Why are you interested in running for this board?

Our co-op has undertaken significant change during a very challenging time. I am excited about our future possibilities as Rivers Co-op Markets, and I want to use the skills I developed working with co-ops, to help guide our co-op as it settles into its “new” 4-store configuration.

Please describe your experience in one or more of these areas: Board Governance, Long-term and Strategic Planning, Leadership or Supervisory experience, Diversity and Inclusivity, Creativity and Imaginative Thinking, and Financial Experience.

I have more than 40 years of cooperative management and leadership experience. I served as General Manager of 3 co-ops; first at the Wedge, then at Seward and from 1998 to 2020, at Mississippi Market. During that time, I oversaw a number of store remodels and the construction of 3 new stores. As our cooperative businesses grew, I was able to grow and develop as a leader. I was fortunate to have great teams, and I took seriously my responsibility to provide opportunities for them. The success of our co-op is the result of the hard work of many people. My role as leader was to help create an environment where all could thrive and contribute.

I have significant experience serving on Boards of Directors, as well as reporting to them. From 1979 through 2016 I served on the board at each of the 3 major warehouses that served the natural foods co-op sector, as well as serving as a director for a number of related non-profits and foundations. I currently serve on the board of Midwest Food Connection, a non-profit that works to educate elementary school children about healthy foods. Since my 2020 retirement, I remain active in the co-op by serving as a volunteer on the board’s finance committee. I have truly enjoyed the opportunity to stay in touch with how the co-op is performing.

I am very familiar with Policy Governance, and during my tenure at Mississippi Market worked with the board to ensure we had a robust system. I have a clear understanding of the role of the board.

Please describe how you would contribute to the diversity, equity and inclusivity of the board.

To be effective, diversity, equity and inclusion efforts need to be incorporated into our business strategy. As a member of the board, I would work to help us remain clear on our strategy, and I would support management’s efforts to ensure we have an organization where members, vendors and staff feel valued, respected and integrated into our culture and operations. I would also continue to educate myself in order to contribute effectively to our efforts to serve our entire community.

In your opinion, what is the role of the co-op in the community?

Our cooperative has an important role to play in our community. We are an economic engine, as well as a creator of social capital. We hire people from our community and strive to provide a good workplace, where they can make a living and develop their skills. We have played an important role with other area co-ops to create a sustainable food system supporting many local producers and other local businesses. I find it quite marvelous to be a part of a business owned by 25,000 community members that keeps the dollars circulating in our community.

And of course, we do all of this while providing a source for great food!

Why are you interested in running for this board?

I believe in the power of co-ops. I grew up in Stillwater where I would go to the co-op every week and it had a lasting effect through my life. This was back when it was on top of the hill and there was also a "babysitters co-op" that my parents were a part of that was grassroots organizing at its finest, a bunch of parents working together to trade babysitting vouchers with each other and fill a need in the community, this is what co-ops do best. I want to be a part of the sustainability of our communities resources while contributing to wholesome, healthy, and local food and products in our community!

Please describe your experience in one or more of these areas: Board Governance, Long-term and Strategic Planning, Leadership or Supervisory experience, Diversity and Inclusivity, Creativity and Imaginative Thinking, and Financial Experience.

I am on a few boards right now: one for a local historic building in downtown Stillwater, another for a local community organization and another for a national organization working to prevent domestic violence. I have an MBA and have extensive schooling and experience in long-term strategic planning. I have also led some non-profit workgroups in this area. I am also a leader in my community and Managing Attorney at an organization called Tubman where I am a part of our Racial Justice Collective. I think that my creativity and imagination have gotten me to where I am today because I am willing to dream, learn, and fail, and through that process I grow. My financial experience is two-fold, my MBA where I took accounting, economics, and other financial courses as well as my financial work as past President of the Washington County Bar Association and Secretary of another organization.

Please describe how you would contribute to the diversity, equity and inclusivity of the board.

I understand that contributing to DEI means constant learning and working on myself, sometimes lifting up voices over my own, and making room for people who aren't me in spaces I am in. I carry a broad spectrum of experiences with me and have my own diverse perspectives. I also understand that I am not a BIPOC individual and that carries many implications with it, I can't change that, but I can be a part of the solution and I hope to be a co-conspirator in that space.

In your opinion, what is the role of the co-op in the community?

Co-ops serve the role of meeting specific needs of like-minded people coming together through shared values to better their community. The very model of profits being reinvested in the business and the people who sustain the business strengthens our communities. The idea that as one I can make a small difference, but as many we can make a compounding difference is the role of the co-op. Being a part of a sustainable practice for now and the future is what I want to be a part of.

Why are you interested in running for this board?

I want to use the strategic leadership expertise I gained during previous co-op board membership to help guide the co-op’s new long-term vision, ensure strong governance, and positively impact the communities and markets we serve. My board-member experience spanned a period of growth from one store to four — experience which fits well with the co-op’s need for fiduciary oversight, regulation, and accountability of the CEO and management team. Democratic ownership, community representation and continuous growth are key to the success of our new Rivers Co-op Markets. As a 25-year resident of Saint Paul’s Selby-Dale neighborhood, I have witnessed firsthand the positive impact the co-op has had as a purveyor of locally sourced, healthful food.

Please describe your experience in one or more of these areas: Board Governance, Long-term and Strategic Planning, Leadership or Supervisory experience, Diversity and Inclusivity, Creativity and Imaginative Thinking, and Financial Experience.

I have 10 years of board governance experience gained by serving on the board of the Mississippi Market Co-op. During my tenure from 2009–2015, I served as secretary, vice president, president, and an integral member of the finance committee.

I was board president during construction of the East 7th Street store. Using New Market Tax Credits to fund the construction required completion of the project on time—an obligation we fulfilled. Strategic planning, leadership and creative thinking go hand-in-hand with the entire East 7th project and all of my successful board service.

During my term from 2021—2025 I served on the DEI committee and am proud to have been a board member when we held firm on our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion commitment in the face of state and national political pressure to eliminate any DEI efforts. If elected, I pledge to maintain that type of solidarity and help meet our goal of a more just and equitable food system.

In the Minnesota State College System, I held numerous leadership and supervisory positions. Details are included in my resume. At present, I am a non-voting member of the current Rivers Co-op Markets finance committee.

Please describe how you would contribute to the diversity, equity and inclusivity of the board.

Our co-op’s success depends on the diverse community it serves. Our community includes potential board members who reflect that diversity, and I am committed to advancing our DEI goals by actively creating a diverse board membership. I want to ensure that all our neighbors feel represented, respected and welcomed in our space. Membership on the co-op board is my way of ensuring we live up to the cooperative principles of inclusion and solidarity.

In your opinion, what is the role of the co-op in the community?

A well-run food co-op is unique among a community’s food sources. A member-owned grocery store is designed to provide products sourced both locally and from a distance, and to sustain the needs of both members and non-members for healthful food and meaningful job opportunities, and growers of organic food and other sustainably produced products with a consistent market. Member owners are co-op shareholders; co-op profits are reinvested in the store and the communities served, benefiting customers, producers, and community members. I am extremely proud of the co-op's Positive Change program, prioritizing St. Paul-based nonprofits is evidence of concern for community and support.