Board of Directors

DNF CO-OP Board of Directors

The Durango Natural Foods Board of Directors is elected by the owners from amongst themselves. Each board member brings a variety of professional and personal interests and experiences to the group, forging a Board of Directors committed to fulfilling DNF’s mission, maintaining its quality and financial stability, and providing strategic planning for its future.

Your Board of Directors

Sheryl McGourty| President| Term Ends 2027

Having owned a small business in Durango for the past 15 years, I have learned how important and fulfilling it is to maintain relationships. When we know one another, we are more inclined to be of service and to offer empathy. I intend to be of service to DNF members, staff, and my fellow colleagues on the board.

My vocations have centered around pushing my edges and deepening connections as an outdoor guide and educator for teens, licensed teacher in the state of Colorado, and working for decades in a variety of settings and states with people of all ages, needs, and abilities. These diverse experiences have allowed me to interface with a myriad of people while developing greater interpersonal skills. I intend to utilize these skills to make meaningful contributions towards optimal board cohesion and effectiveness.

My favorite place to be is in wild places, feeling free, alive, and healthy. I have always been interested in health and wellness through foods, herbs, movement practices, alternative healing, and maintaining a rich spiritual life. I am proud to be a part of Durango’s very own touchstone of health, Durango Natural Foods.

Outside of running a yoga studio (Yogadurango) and maintaining a private Ayurveda practice, I presently enjoy trying to get my teenage son to hang out with me, playing music around town in an acoustic duo, being home with my dogs, plants, and trees and on adventures both solo and with beloveds.

Weston Medlock | Vice President| Term Ends 2026

My degree in Sustainable Development has allowed me to dissect the many theories of sustainability and develop a multifaceted approach to social equity, environmental conservation, and localized economics. I recognize the urgency to restore local agriculture and promote democratic food systems that will foster a healthy community. With my experience in community organizing and former president of a nonprofit, I hope to empower the local food community of Durango, seek strategic partnerships, and loyally serve the members of the DNF cooperative.

Ryan Lazo| Board Member | Term Ends 2026

My name is Ryan Lazo, and I moved back to Durango with my family in the fall of 2021. I am excited to be on the DNF board because I enjoy being involved in the community and care deeply about the mission of the Co-op. With over ten years of nonprofit and board experience, I am confident I will make a good addition to the DNF board. In recent years, my volunteer experience has centered around serving organizations in the food realm. Before moving to Durango, I served as a Commissioner for the City of Moscow, Idaho’s Farmers Market, a board member for the Council on Aging and Human Services (COAHS), an active member of both the Palouse-Clearwater Food Coalition and Whitman County Food Coalition, and a member of the Moscow Food Co-op’s Sustainability Committee. This experience as a committed volunteer on several boards will help guide me . For example, the DNF board hires and evaluates the GM. I have experience evaluating and hiring staff in my professional career and volunteer board experience. Additionally, the DNF board of directors must help guide the GM on addressing deferred maintenance. While on the COAHS board, we ensured regular building upkeep and oversaw numerous building upgrades. Last, I will make a good board member because I have a history of helping build strong relationships between people and organizations.

Danny Kurzendoerfer| Board Member | Term Ends 2027

Hey there, I'm Daniel, and I'm thrilled to be serving as a board member here at Durango Natural Foods! By day, I'm a Project Manager & Finance Software Implementation Consultant at Huron Consulting Group. My journey started at Indiana University, where I earned a Finance B.S. from the Kelley School of Business and dabbled in Healthcare Management & Policy at the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. At Huron, I've had the privilege of managing projects, forecasting budgets, and creating dashboards for Oracle implementations, totaling over $4M+ in revenue. Before that, I cut my teeth at AbbVie, Inc., where I tackled financial forecasting for budgets ranging from $60M to $1.3B. Now, as a member of this amazing board, I'm all about driving growth and engagement in our community. I'm passionate about expanding owner membership, especially among college students, and I'm keen on improving how we communicate the sourcing of our local products. Excited to roll up my sleeves and make a difference at our favorite local grocery store.

Lauren Czaplicki| Board Member| Term Ends 2028

The DNF members should choose me to represent them because of my creativity, networking skills, and experience in environmental sustainability. I want to be on the DNF Board to support local foods and encourage food sovereignty in our local economy. I have a doctorate in Environmental Engineering and teach sustainability, so I know that local foods will be a large part of the answer as we move forward adapting to and mitigating climate change. My creativity allows me to bring fun ideas to decisionmakers for programs to build community, improve affordability, and broaden access to our local foods. My vision for the co-op is to increase membership because I feel that it’d be wonderful to have the majority of Durango eating local foods. I see a future where the Co-op has a community built around it, where we have programs that encourage relationship building within our membership. These programs could center around minimizing food waste, starting a seed library, and expanding the newsletter with seasonal cooking tips and tricks. I also plan to bring my extensive network from building my business to fill in any gaps in support of new opportunities for DNF.

Tomas German-Palacios| Board Member | Term Ends 2028

As a National Board Certified Functional Medicine Health Coach with extensive experience in community health initiatives, I believe I am uniquely positioned to represent DNF Owners effectively. My background combines business acumen in Business Management with specialized health coaching certifications.

My professional experience demonstrates my ability to drive meaningful change in food systems and community health. As an active community member in Durango for over 20 years I am well equipped with valuable insights into nutrition, business management and community engagement.

If selected for the Board, I would advocate for DNF to focus on:

1. Expanding access to whole foods and minimally processed foods that promote health and longevity

2. Prioritizing foods made with healthy fats (olive oil, butter, coconut oil, avocado oil, tallow)

3. Enhancing member education through seasonal recipe ideas and nutrition information

4. Strengthening community partnerships to improve local food accessibility

5. Implementing sustainable business practices that ensure long-term cooperative viability

My experience building several local enterprises and serving on multiple boards has honed my skills in strategic planning, financial oversight, and collaborative decision-making.

I create supportive environments that empower others to build consistent, healthy habits in self. As a DNF Board member, I would bring this same approach to serve our owners and broader community with integrity, innovation, and a heart-centered focus on our collective wellbeing.

Jackson Hart| Board Member| Term Ends 2028

I am an agri-food system development specialist with over a decade of experience in nonprofit management, fund development, and sustainable agriculture development. I also have experience in agribusiness development, food sales, and agroecological sciences. I’ve worked across the US and internationally to support small-scale farmers, strengthen local food systems, improve food access, and enhance agricultural conservation.

Some recent experiences include:

Co-managing 18 conservation agriculture projects across Hawai’i; overseeing $3M annually for farmer support programs and services supporting indigenous and marginalized producers.
Steering committee member for a $5M program to improve Native Hawaiian producers' access to land, capital, and markets.
Designing a 256-acre farmers cooperative for refugee farm owners.
Developing sales pipelines between immigrant-owned farms and food hubs in O’ahu.

Launching a 6-acre organic farm and agribusiness training center in Nepal.

As a DNF board member, I’d bring expertise in securing and managing grants, facilitating organizational growth and strategic planning, and fostering strong community development partnerships. I’m known for building strong networks, developing strategic collaborations, and maintaining a positive and solution-oriented mindset, even in times of great challenge or uncertainty.

While I don’t presume to have all the answers, I am eager to collaborate with DNF’s board, staff, members, and partners to explore opportunities to:

Secure grant funding to upgrade and expand DNF’s infrastructure, facilities, and employee benefits.
Protect and expand affordable food access for low-income members, ensuring equitable access even if SNAP/WIC funding is reduced.
Develop financing partnerships that enable forward-contracting for local farmers, stabilizing mid-season cash flow for farmers.
Explore e-commerce, collective procurement, and new funding streams to grow the co-op’s economies of scale and improve profitability–without raising prices.

I’m passionate about strengthening our local food system, while ensuring DNF remains a thriving, inclusive hub for the community. I’d be honored to serve on DNF’s board.

DNF Board of Directors Mission Statement

The Durango Natural Foods Co-op board democratically and cooperatively serves as the voice of our member-owners, working together in accordance with the Bylaws and Policy Governance to ensure the present health of the Co-op, while honoring its past and envisioning its future as a food and community hub.

Co-op Students!

Community-Owned Since 1974
FRESH • LOCAL • ORGANIC
Produce, Groceries, Bulk & Deli

DNF CO-OP Board of Directors

“I miss DNF, the best bulk and produce in Southwest Colorado!”

Nicole Guck, DNF Shopper