John Finger
Founder, CEO
Terry Sawyer
Co-founder, VP
Building a community.
Some of us pull on grundens to go to work in the morning and some of us put on a chef’s hat. As Hog Island has grown, so has our family and the range of different jobs that we do. We are proud to have built a community of colleagues and customers, friends and neighbors, who share a passion for oysters and the lifestyle that comes with them.
Meet some of our team below!
Brad Fletcher
VP of Farm Operations
Brad Fletcher
Here are a few things you need to know about Brad:
Describe your first oyster experience? The first time I remember seeing oysters was at a family holiday party. My uncle was BBQing them. He was flipping them with a glove and my cousins and I were watching them pop open.
If Brad were a fruit or a vegetable he’d be an avocado because it is fun to say and guacamole is delicious.
Did you know? Brad is a huge science fiction fan.
Cass Fegan
VP of Restaurant Operations
Cass Fegan
Here’s a few things you need to know about Cass:
The first time he ate an oyster he was 21 yrs old, at the Grand Central Oyster Bar in mid-town Manhattan, “with a room full of $1000 suits, gin martinis, shellfish platters, and the smell of Capitalism in the air. That’s when I realized eating oysters was a social experience, not just a meal.”
Kumomotos were his first love.
Cass played and coached professional baseball in Europe.
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Cat Cowles
Head Hogs Exec Asst., Shareholder Relations & Oyster Fairy
Cat Cowles
Here are a few fun things you need to know about Cat:
Her first oyster experience: In the late ’80s, I had just moved into the house across the street and south of Tony’s Seafood in Marshall. For our celebratory first dinner we, of course, went there with friends. I had been going to Tony’s with my family since I was a little girl but none of the kids EVER ate the oysters! That night, I had my first bbq’d oyster and with my first bite, I bit into a good-sized pearl! I had that pearl made into an earring and have it to this day.
What’s your favorite oyster? Ours, of course! And I’m a fool for our Atlantics!
Fun fact about Cat: In the ’90s I had an art car — a 1967 Valiant covered in old doll heads — entitled, “Dolls In The Hood”. In time, many of the doll heads became partially covered with black West Marin mildew and often scared little girls. It also frightened drivers when you came up behind them too quickly. John Carpenter was filming “Village of the Damned” in Point Reyes Station, saw my car and had his people take pictures of it. He then attempted to recreate Dolls In The Hood for his next flop of a film, “Escape From LA” — I tried to sue him. Eventually, the car couldn’t pass a smog test so, sadly, I had to decapitate her and donate the car. Part of my retirement plan is to resurrect that car and if you’re still around, I’ll take you for a ride in it — it’s quite an experience!
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Casey Spindler
General Manager, The Boat Oyster Bar
Dave Tohill
Maintenance and Facilities General Manager
Ethan Thompson
Regional Director of Restaurant Operations
Ethan Thompson
Here are a few things you need to know about Ethan:
The first time I remember enjoying oysters was at a family brunch at Salty’s on the Columbia River in Portland, OR when I was about 18. I probably ate like 11 or 12 of them along with a ton of horseradish, lemon and plenty of cocktail sauce… I know better now though.
Favorite Oyster? Other than the Hog Island Sweetwater, I would have to say the Hog Island Atlantic is up at the top of the list. Amazing brine and clean finish, easy to shuck and the texture is like velvet. SO AWESOME! Favorite non-Hog oyster would probably be the Chelsea Gems during the fall; nice brine, clean sweet finish and just a hint of mineral.
A photograph of my ear is in a late 1980’s medical journal. I have a preauricular sinus, fancy term for a dent in my ear, that was included in the journal. So yeah, my ear is super famous.
Gary Fleener
Senior Director of Science and Policy
Gary Fleener
Senior Director of Science and Policy
Genaro Vazquez De Jesus
General Manager, Hog Island Oyster Bar Napa
Genaro Vazquez De Jesus
General Manager, Hog Island Oyster Bar Napa
Henry Thrift-Pham
Executive Chef, Hog Island San Francisco
Jamie Burgess
Executive Chef, Hog Island Oyster Farm
John Wolohan
Manager, Hog Island Traveling Oyster Bars
Jose Romo
Executive Chef, Hog Island Napa
Jose Romo
Here are a few things you need to know about Jose:
Jose’s first oyster experience: My first oyster experience was getting a bushel from Johnsons and taking them back to our house out by Drake’s Beach, I must have been 8. My pop grilled them up and we put lime and Tapatio. Been a fan ever since.
My favorite oysters are Hog island Atlantics/Sweets, HAMA HAMA, Chelsea Gems, Humboldt Kumis, Kusshi, Dukes of Topsail Sound, Rappahonicks, Pacific Golds, and Olympias.
Jose has cooked, shucked and eaten more than a million oysters. In the shucking world, he goes by Sir JShucks A lot the oyster slayer.
Juan Avellaneda
Hatchery Manager
Juan Avellaneda
Here are a few things you need to know about Juan:
Juan’s First Oyster Experience: Must have been in either San Felipe or Ensenada with my family when I was between 6 to 8 years old. We would visit annually and go to the seafood restaurants there. I’m pretty sure oysters were involved with tabasco and lime. My absolute favorite though is a Campechana!
Favorite oyster: I really like the shape and taste of a good Kumamoto oyster.
Juan used to refurbish vintage surfboards, surf them, and then sell them for a surf repair/retail company in San Diego.
Justin Mojonnier
Director of Science + Technology
Khephra Molloy
General Manager, Hog Island Larkspur
Laure Abourachid
Regional Director of Restaurant Operations
Lucas Sawyer
Nursery and Maintenance General Manager
Lucas Sawyer
Here are a few things you need to know about Lucas:
His first oyster experience was at Hog Island at the tender age of 4, “I wasn’t able to handle the texture, and spit it out. I have since changed my opinion”.
His favorite oyster: My favorite oyster is a Sweetwater, in the fall season, right out of the bay, with nothing added.
Did you know? Lucas has an irrational fear of changing the ink cartridges in printers and he was once run over by a truck, without breaking any bones.
Marc Ninyo
General Manager, Hog Island San Francisco
Matt Weinberger
General Manager, Tony’s Seafood Restaurant
Mike Mathews
Director of Finance and Accounting
Saul Ranella
Beverage Director
Saul Ranella
Here’s a few things you need to know about Saul:
His first experience with oysters was actually in a ceviche in Lima Peru.
When asked what his favorite oyster was, he responded: “My favorite oyster is the Hog Island Sweetwater, duh. I think I’m contractually obligated to say that.”
He’s traveled to work on a skateboard of one kind or another for pretty much his entire life.
Terry Sawyer
Founding Partner, VP
Terry Sawyer
Here are a few things you should know about Terry:
When he was 6 years old, his father tried to get him to eat an ‘American’ oyster (Atlantic) from a friend’s lease on the Indian River in Florida. It was big and grey and he wanted nothing to do with it, especially since it had an oyster crab in the shell with it. The first time he ended up eating an oyster, he was 22 at an oyster bar he was working at in Santa Cruz with John Finger and another friend. It was a Pacific and was light, crisp and delicious.
Terry’s favorite oyster is an Olympia.
He likes to fly in small airplanes (and actually pilot them).
Zane Finger
Director of Maintenance, Projects and Construction
Shuck yes! We are hiring.
Hog Island Oyster Co. is a community of friends and family, farmers and chefs, customers and neighbors. Together, we strive to cultivate a great farm to plate experience. We help and take care of each other, our customers, our communities and our planet, and we have FUN doing it.
