Meet Our Staff
We all work together
Running a market isn’t easy. In fact, it’s far from it. But it’s a job worth doing and one that we can be proud of every single day. We come to work because we want to, not because we have to. Deep down, we think the real reason Dawson’s Market is a great place is because of the great people behind it. That being said, take a second to get familiar with these guys and gals:
Rick Hood – Owner / Thinker / Doer
Soft spoken and standing tall, Rick talks the talk and walks the walk. He’s involved with every aspect of the store from sustainable materials to lighting. Rick has been the keystone of the store’s mission and growth since the beginning. His attention to detail probably stems somewhere from his architectural background, which he certainly uses to better the store. And yes, he’s heard it before, but he’s not related to James Taylor.
Jack McGrath – CFO / Golf Course Destroyer
Jack joined our company in 2008. Working as an accountant for various firms, he gained extensive experience in accounting for restaurants. Because of his experience and depth of knowledge in food service, Jack is essential to the oversight of Dawson’s various prepared foods departments. In Jack’s spare time he enjoys staying organized and competitive with basketball, golf and tennis. A passionate sports fan, especially of the Boston Red Sox, Jack is also a season ticket holder for the Baltimore Ravens. He spends most of his free time at the beach and enjoys reading good books and getting fired up about live concerts, especially Bruuuuuuuce Springsteen!!
Tommy Langford – Operations & Purchasing Director / Life Saver
Where would be be without Tommy? He’s the sand between our toes and the warm breeze that keeps us moving forward. He’s no stranger here either. Tommy started with Ellwood Thompson’s, our Richmond location, in 2000 and then left to venture out into the world. In 2010, Tommy returned to Ellwood’s to lead us through our third store expansion and help to bring Dawson’s Market to Rockville. He loves well made watches, travel, good food, and free t-shirts. If you’re looking to sell your product in our store, he’s the guy to talk to.
Colin Beirne – Marketing Manager
Colin loved the Ellwood Thompson’s lifestyle so much he joined the team on his birthday in 2012 after graduating from the VCU Brandcenter. He started off managing our Community Room and now manages our Marketing Department. He is a proud native of the River City and has strong ties to the community. Colin is a self proclaimed foodie, trail runner, oyster eater, dog owner, Fan inhabitant, sailboat flipper, an expert bon-fire maker and all around lover of life.
Lauri Colbert – Human Resources
Growing up in Boston, spending summers in St. Stephen NB Canada, moving seemed natural. Since then, Lauri has lived in Worcester MA (college), Burlington VT, Aspen CO, back to Boston (grad school), Richmond VA, Portland OR, Los Angeles CA and finally landing in Richmond. Using her more formal training, she worked in mental health and was the Personnel Manager at the World Trade Center in Boston. From there it starts getting a little less “traditional.” Teaching skiing, working at a riding camp and being a “fill in” nanny for Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson in Aspen. Film and TV production and post production on the east and west coast. Director of production for a “dot com” in Portland OR, organizing spa and “in store” events for Self Magazine in LA — it was all a fun ride but she wanted to come back to Richmond. When Lauri got back she started part time as a cashier at Ellwood Thompson’s. Once she got a taste of it she knew this store was where she belonged. Lauri is proud of our mission, our products, our employees and is thrilled about the opening of Dawson’s Market. If one’s good, two’s better!
Bart Yablonsky – Store Manager
Bart is from Baltimore and began his love of great food as a teen by taking trips to DC with his father to sample the latest and greatest new restaurants. He attended college in New Orleans and continued to develop his interest there. Bart has worked in natural food store leadership in both metro DC and Atlanta. As a small business owner his interests expanded to wellness and green business design owning all-natural Day Spas in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC. Bart joins Dawson’s with many years of experience in food and passion for the environment and a healthy lifestyle. He was introduced to his wife of 12 years by one of his natural food customers in Bethesda. They live in Gaithersburg and they have a young son who has not yet developed a passion for anything but grilled cheese (organic cheese of course).
Mike Houston – Assistant Store Manager
Mike grew up in Arlington, VA and is a proud graduate of the University of Missouri’s School of Agriculture (Go Tigers!). He came to the Dawson’s family after managing a natural food store in Brooklyn, NY and gaining a passion for local and independent businesses. Mike is an avid cook, huge sports fan and can usually be heard singing and whistling his way through the aisles of Dawson’s. He is also Dawson’s keeper of food fun facts and trivia. Find him around the store to learn what university invented the honeycrisp apple or which Supreme Court ruling caused the tomato to be considered a vegetable.