Annual Member Voting

Candidate Summary:

Serena Blach

My name is Serena Blach and I have lived in the Issaquah/Fall City area for over 33 years. My husband and I raised our three children here. I have a great appreciation for farming/ranching and animal husbandry, being raised on an equine breeding farm and obtaining a degree in Animal Science from Colorado State University.
I started a business conducting focus groups and mock trials and enjoyed this line of work for 26 years. In addition, it has always been important to me to stay involved in community activities and in volunteering for both public and private organizations throughout the years. I am honored to have the opportunity to serve my community, and I will do my best to honor the position.

Jay Hirst

I grew up on a ranch in the Okanogan Valley and come from a multi -generation of ranchers. Currently my wife and I have a small farm in the Preston area where we raise Llamas, Alpacas, and sheep. We have lived in the in Preston for 15 years moving from Northern Virgina after 10 years.

I am currently the President of Operation for a non-profit working with adults with developmental disabilities, before that I spent 30 plus year as a teacher, principal, and director of special services in public schools. Before I started in education I worked as a wildland firefighter for nearly 10 years and in between have been a silent owner of a bar and grill in Renton.

Being a Grange member for 14 + years I have seen the growth and I am excited to be a member of the board to assist in the continued growth.

Tom Zistatsis

Tom has been married to Samantha for 31 years and we enjoy 9 beautiful acres on Tiger Mountain. Our 3-stall horse barn has held until recently horses for our daughters and their 4H Equine activities. We also raise chickens, have edible and ornamental gardens, and cats. Samantha has taught classes on starting chicks, setting up garden, and preserving the harvest.
Both our daughters competed in 4-H, graduated from college and are now married, starting gardens of their own. With a little more time on my hands, I decided to investigate joining the board so I could give back to the store that has been a big part of our family. We have been members for at least 20 years and love what Grange Supply offers for our community.
I’ve worked in the industrial manufacturing sector for over 30 years, starting on the shop floor and working my way up to senior leadership positions focused on Supply Chain & Operations Management leading teams of up to 60 people. I’ve been heavily involved with Inventory and Warehouse Management, focusing on process improvement and training team members how to identify waste (opportunities for improvement) in their area of influence