Management Team
Meet The Team
As a team, the Transpacific crew prides themselves in building strong relationships with industry partners and customers, and consistently providing a fairly priced product of the highest quality.
Bob Underwood
President/CEO
As President and CEO, Bob leads Transpacific Food with integrity, innovation, and consistency. He stands out as an industry expert, thanks to his vision for developing strong relationships and understanding what it takes to offer an exceptional berry product.
Bob’s expertise was honed during his years studying agriculture at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and from over 30 years of experience in managing farms on the west coast and interacting with farmers and educators globally.
His time in the field gave Bob a familiarity with sustainable farming practices and the knowledge necessary to integrate the different vertical phases of the berry business.
David Ortman
CFO
David stepped into his role at Transpacific in 2018. He brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge in finance and says he has been privileged to lead and serve as the CFO for Transpacific Food for the past 5 years.
David has served as a financial controller and CFO for over 16 years in and throughout the Portland metro area in both restaurant and food manufacturing industries.
He firmly believes that good business starts with its people and has greatly appreciated the opportunity to help build a culture of integrity, competence and operational excellence to support the production of the highest quality products and results for our customers.
Michelle Underwood
Human Resources Director and Marketing Manager
Before joining Transpacific Food, Michelle spent 20 years working primarily in higher education. As a result, she is very familiar with staff training and recruitment and has specialized experience in developing company culture, conflict resolution, and strong interpersonal skills.
After years of supporting her husband, Bob, in the business, Michelle stepped into the role of Human Resources Director in 2017. Two years later, she expanded her responsibilities in her role as Marketing Manager.
A firm believer in “business is about the people,” Michelle works hard to develop a culture where employees feel valued, respected, and part of something bigger than themselves.
Meredith Underwood
Sales Manager
Meredith has been “grown” in the berry business and has learned from some of the most talented and experienced people in the industry. She has been a part of the sales team since 2012 and in her current role as Sales Manager, she firmly believes business is about creating relationships, which provide opportunities to build strong partnerships, not just sales.
She formed some of her favorite memories while growing up on a berry farm. From riding around with her dad, picking and sorting berries, working in the processing plant, and managing the U-Pick stand, it’s safe to say that berries are in her blood.
You can reach Meredith at: Sales@transpacificfood.com
Scott Mallett
Director of Food Safety and Quality Assurance
Scott joined the Transpacific team in 2019. He spent 20 years working in food production as a pastry chef, professor of food science and food safety, and top-quality assurance leadership positions in processing facilities. Within his role at Transpacific, he enjoys using his passion for science, food, management, and teaching to create a methodical approach to QA, all while training and inspiring those he leads.
Scott’s philosophy focuses upon teamwork, precision, efficiency, and simplicity in execution. His method of quality assurance structure and application has been adopted and implemented by several companies throughout the United States.
Adam Stutsman
Production Manager
Adam grew up in the Pacific Northwest and as one might expect enjoys fishing and golfing as some of his favorite pastimes. After pursuing a degree in Computer Science, he went on to pursue a career in food manufacturing and hasn’t looked back.
He stepped into his role as Production Manager in February of 2023 and has done a stellar job in taking our production to the next level. Adam has a very mechanical mindset and brings with him a wide range of experience from both the dairy and food manufacturing industries. His strong supervisory and management skillset has suited him well in his role at Transpacific.
Raquel Phillips
Quality Assurance Manager
Raquel joined the Transpacific team in 2022. Given her solid background in Quality Assurance, she brings with her the highest standards for food safety and quality management, as well as a wealth of expertise and experience.
She has established herself as a trusted leader within the field and demonstrates a dedication to staying at the forefront of industry standards. Her extensive certifications as they pertain to her current role, include SQF Practitioner, PCQI Certified, FDQI Certified, as well as an Environmental Monitoring Certification from ISO certified Eurofins.
Known for her strong leadership skills and ability to thrive under pressure, Raquel rises to every challenge, driving continuous improvement and delivering results. She is a natural team player and has helped to build strong relationships with her colleagues.
In her free time, Raquel loves to cook, go on vacation and spend time with her family.
Jereme Jeffries
Warehouse Manager
Jereme joined the Transpacific team in 2021. He brings with him over 15 years of experience in warehousing, trucking, lumping business, international corporations, construction, and non-profit work.
He excels in warehouse organization, staff training, freezer logistics, customer service, building relationships, inventory management, material handling and leadership.
He is particularly experienced in the areas of continual improvement, maximizing layout, strategic thinking, adaptability, teamwork, developing company culture, work ethic and being detail oriented. He is excited to be here helping impact the future success and growth at Transpacific.
When Jereme is not working, he enjoys time with his family, friends, and supporting his children in their events and activities.
Laura Tegman
Purchasing and Sales Assistant
Laura graduated from Mt. Hood Community College with an associate degree from their legal secretary program. In the years following, she worked both as a legal secretary and an office manager with various businesses. She has been a part of the Transpacific family since 2016 and has served in a variety of different roles.
Laura believes that creating an environment of trust is an essential component of mutual success. She is detail-oriented and great at follow-through, which has served her well in her current role at Transpacific and allowed her to build strong relationships with our vendors and customers.