It’s that time of year—your Co-op Board is looking for candidates to run for election to the Board in October 2021. Every year, three Co-op Member-Owners are elected by the full membership to fill three-year terms on the nine-member Board of Directors. Here is all you need to do:
- Be a Member-Owner in good standing.
- Complete an application and return it to the Co-op by the deadline on the application form.
- Attend a Board meeting at the invitation of the Nominating Committee to introduce yourself.
- Receive the support of the Board to place your name on the ballot.
Click here to download our Board of Directors Packet to learn more about our application process.
That’s it! You don’t need a fancy degree or a lifetime of retail grocery experience. What you do need are the following qualities: love for our co-op and a desire to see it thrive; the willingness, time, and energy to learn, prepare, and participate in board meetings and other activities; an open mind when you are challenged; and an open heart to be fully engaged in the work.
And what is “the work,” you ask? Being a Co-op Board member is basically a volunteer position in service to the Member-Owners and the community.
Each Board member is:
- Accountable to the Member-Owners for the overall performance of the cooperative.
- Accountable to each other for providing leadership, group discipline, and self-responsibility.
- Accountable to ensure general manager accountability by rigorously monitoring pre-established policy.
Board membership offers a modest stipend and lots of valuable training and experience. It takes a while to get comfortable with the work, so we hope that people stay for a second and third term. That kind of continuity strengthens the Board and ultimately the Co-op itself.
Think about it—you can run for the Board!
