Gary Mayer, President & Chief Operating Officer
Gary was in senior management at Ciba-Geigy Pharmacueticals for over 10 years. He also held management positions at MCI Telecommunications and Nextel Corporation in Sales and Customer Service. Gary has served as Chairman of the Westonka Public Schools and has enjoyed his work with the International Special Olympics.
Gary’s Vision: To make nutrition simple to understand and affordable to all.
Robert Nemer, Chief Marketing Officer
Bob has held senior management positions at MCI Telecommunications and Win Star Wireless Communications with responsibilities in site selection, lease agreements, implementation, management and training of national sales staff. Bob holds a Master’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of Minnesota and remains active in the art world as a painter.
Bob’s Vision: To make nutrition a fundamental right rather than a luxury only the privileged can afford.
Sharlene Romero, Vice-President Operations / Finance
Sharlene has held several sales and marketing positions with RBC Dain Rauscher. In 1998, Sharlene was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) which led her on an amazing journey into the world of Alternative Medicine that has changed her life forever and in part was the inspiration for Nurish™ years later. Recently, Sharlene stepped down as Chair of the St. Louis Park Community Foundation after 6 years as one its original board members to join Nurish™. Sharlene holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from the University of Minnesota.
Sharlene’s Vision: To share my story and spread the word that nutrition (even in its simplest form) can be a powerful weapon in taking back one’s health and possibly - saving one’s life!
Barb Rosen, Vice-President – Marketing & Public Relations
Barb has had an extensive career in marketing and public relations in the Twin Cities. At Carmichael Lynch Advertising, she worked on numerous retail accounts. She then became the Director of Marketing for Sidney’s Restaurants and was responsible for all advertising, public relations and promotions for locations across the country. Her retail experience and knowledge of health and wellness brought her to the start-up of MinuteClinic which became the category leader for retail health care clinics. Barb holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Minnesota, School of Journalism & Advertising. She is currently very active in the Colon Cancer Coalition.
Barb’s Vision: To educate and simplify the message of how important good nutrition is to ones health. As a cancer survivor, my dream has been to combine my marketing expertise with my passion for health and wellness. That dream has now been realized with my work at Nurish™.
Advisory Board
Nurish™ currently relies on a team of advisers who are experts in their field of practice. It is our intent to broaden this network of advisers as we grow. Currently, our team consists of the the following individuals:
Dr. Craig Hassel – Blend Formulation & Nutrition
Craig is an Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition. Craig is widely known for his research on medicinal herbs and has spoken and written on the topic of “non-traditional benchmarks in determining the health benefits of foods” based on knowledge principles such as Chinese Medicine Theory. Craig has received numerous awards for his work and teaching including the Bush Project for Teaching Excellence, MES Dean and Director’s Distinguished Issue Team Award and the College of Human Ecology Teaching Award. Craig has offered to actively participate in various aspects of blend formulation, nutrition and refinement.
Dr. Todd Berntson – Blend Formulation & Nutrition
Todd holds a degree in Nutrition Science from the University of Minnesota, a Doctor of Chiropractic from Northwestern Health Sciences University and is currently completing a doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Argosy University. In addition to clinical practice, Todd has written more than a dozen books on health and wellness, has conducted multi-center research trials on nutritional therapies for chronic illness, and has appeared in Self Magazine, the Washington Post and the Boston Globe. Todd has offered to participate in various aspects of product development, nutrition and refinement.
Mark Newman – Blend Formulation & Flavoring (Chemist)
Mark holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry from the University of Minnesota. He is currently completing his Master of Science Degree in Food Science & Nutrition from the University of Minnesota. Mark has spoken and written on such topics as: 1) Organic Food Product Development, 2) Soy Foods A-Z and 3) The Use of Nutraceuticals to Design Functional Food Products. Mark has offered to actively participate in various aspects of blend formulation and flavoring.
John Beuerlein – Corporate Finance & Strategic Planning
John holds a Master of Science Degree from Stanford University in Palo Alto, California and a Bachelor of Science Degree with highest honors from the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. John is Chairman and the Chief Investment Officer of Marquette Asset Management. He is responsible for managing the firm’s investment research activities and Chairs the Investment Committee. He also serves as the Chief Economist of Marquette Financial Companies, Inc. (“MFC”).
Greg Lynch – Product Distribution
Greg holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Marketing from the University of St.Thomas in St. Paul, MN. In 1989, Greg launched ProMark International – a product development, sourcing, import and distribution company. ProMark International has earned a reputation for its quality work in serving the unique needs of major retail accounts such as Target along with other distributors, mass merchants, corporations, resellers and brokers alike. Greg has offered to actively participate in the development of product distribution, marketing and sales.
Glenn Auerbach – Packaging Development
Glenn holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management from Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York. Glenn has devoted most of his career to the food and beverage industry having worked for Johnson Brothers Liquor Company and presently – Nestle Professional, managing several national accounts for their Food Service Division. Glenn is the creator of an advanced, universal bottle cap designed to dispense nutritional compounds into drinking water for consumer use and global disaster relief and nutrition efforts such as the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN – World Health Organization) which has shown interest in his work. Glenn has offered to actively participate in packaging development and product distribution.
Michael H. Cohen, JD – Governmental Compliance (Legal Counsel)
Michael is nationally known for his scholarly research involving legal, regulatory, and ethical issues related to complementary and alternative medical therapies and the implications of integrating these therapies within conventional medical delivery systems. He has written numerous books on this subject and is currently Adjunct Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management at Harvard University.
