Who We Are

Our Mission

The Talent Business Alliance supports local businesses at every stage of development. We foster a thriving and equitable business environment. We offer technical assistance, networking, marketing, and advocacy to create social and economic opportunities that expand the vitality of the community of Talent.

Vision for the Future

The Talent Business Alliance envisions a healthy and livable community where residents and stakeholders are empowered to build sustainable family wealth through small business ownership and a local supportive network.

Our Story

The Talent Business Alliance (TBA) of Talent, Oregon has been active since 2005 (formerly the Talent Chamber of Commerce). After a period of volunteer inactivity due to COVID-19, a new board reactivated TBA in the spring of 2022 and is working to support the small business and nonprofit community in Talent, Oregon.

Talent lost 60% of our businesses in the Almeda Fire, and the remaining 40% (mostly small businesses) are struggling in the wake of incredible losses from the fire and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Talent Business Alliance is building connections among local business owners, supporting their access to financial aid and business grants, increasing the customer base, and providing technical assistance to support the recovery of the business community.

Strategic Plan

“El Mercadito has been a success so far and we are grateful for the sponsorship and support of Talent Business Alliance that has allowed us to fund cultural events that center Latinx and BIPOC community."

Erica Ledesma, Coalicion Fortaleza

Board of Directors

Kimber Parris, Board President

Kimber is owner / brewer of Talent’s First Brewery: Art Bop Beer Co. She has a Philosophy Degree in Business Ethics. She takes moral responsibility in business and sustainable practices very seriously as it cares first for the people and the planet.

Kimber moved to Southern Oregon in 2009 and started managing a custom jewelry and bead store on Main Street in Ashland. She spent 12 years on Main Street helping multiple businesses excel. She joined an Art Collective in Talent the week she arrived in Southern Oregon and always hoped to form a business there. Being a business owner in Talent is a dream come true!

Kimber coordinates the Art Residencies at Art Bop, is lead artist, lead gardener and co-brews with her partner/husband Dave.

She enjoys volunteering for the Talent Public Arts Committee and raising money for the local Animal Shelter, “F.O.T.A.S.”

In her free time, she is a singer/ songwriter, swimmer, and hiker. Her favorite days off are hitting the trails with her husband and two chihuahuas. Kimber looks forward to her future as board member with the TBA.

Cathy Dorris

Coming Soon

Awna Zegzdryn, Treasurer

Awna is the owner of Sweet Beet Station, a thriving breakfast/lunch restaurant in Talent, Oregon. She has lived in Southern Oregon since 1998, when she moved from Alaska to pursue her degree in Technical Writing at Southern Oregon University.

Prior to owning the restaurant, she was the owner of AZ Catering & Event Planning, and has worked with numerous non-profits in the area on large-scale events. She is dedicated to helping Talent's business community thrive and is the proud co-coordinator of the Talent Craft Crawl.

Because she always enjoys a challenge, she is also the co-owner of Black Lab Co. Soaps & Sundries, a micro-enterprise also based in Talent, Oregon. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and camping with her partner and two black labs and exploring all that Southern Oregon has to offer.

Celines Garcia

Celines Garcia [she/her] is a first-generation Xicana whose parents have contributed to maintaining the largest local economic industries in the Rogue Valley such as agriculture and forestry. She is bilingual and bicultural and graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in General Social Science with a focus in crime, law and society and two minors in legal studies and business administration.

She comes to Coalición Fortaleza with a fierce passion to lead the recovery and advocacy efforts as well as is equipped to advocate for her community and push forward our communities needs, priorities and demands.

Prior to doing community organizing, Celines served as a Social Worker for the State of Oregon and understands the intricacies of policies at the state, we know will fortify her efforts to advance our mission. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with loved ones, exploring the outdoors, and taking care of her houseplants.

Eleanor Ponomareff, Secretary

Eleanor (she/her) is currently serving her second term on the Talent City Council, and was Council President from 2021 through 2022.

She also serves on the Rogue Valley Council of Governments’ Senior Advisory Council (RVCOG-SAC), the Rogue Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization (RVMPO) Policy Committee, and the Rogue Valley Area Commission on Transportation (RVACT).

A software engineer by profession, Eleanor’s volunteer interests include environmental justice, affordable housing, and transportation solutions that support safer and healthier communities for folks of all ages and abilities. Eleanor joined the TBA board in 2022.

Meet the Team

Executive Director

Darby Ayers-Flood

Darby serves as the Executive Director for the Talent Business Alliance, and previously served on the board from 2022 - August 2024. Her passion for micro-enterprise and emerging entrepreneurship drives her interest in business and business ownership.

Darby was formerly a Regional Operations Manager for a hotel and commercial development company. Darby’s experience with business at all levels and her lived experience losing a business in the fire brings focus for the Talent Business Alliance, and helps lead TBA’s mission to provide support for economic revitalization.

Destination & Tourism Strategic Planner

Cecelia Bagnoli

Cecelia was born in Berea, Kentucky, an artsy college town nestled in the Appalachian mountains, and raised in Grinnell, Iowa, a small prairie town in the middle of rolling cornfields. Growing up in these distinct communities shaped her passion for social justice, sustainability, and community development.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies and Environmental Studies from the College of Wooster. Her commitment to advocacy led her to work on various community engagement initiatives, including her role as Community Engagement and Enhancement Coordinator, where she organized local events and strengthened community connections. She also served as a Health Coach, where she facilitated public health programs to support community wellness for low-income groups.

In the fall of 2024, Cecelia joined the RARE (Resource Assistance for Rural Environments) AmeriCorps program and currently serves as the Tourism and Destination Coordinator with Talent Business Alliance. In this role, she collaborates directly with local businesses and community stakeholders to promote sustainable tourism and foster economic growth in Bear Creek Valley.

Cecelia is dedicated to advocating for affordable housing, food security, and public transportation to create more equitable communities. She also spent six months in rural Thailand, where she studied sustainable food systems and explored much of what Thailand has to offer.

In her free time, Cecelia enjoys exploring the outdoors, traveling across and outside of the country, and spending time with loved ones.

Administrative Coordinator

Colette Pare-Miller

Colette is the Administrative Coordinator for the Talent Business Alliance and has been deeply active in its recovery efforts since the fire. Her background is in nonprofit administrative support, and in her position with TBA, she supports the business community with marketing, events, municipal process navigation, grant outreach, and grant applications support.