The votes are in! We have re-elected three long-serving and dedicated Board Members – Nadine Barnicle, Lynn Dunton, and Louise Vojtisek. Also, please welcome brand new Board Member, Sophie Esser Calvi! Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to vote in this election. We had a record turn-out, and are so happy that so many of you turned out to share your voice and your vote with your Co-op.
It’s election time! Please — each and every one of you — consider running for MNFC’s Board of Directors. Spring will be here before we know it (really…it will!) — and among other things, it is the time when the Middlebury Natural Food Co-op member-owners have an opportunity to participate more fully in the democratic practices and overall wellbeing of the Co-op. We invite all member-owners to consider running for open seats on the Board of Directors. The voting takes place during the month of May. Elected winners are announced at the MNFC Annual Meeting, and new board members begin their term at the June Board of Directors Meeting. There are four open seats this election season. Please see the information for potential candidates below.
Board of Directors Applications are available at the Co-op or online:
https://middlebury.coop/participate/joining-our-board/
Dear Potential Board Candidate,
Thank you for your interest in serving on the Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op’s Board of Directors. This election packet provides you with an overview of Board functions and responsibilities to help you make your decision about running for the Board. Please contact Kate Gridley (kmgridley@gmail.com) or any member of the Board for further information.
All are welcome here.
Here are our values:
MNFC member-owners, customers and the community benefit from:
Healthy Foods
A Vibrant Local Economy
Environmentally Sustainable and Energy-efficient Practices
Cooperative Democratic Ownership
And Learning About These Values
The Board of Directors is the legal representative of the member-owners of MNFC and is therefore responsible for the overall financial wellbeing of the Co-op. The Board exercises its responsibilities through its relationship with the General Manager, whom it hires and oversees. The Board is made up of 11 directors. Each term of office is three years, and terms are staggered so no more than 4 terms expire each year.
DETAILS:
Time Requirements and Responsibilities for Directors
Qualifications of Candidates
Powers and Duties
Brief Explanation of Policy Governance Model
The Board of Directors of MNFC governs using the model of Policy Governance.
The Board develops policies outlining how the Board functions; what authority is delegated to the General Manager; and the limitations within which the General Manager operates. The General Manager communicates with the Board through monthly reports. In Policy Governance, the General Manager makes all operational decisions while the Board focuses its attention on the strategic direction of the Co-op; engages with member-owners; and monitors management performance.
Compensation
In recognition of the time and commitment required to prepare for and attend meetings, required training and events, directors receive a stipend of $649/year plus a 10% discount on all purchases (except alcohol) at the coop. Committee chairs and Executive Officers receive additional stipends.
Please apply! As the MNFC handbook says: Regardless of race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, national origin or ancestry, place of birth, disability, and genetic information, you are welcome at the Co-op. Racism or discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated.
2018 Application for Candidacy for Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op Board of Directors
The election results are in, and we’re welcoming a brand new board member – Molly Anderson! Molly is a Professor of Food Studies at Middlebury College. Here’s what she had to say about why she’d like to join the Co-op Board of Directors:
I want to contribute to MNFC and participate more actively in helping it thrive. It’s a great coop now; and I’d like to help MNFC member-owners, staff and GM work through our next phase, which will make it an even stronger community center. I’m committed to keeping the coop viable, yet making it even more accessible and affordable to low-income residents.
While I’ve lived in Middlebury a bit less than 2 years, I have been working with organizations and businesses throughout New England for the past 30 years that are working to improve our food system. I think that I could bring knowledge about food system issues, resources and trends that might be useful to the Board. I’ve been a member of food coops in North Carolina, Arlington and Cambridge (Mass) and Maine, but haven’t served on their Boards. I do have considerable Board experience, however: I chaired the national Community Food Security Coalition’s board for 6 years, and served on the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project Board (Massachusetts). I also clerked the New England Earthcare Committee, a Quaker environmental group with food and environmental interests; and I serve on several Advisory Boards for food system organizations.
I’m a bridge-builder and networker through my work, and I think collaboration across different perspectives is how we solve social problems. In my experience, Boards work best when members feel their time is valued; when meetings are planned carefully; when there is good communication across the organization’s management, staff and Board; and when Board members listen to each other deeply and respect differences of opinion as they try to reach agreements or compromises. While social capital is essential for good group dynamics, it’s important to stay focused on the tasks that need to be done.
I’m on the faculty of Middlebury College as Professor of Food Studies, responsible for developing a new interdisciplinary program in food studies. I’m also a member of Food Solutions New England and the (national) Inter-Institutional Network for Food, Agriculture & Sustainability.
It’s our very local election time! Please consider running for MNFC’s Board of Directors. Spring arrives this month and with it the time when Middlebury Natural Food Co-op member-owners have an opportunity to participate more fully in the overall wellbeing of the Co-op.
We invite all member-owners to consider running for open seats on the Board of Directors. The voting takes place during the month of May. Elected winners are announced at the MNFC Annual Meeting, and new board members begin their term at the June Board of Directors Meeting. There are four open seats this election season. Please see the information for potential candidates below. Applications are due must be received by Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Board of Directors Applications are available here.
========
Open Letter to Potential Board Candidates
Thank you for your interest in serving on the Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op’s Board of Directors. The election packet provides you with an overview of Board functions and responsibilities to help you make your decision about running for the Board. Please contact Kate Gridley (kmgridley@gmail.com) or any member of the Board for further information.
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors is the legal representative of the member-owners of the Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op and thus is responsible for the overall wellbeing of the Co-op. The Board exercises its responsibilities through its relationship with the General Manager, whom it hires and monitors. It is made up of 11 directors and one non-voting staff representative. Each term of office is three years, and terms are staggered so no more than four terms expire each year. There are no term limits.
Powers and Duties
(Operations are the sole responsibility of the General Manager.)
Qualifications of Candidates
Expectations for Directors
Policy Governance
The Board of Directors of MNFC operates using the model of Policy Governance. This model of leadership results in the General Manager making all operational decisions. Rather, the Board focuses its attention on the strategic direction of the Co-op, engaging with member-owners and monitoring management performance. Policies are developed by the Board outlining how the Board functions, how authority is delegated to management, what limitations management may have and to define Ends toward which management works. Management then reports to the Board in written monitoring reports as to compliance or non-compliance with these policies.
Compensation
In recognition of the time and commitment required to prepare for and attend meetings, required trainings and events, directors receive a stipend of $ 600/year plus a 10% discount on all purchases (except alcohol) at the Co-op.
Committee chairs and Executive Officers receive additional stipends.
Applications should be submitted to Kate Gridley.
Via email:
kmgridleygmail.com
Or
Regular mail to:
Kate Gridley,
c/o Middlebury natural Foods Co-op,
1 Washington Street
Middlebury, Vermont 05753
Applications are due by Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Saturday, June 1st marked the Co-op’s 40th Annual Meeting & Celebration! We were so grateful to be joined by nearly 150 member-owners to celebrate this exciting occasion at Middlebury’s American Flatbread.
We feasted on a seemingly endless supply of mouth-watering flatbread, salad, & dessert, and sipped on local Champlain Orchards cider. We were so impressed by the crew at American Flatbread! They sure do know how to please a hungry crowd!
We said a reluctant goodbye to two wonderful members of our Board of Directors, Sheila McGrory-Klyza and Kevin Lehman. Sheila and Kevin have given such devoted and valued service to our Board over the last several years. We thank them for their leadership and know they will surely be missed.
We also welcomed two new members to the Board of Directors, Ann LaFiandra & Amanda Warren, and congratulated re-elected incumbent, RJ Adler. We look forward to having these new leaders at the helm!
We reveled in the company of friends old and new. Marjorie & Marian from Orb Weaver Farm were in attendance, and reminded us that they’ve been selling their glorious veggies and cheese at the Co-op since 1981! Wow!
As the meeting commenced, Glenn shared a Co-op year-in-review. One highlight was learning that the Co-op’s sales of local products continue to grow steadily. Thank you for making this possible by supporting the incredible local farmers and producers in our community! We’re so lucky!
Board President, Tam Stewart, talked about the challenges ahead for food co-ops across the country, as competition heats up from more traditional retailers who are responding to consumer demand for organic foods. Their buying power presents a challenge for cooperatives trying to offer competitive prices, though we’re finding creative way to address that through our Co-op Basics program and other cost-saving measures for shoppers on a tight budget.
Board Treasurer, Lynn Dunton, gave a report on the Co-op’s fiscal year and expressed confidence in the Co-op’s financial status based on our healthy debt to equity ratio. She also shared exciting news about the Co-op’s first ever patronage dividend, which will be mailed out to member-owners in the coming weeks. The Co-op had a profitable year and we’ll be able to return a healthy portion (40%) of those profits to member-owners! The remaining 60% of the claimed patronage will be retained and reinvested in the Co-op.
The final portion of the meeting was led by Architect, Andrea Kerz-Murray, of Vermont Integrated Architecture. She updated us on the latest round of potential designs for the Co-op expansion.
The highlight of the night came when a very special guest was asked to give the official motion to adjourn the meeting. It was Glenn’s lovely mother who happened to be in town for a visit!
What an exciting time for our Co-op! It’s been an incredible 40 years and we’re so grateful to this fine community for supporting us through the years! We had a fun look back at our past and an exciting peek into our future. Thanks again to everyone who came out to attend our Annual Meeting & Celebration! We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did! Cheers to another 40 years!
