Madeline Matson (she/her) was raised on the Long Beach Peninsula where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean, about 15 minutes from the place she now calls home. Her parents instilled in her a deep love of and responsibility towards community at a young age. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Oregon in Journalism and Multimedia Studies and eventually moved back home to open a small bakery and reset her roots. In 2016 she cofounded a national organization to uplift rural millennials which was where she first connected with the Center for Rural Strategies and Rural Assembly. Since then she has spent much of her career leading and supporting small nonprofits and rural organizations. In addition to serving on a variety of boards she is also an elected Public Hospital Commissioner. She enjoys building community and seeing her two kids dig for razor clams and run on the beach.
Taneum Fotheringill (she/her) takes pride in being a connector and developing positive relationships with the Rural Assembly communities across the country. Taneum is based in Washington State, where you can find her with her knitting or a book close by. Her work is informed by a lifelong interest in civics and the belief that everyone’s voice matters. She is also proud to be a volunteer advisor for the Washington YMCA Youth Legislature where she mentors teens from across the state to engage in democracy.
Joel Cohen has earned numerous awards and critical acclaim over his almost 30 years as a video producer/director/editor. His national public television experience started with a three-year run of The 90’s, a magazine style show featuring the work of independent producers from around the world. He was also the co-creator and formally the co-executive producer of the five-time Midwest Emmy-award–winning series Check, Please!, a Chicago restaurant-review series featuring “citizen-reviewers”. Check, Please! has also been produced in other cities including, San Francisco, Washington, DC, Miami, Phoenix on their local PBS station.
He has collaborated on numerous video projects with the Center for Rural Strategies across rural America, including a documentary about the recovery of rural Louisiana and Mississippi after hurricanes Rita and Katrina. With Rural Strategies he has also done video work for the Kellogg Foundation, Duke Endowment, National Rural Assembly, Rural LISC, NeighborWorks, Oprah’s Angel Network, Housing Assistance Council, and many local organizations.
Tracy Staley directs communication and marketing efforts for the Rural Assembly.
Phillip is an oral historian helping preserve the stories of everyday citizens making extraordinary contributions to United States culture and politics. His interest in immigration advocacy took root during his time studying at Bryn Mawr and Haverford College, where he participated in the student-organized Migrant Rights Coalition, and engaged with narratives of migration in his coursework. Phillip’s oral history practice relies on the principles of relational organizing, an approach which ensures ethical rigor and creative excellence in all of his collaborations with grassroots leaders.
Known by her initials, Smmo is a geographer who works with communities to develop strategies for achieving the future environs they dream of, in collaboration with the ecosystems of which they are a part. A pragmatic idealist, she believes that strong cultures of neighborliness are critical for achieving these dreams and is excited to document stories of welcoming through this fellowship. Her curiosity has taken her down many a dirt road, but these days you can find her mostly back in Colorado in the landscapes that raised her. She strives to be a good neighbor wherever she goes.
Deputy Director
Associate Director of Community
Rural Assembly Fellow
Director of Multimedia
The Rural Assembly
is a program of the
