously the board secretary for Saturday Academy and the competition team for McConnell's Boxing Academy as well as being on the board of Women in Science.