Oak Harbor Main Street Association

BOARD OF DIRECTORS


Gregg Lanza - President

Partner in Wildwood Farm, Wildwood Farm B&B, The Noble Horse and the Pacific Northwest Riding Academy. Worked in the High Tech Industry for 35 years in Sales, District and Regional Sales Management Roles, Masters In Marketing from Xavier University. Why Mainstreet: To develop Historic Downtown Oak Harbor to a thriving, Economic Success through the development and Upgrades of its historic buildings, encouraging the beautiful water front integration with historic downtown, and driving the development of essential services and businesses to make Oak Harbor, Historic Waterfront Community a success.

Kristi Jensen - Vice-President

As a long-time Whidbey Island resident, Kristi has been an active member of Oak Harbor's ever-growing community for many years. She is a downtown property owner as well as the owner of Purple Moon since 2008. In addition, Kristi has been a Real Estate Broker for over 25 years selling residential and commercial property. She lives in and cares about our community.

Melissa McCumber - Treasurer

I am a northwest native and have lived in Oak Harbor for 40 years. I have worked for Whidbey Island Bank for 25 years and have been the branch manager for 8 years. The Oak Harbor Main Street Association holds a special place in my heart since I have been part of this community for the past 40 years. I believe in giving back to the community we live in and what better way, then to support the mission of our Main Street which is to actively promote a vibrant, historic waterfront community

Natalia Talo - Secretary

Natalia Talo is the owner of a local State Farm agency serving Oak Harbor and the surrounding communities. Since opening her agency in 2019, she has been committed to helping individuals, families, and small businesses protect what matters most while building meaningful relationships throughout the community.

As a State Farm agent, Natalia embraces the company’s “Good Neighbor” philosophy, which aligns closely with the mission of Oak Harbor Main Street. She believes strong communities are built through connection, service, collaboration, and support for local businesses. Her passion for community engagement extends beyond her profession and is reflected in her volunteer leadership and dedication to initiatives that strengthen downtown Oak Harbor.

As Secretary of the Oak Harbor Main Street Board of Directors, Natalia is honored to contribute her time, experience, and enthusiasm to preserving and enhancing the vibrancy of downtown, helping create a welcoming place where businesses, residents, and visitors can thrive together.

Kathryn Muniz

Kathryn Muniz owns The Tipsy Jellyfish. Kathryn has lived in Oak Harbor since 2016. Prior to her move to Oak Harbor, she was a volunteered for 5 years as a team leader with the Leukemia Lymphoma Society helping organize fund raising events. She also served as a manager for several businesses. Kathryn has been in the Wine & Beer industry since 2006. She is a wine specialist and holds a level one of The Court of Master Sommeliers. She and her husband moved here from San Jose, California to be closer to their daughter and family stationed here with the Navy. After moving here, she helped care for her grandchildren for a couple years and then became a school bus driver in 2018. In 2021, Kathryn heard that the Wine Terrace was going to be for sale and she became interested in having her own business in that location. Kathryn feels she would bring a fresh perspective to the board

Heather Carder

I was born in Tacoma, Washington and attended grade school in Fife as well as Federal Way, and graduated from Fife High School. I started drawing and writing when I was still in elementary school and published my first book of poetry when I was 11; I received multiple art and creative writing awards throughout my early years, and 5 scholarships in my senior year of high school to continue my creative pursuits. I attended Western Washington University with the goal business and visual communications, but completed my AA degree at the Art Institute of Seattle in fashion design and retail marketing. Through this school I was given a solo show in New York City (SOHO) for my pen & ink drawings and met influential art critics and curators during my stay. However, I began my actual career working in the high-tech field for a company called Penstock based in California as a customer support person and then a sales engineer in the board-level design for RF and Microwave products. Penstock was eventually purchased by Avnet, a large company based in Arizona and I continued working for them for 10 years in a sales engineer capacity. I was responsible for many large customers and creating in-house stores for the component needs of the engineers, and was involved in board design and productivity evaluations as well as establishing relationships with purchasing, IT and high-level officers such as COO and CEOs. With further acquisitions and mergers, I left the high-tech field and turned my skills to creating my own business with the purchase of a horse farm on Whidbey Island with my partner, Gregg Lanza, where I began creating a successful breeding and marketing program; established a tour of clinics from instructors all over the world; went into partnership with a German saddle maker (Stubben) and opened the first west-coast showroom in a converted 20-stall barn on the farm property called Noble Horse Saddlery; created the Pacific NW Riding Academy who now instructs over 90 students per month; created a successful boarding program for horse owners; expanded Noble Horse Saddlery to include Noble Horse Gallery which was located in Pioneer Square, Seattle, for 5 years and in downtown Oak Harbor on Pioneer Way for 3 years; helped design Wildwood Farm B&B and created a marketing program with themed rooms and direct marketing campaigns; reinvented my retail store by creating several on-line stores and social media presence with the emphasis on Vintage Equestrian and Streetsmart equestrian style.

Megan Wise

Megan Wise has been a banker and commercial loan officer at Whidbey Island Bank for over 25 years working with business owners from many types of industries. She has served on the board of directors for the Economic Development Council for Island County and the Oak Harbor Chambe of Commerce and has always been involved in the Oak Harbor business community. Currently Megan serves on the board and as treasurer of the Whidbey Health Foundation. She is past board member of the following organizations: Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Island County, Skagit Vallery College Foundation, North Whidbey Sunrise Rotary Foundation, Oak Harbor Playhouse. She has learned from working with businesses that owning a business is hard work. It requires long hours and taking risks with no guarantees of what the next year will bring. She brings a unique perspective and experiences to the Oak Harbor Main Street Association board and looks forward to working with others to support and help revitalize our beautiful downtown business district.

Ameina Qazi

My name is Ameina; and I founded Wild Ophelia’s a decade ago, starting from my home with the aspiration of establishing a brick-and-mortar women’s fashion store. Within a year, that dream became a reality, thanks in large part to the support of the Main Street Association, which has been instrumental in nurturing my vision. I am committed to supporting our community and all things downtown, so that small businesses like ours can thrive together.

Aaron Wiley

I have been a small business owner on Whidbey Island for 19 years and have proudly called Whidbey home since 2004. I am the owner of Seaside Spa & Salon, a business I built from the ground up while raising my daughter here as a single mother. Like many of you, I know firsthand that building a business is not unlike raising children… full of ups and downs, challenges and rewards. And just as the saying goes, it truly takes a village. I believe our downtown thrives best when business owners support, encourage, and grow alongside one another.

My background is rooted in the arts, with a Bachelor’s degree in Interior Design & Architecture from The Art Institute of Seattle. Creativity, vision, and thoughtful planning have guided both my business journey and my passion for community development. Over the years, I have been an active member of the Coupeville Historic Waterfront Association for more than a decade, as well as a committed Chamber member, always valuing collaboration, shared problem-solving, and collective growth.

Beyond my business involvement, I am also an active member of Soroptimist International of Coupeville, where I serve as Chairperson for the Live Your Dream Award. This is our organization’s flagship financial award, supporting women who are continuing their education while overcoming personal and economic challenges. Empowering others, especially women and small business owners, has always been close to my heart.

Patty Cohen
Downtown has always represented the heart and soul of a community, and I believe Oak Harbor is no exception. A healthy, vibrant downtown creates a true sense of place — one that draws people in and brings them together. I see a real opportunity to strengthen our sense of community cohesiveness, and I’m eager to help do that work.

I believe strongly in fostering innovation and collaboration between shopkeepers, landowners, and policymakers, and in developing economically viable reasons for people to seek out, use, and frequent our downtown. There is work to be done, and I’m excited about the possibilities ahead. I also deeply appreciate Main Street’s continued focus on preserving Oak Harbor’s heritage — we are the ones who get to tell that story, and it matters.

I often think about our relationship with the waterfront and our identity as a Navy town. How do we reconnect with the water? What comes to mind when someone says, “We’re a Navy town”? Personally, I see that identity as one of our superpowers — we simply haven’t fully built upon it yet. I’d love to be part of the conversation that helps move our downtown forward and positions it as the next great destination.
Shelly Etherington
I am a dedicated and community-minded Branch Manager who leads with heart, integrity, and a genuine commitment to helping others thrive. I am known for my steady leadership and approachable style, and I foster an environment where both customers and team members feel supported, valued and empowered.

I have a passion for building meaningful relationships and take pride in creating connections that extend beyond banking--supporting local families, strengthening community partnerships, and mentoring my team as they grow their careers. My ability to bring people together, solve problems with empathy, and inspire confidence has made me a trusted leader and a positive force in my organization.

When I am not in the branch, I enjoy spending time in the community I call home, finding simple joys in everyday moments, and giving back whenever I can. I am guided by my belief that kindness, consistency and a genuine smile can change someone's day--and often, their path.
Kristi Uhles
Kristi was born in Kirkland, Washington. She spent her early years traveling the world, living in the PNW, SE, SW, and The Netherlands before settling on Whidbey Island in 2021.  Most of Kristi’s education focused on Early Childhood Education, in addition to English, Philosophy, Psychology, Health & Nutrition, and Business Management.

She is a Master Leatherworker with over 20,000 hours of dedicated leatherworking experience. In addition to leatherworking, Kristi has been the CEO of TerraVen and its previous 3 companies, opened a Co-Operative Photography Studio and Gallery, and consulted individuals and companies on business startup and management, brand standards, and creating quantitative metrics for qualitative objectives.

Upon moving to the Island, Kristi fell in love with Oak Harbor's vibrant community and natural beauty. She opened TerraVen in 2021, where she managed the business, crafted gift and game items, and taught leatherworking. She retired from TerraVen in 2025 and is pleased to dedicate her time to Oak Harbor Mainstreet. When not volunteering for Mainstreet, Kristi can be found creating, planning, and researching. She loves reading, painting, writing, quilting and playing turn-based strategy games.  
Oak Harbor Main Street Association (OHMSA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.  We were designated as a Washington State Main Street Community in 2016. As a nonprofit program, we are funded through memberships, sponsorships, grants, event income, donations, and the Main Street Tax Incentive Program.

Our team, consisting mostly of volunteers plus our Executive Director and Marketing Coordinator, is proud of the progress that has happened over just a few short years. Community is the key to our success.OHMSA uses Washington Main Street Four Point Approach to guide our work. Our four committees Design, Outreach, Economic Vitality, and Promotions each work toward fulfilling the mission to actively promote a vibrant, historic waterfront community.