MCMINNVILLE, OR, September 04, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Frank R. Charles has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Marked by his unwavering commitment to operational excellence, optimizing purchasing processes and impacting his community, Mr. Charles has carved a distinguished career in procurement, supply chain management and business administration. Since 2022, he has served as the director of purchasing and administrative services at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon. In this capacity, he has drawn on his extensive experience of nearly two decades in the business sector to address the university's previously decentralized procurement model.

Upon Mr. Charles' arrival, nearly 100 independent buyers operated across the George Fox campus, creating significant challenges for both buyers and the university's finance office in tracking expenditures. Recognizing this as a common issue within higher education, he initiated a transition toward a hybrid centralized purchasing system. This approach preserves departmental autonomy while ensuring that all purchasing decisions are routed through a central department, resulting in substantial cost savings and improved efficiency for the institution.

One of Mr. Charles' most meaningful achievements at George Fox University is the positive impact these changes have had on staff well-being. He recalls an administrative assistant who, after years of feeling overwhelmed by her workload and lack of support, expressed that the new systems had made her job manageable again. For him, this direct feedback affirmed the value of his efforts to create supportive and effective administrative processes.

Prior to joining George Fox University, Mr. Charles held key roles at East West Tea Company LLC (now Yogi) in Eugene, Oregon, for two years. From 2020 to 2021, he worked as a sourcing analyst, where he was responsible for evaluating suppliers and optimizing sourcing strategies to ensure quality and cost-effectiveness. The year before that, he served as a supplier development manager, building strong supplier relationships and enhancing supply chain performance.

Before relocating to the United States, Mr. Charles spent more than a decade with Nass Foods, part of Nass Corporation in Ma'ameer, a city in Bahrain. From 2016 to 2018, he held the role of business administrator, overseeing the company's entire supply chain and managing newly opened shopping outlets with an emphasis on quality control. His initial tenure began in 2008 as a purchasing general superintendent — a role that evolved from buyer and supply chain manager to include inventory management, supplier relations and logistics oversight. During this period, he also trained as a food safety auditor and later delegated day-to-day purchasing responsibilities to focus on broader management functions.

Mr. Charles' professional journey began in Bahrain City Centre's project office in Manama in 2007, where he developed essential soft skills while working on one of the Middle East's largest shopping mall construction projects. Later that year, he transitioned to Al Jazira Group as a sales coordinator, gaining valuable exposure to import-export operations and business relationship management.

In addition to his corporate roles, Mr. Charles is the owner of Summa Brew Laude — a coffee business and passion project founded with his wife Ellie as a philanthropic venture that supports a small private school in McMinnville attended by their daughter. All profits from Summa Brew Laude are directed toward sustaining the school's operations and expanding learning opportunities for students. This project is deeply personal for him; his mother taught at a school for over four decades, with education remaining central to his family's values today.

Mr. Charles' professional accomplishments stem significantly from his international academic background. He earned a Master of Business Administration in information systems from Sikkim Manipal University in Gangtok, India, in 2011, a Bachelor of Science in mathematics and computer application from Lucknow Christian Degree College in 2006 and a diploma in mathematics and computer science from St. Francis College in 2003.

To expand his professional qualifications, Mr. Charles is certified as a lead auditor in food safety management by Kelmac Group and is currently pursuing a certificate in supply management through the Institute for Supply Management. From implementing enterprise resource planning systems at Nass Foods to leading the rollout of an e-procurement platform at George Fox University, his expertise in numbers and data-driven decision making has been pivotal throughout his career.

A guiding influence throughout Mr. Charles' career has been advice from his mentor at Nass Foods: every decision impacts not only company finances but also employees' livelihoods — especially those from financially challenged backgrounds. This principle continues to guide his approach to leadership and organizational stewardship as he strives to create a healthy working culture at both George Fox University and Summa Brew Laude.

Beyond his professional pursuits, Mr. Charles is civically engaged as a music volunteer — he sings and plays the guitar at his local church — and previously contributed to Hope Restored by assisting with community house renovations during summer projects.

A deeply devoted family man, Mr. Charles cherishes spending time with his spouse and their two children — often singing or playing musical instruments together with his daughter or engaging with his son's curiosity for learning. In the coming years, he intends to expand Summa Brew Laude into a downtown McMinnville storefront that serves as both a local gathering place and an educational hub where people can connect over coffee and shared experiences. Dedicated to fostering environments where collaboration thrives and individuals are empowered to serve others beyond themselves, he continues to make a meaningful impact on his industry and community through all he does.

About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

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