Caroline Keller

Image

Why would you like to serve on the City Market Board? What excites you about becoming a Board Member?

City Market has been a strong ally in strengthening my connection with our local food system and shaping my personal food revolution, from the food sold to cooking classes and opportunities to engage with the community. My love and appreciation for City Market, the culture and conversation it creates around food and our relation within food systems, warrants my desire to continue this mission and apply for the City Market Board of Directors. As a Board member, I want to share my enthusiasm and commitment to our local market (which is way more than just a grocery store) and to empower others to understand their role and power as Co-Op members. The fact that Board member candidates go through this process is a testament to City Market’s work as a cooperative; their mission to make more informed consumers and cooperative owners. I want to maintain this mission while also broadening the scope of City Market to be more inclusive and reflective of the growing needs of our community within the constraints of our environment. I am excited about this opportunity to challenge myself and to learn about and facilitate projects that ultimately serve the needs of our community.

Please describe any professional skills you have that will help you to be an effective Board Member. How would you help the Board to balance the business needs of a $50 million business with the need to meet our Global Ends as a community-owned cooperative?

The VT Dept. of Labor operates similarly to a cooperative in the sense that it is in business for its constituents. My work revolves around producing usable data that informs policymakers and directs workforce development. I regularly balance how to effectively collect and communicate the most accurate data with given resources and time, while minimizing the burden of the data provider. I have learned to recognize when a project or data request is unreasonable or a futile effort. Even when I find personal worth in a project, I must look through the lens of “is the outcome worth all the energy and resources it takes to deliver it? Will this benefit Vermont?” In doing so, I am confident I can help the Board prioritize and address the needs of a business while staying true to the values of a cooperative. Moreover, as a government employee, I practice maintaining the voice of the organization even when it does not coincide with my own views. I have a firm understanding that success depends on the congruity of the Board

Describe your prior involvement with community organizations and/or cooperatives. What did you learn from these experiences?

Four years ago, I was a Social Enterprise intern for Vermont Works for Women’s FRESH Food program and I have continued volunteering there since. At VWW, I worked in the kitchen alongside women with economic barriers. With the goal of developing kitchen skills and a work history to secure stable employment, we prepped meals for child care centers and catering events while practicing hard skills like knife handling to soft skills like proper communication with an employer. During this time, I discovered the power of a community. The strong support of community members and partners helped sustain the operations of the program and likewise, the success of women completing the program and gaining employment depended on the support of the VWW staff. Witnessing the tremendous power a community wields and what it can accomplish when utilized is something I will never forget. 

From that experience and working on City Market’s Seedling Grant Committee this summer, I also learned that difficult decisions often involve refraining from an emotional response. Though not always favorable or satisfying, I know not to allow emotion to supersede logic.

What opportunities and challenges do you see in the future of City Market?

As Burlington grows, I see opportunities to expand and reach a wider audience. I see several avenues in which City Market may encourage greater inclusion, participation, and ownership. A first step would involve evaluating the community’s understanding and impression of the cooperative and addressing barriers for people who do not shop with the cooperative. I also believe developing greater awareness as to what a cooperative means and how it works will bolster its success. Furthermore, I see opportunities to improve waste reduction measures from reducing packaging to adopting more ecofriendly bags to hold produce and bulk items. 

Conversely, I also see challenges in Burlington’s growth considering how to stay competitive while staying true to the cooperative’s mission. Addressing the flow of traffic to the downtown store is another formidable challenge. Another big challenge I perceive is helping people understand the true cost of food. I frequently hear the nickname “City Mark-Up” around town. I think educating the community will shed light on the value of our local food system and how the cooperative is a steward of it, in addition to demonstrating that City Market’s prices are comparable to big name stores.

Click here to view Caroline's resume!