Get on Board!

John Tashiro, General Manager

What a hot summer it continues to be! Such a fantastic time of year where you can see “and taste” the incredible variety of locally grown produce available. Did you know that Vermont ranks first for its commitment to raising and eating local food, followed by Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon, and Massachusetts, according to a 2015 Strolling of the Heifers Locavore Index? Your Co-op remains invested in helping to grow Vermont’s local food system; visit a multitude of farms and learn more about Vermont’s vibrant working agricultural landscape during Open Farm Week, August 15 - 21.

Speaking of growth, last month I mentioned that we are making good progress with Co-op expansion in both the South End and the Old North End. Our downtown store is busier than ever and the Co-op is at an exciting time in its evolution. We are here to serve you, our Members and the broader community; this might be just the right time for you to get more involved in the Co-op. With Board elections in October, we’re currently accepting applications for Board candidates until September 2nd.

The Co-op relies on good leadership – people who can work effectively to help guide the organization towards its full potential. Diverse backgrounds, interests, experience and skills are useful for Board Members along with the key ability to listen and work well with others. Wondering about the role of the Board and what it specifically does? Here is a quick overview:

·         Our Board is made up of nine Members who are elected by our Membership (we’re at almost 12,000);

·         The Board operates under a Policy Governance model and steers the direction of the Co-op by creating the policies that empower the general manager and staff with the day to day operations of the Co-op;

·         Meets monthly at the Co-op, along with some additional times throughout the year including an annual retreat;

·         Board Members each serve three-year terms, which are staggered so there is always a mix of incoming and experienced Board Members; and,

·         Board candidates need to submit their application by September 2 and there are some optional activities to complete as part of this application; so consider getting started now!

Now for some updates with expansion…

South End

·   Preparing for construction: We’re reaching final stages of general site preparations! The buildings have mostly been removed and the crew has been working on grinding the remaining concrete.

·   Building & site design: Our team will be presenting updated plans at the August 17 Development Review Board meeting and answering any questions that might arise. We’ve updated the site plan based on many conversations with the neighboring community and staff from the City and the Department of Public Works. We’ll be sharing more details of these updates soon. We appreciate everyone’s involvement and input to make sure that the Co-op is a good neighbor!

Old North End

·   Building design & renovation: We continue to work with the City and our architect team so that we can bring some plans to the Co-op’s Board in the near future for approval. Once we’ve shared details with the Board, we’ll certainly share out to the broader community.  

·   Community engagement: Once we finalize the building plans, we’ll reach out to community members and attend the Wards 2 and 3 NPA to share information and listen to feedback.

As always, thank you all for your continued support. We are committed to serve you, our Members and the community. We look forward to seeing you at the Co-op and wish you our very best!