The Board of Directors of The Food Co-op is in a period of transition. Recently three board members have ended their time with us and four new board members have joined. To ensure all of our members-owners can stay informed, we’re debuting this new update memo, with the plan to send it out quarterly. Let us know what you think!

Owen Rowe, Board President

Board of Directors: coopboard@foodcoop.coop

Departing Board Members

Board members Michael Flowers, Juri Jennings, and Cameron Jones left the board at the end of July. We send much appreciation for their service and accomplishments. All three contributed significantly to redeveloping our Ends as well as furthering our understanding of equity and inclusion. We thank them for their time and dedication to building a resilient cooperative and local food system.

While Michael and Juri’s terms ended in July, Cameron’s departure was not voluntary. He was removed by a 4 to 1 vote of the existing board of directors, following the process in our Bylaws, because of a lack of alignment with The Food Co-op’s values and board policies, including our Code of Conduct. We create clear expectations for conduct among our board and staff, and we hold ourselves accountable to them. These commitments are designed to maintain a space where everyone in our community feels welcome and respected. (Note: Three newly elected board members who were not yet seated, Logan, Rufina, and Debra, were not part of the decision process.)

In the rare instances that a board member does not support or uphold these commitments, it is difficult but important that we address the issue. The board did not make this decision lightly or in haste. We worked to find solutions and remained committed to having hard conversations with respect. We know that everyone involved experiences some level of pain and hurt at these times, and we worked to minimize that, but we must do what is in the best interests of The Food Co-op. We will learn from the experience and grow stronger.

To ensure privacy, we  do not give details when staff or board members leave. If you have general questions about The Food Co-op’s values and the board Code of Conduct, you can contact the board directly at coopboard@foodcoop.coop.

Incoming Board Members

We welcomed four new board members as of August 1st: Diana Grunow (appointed to an interim term in April and now elected to a full term), Rufina Garay, Debra Kronenberg, and Logan Henderson. These new members bring a variety of talents and experience to our board. To learn more about all The Food Co-op’s board members, see the Board of Directors page on the Co-op website.

Board Work

So far in 2024, in addition to our monthly tasks, the board has been busy. In January, with the help of the Co-op’s Marketing Department, the board brought cooperator Jon Steinman to Port Townsend. He spoke to staff and members about the importance of co-ops and cooperation and introduced the community to the practice of cooperative dialogue. We adopted a revised statement of The Food Co-op’s Ends—our overarching goals—after years of study and discussion. We also published our Annual Report and welcomed member-owners to our Annual General Meeting, where we reviewed 2023 and announced a patronage dividend to share our success with you. You can read about all about this work in recent issues of the Co-op’s newsletter, Around the Table, in the store or on the website.

The coming year looks to be just as engaging, and we have big plans ahead. We started off this month with a two-day mini-board orientation and planning session to re-commit to our values, build alignment, and begin to generate visions for the future. In the coming months, we’ll educate ourselves further on board work as well as issues important to a cooperative grocery store. We will also be reviewing and revamping our board committees, and we’re working with a cooperative consultant to further explore how best to structure a board committee with a focus on inclusion.

The Food Co-op’s Values

In addition to our Ends and our Mission, Working together to nourish our community, The Food Co-op is committed to seven Values:

·       Inclusion. We work to welcome and include our whole community.

·       Respect. We respect our community as individuals and treat each other with civility and grace.

·       Participation. We participate whole-heartedly in our community, our local food system, and the governance of our co-op.

·       Integrity. We commit to integrity in our work, governance, and community relationships.

·       Love. We love what we do, and we share that passion with our community.

·       Stewardship. We steward our resources to sustain and regenerate our community.

·       Resiliency. We build resiliency in our community, economy, and food system so that future generations can thrive.

The board and staff strive to embody these values every day, but this year we are putting an additional focus on the value of Inclusion. We always work to be welcoming, and we know there is more to learn. The Co-op recently sent a survey out to 1500 members, chosen at random, which included the question, What makes you feel welcome at the Co-op? To reach more of our members, we had online and store surveys to ask similar questions. Responses to these questions will help staff in their efforts, while the board will work with a cooperative consultant on inclusion. We welcome feedback, so tell us what makes you feel welcomed or what barriers you notice.

We are committed to the personal and organizational work in order to be a welcoming and thriving place. We understand the need to examine patterns that may create barriers to inclusivity. We recognize the need to intentionally encourage an inclusive and equitable environment. We commit to ongoing learning, accountability, and repair when we make mistakes, and to open channels of communication for feedback, creativity, problem solving, and community building.

We appreciate our member-owners’ support and understanding. As always, thank you for all you do to make the Co-op a place where all are welcome, valued, and respected.