Myle Truong
<< 2021 Board of Directors Elections
1. Why would you like to serve on the City Market Board? What excited you about becoming a Board Member?
I want to serve on the Board because I believe that being a fairly young person of color, I will bring a different perspective to the table. As what was stated in a previous Board Member meeting, “We are all just normal people who love food,” and that couldn’t ring more true to why it excites me to become a Board Member. I love cooking, eating, and learning about the nutritional benefits food has on the body and mind. I love knowing that I am representing the Burlington community, where I was born and raised.
2. 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?
I have taught and cared for children for about 10 years now. As a teacher I learned that it takes a lot of patience, creativity, empathy, commitment, and communication skills to do it well. More importantly, I have learned that being a teacher is not just about working with children, but with a whole team of people that you are very intimately doing the hard work with. I believe that by working in a team setting, I have learned how to better communicate with others, balance the professional and personal relationships with coworkers and have empathy for the families and children I serve. I would say that I am a critical thinker; I am able to see things from a different perspective, analyze that information, and then react in a professional manner. I believe these skills make me an effective Board Member because there is a fine balance when juggling all the responsibilities and relationships of a coop; skills I practice every day as a teacher.
3. Describe your prior involvement with community organizations and/or cooperatives. What did you learn from these experiences?
I have worked at King Street Center, a local nonprofit in Burlington for almost 7 years now. During my time there, I volunteered for fundraisers, parent engagement events, toy drives, and other classroom events. I have been a Member at City Market for over 3 years but have been a customer for several years prior to that. As someone who tries to shop local to support farmers and to be more environmentally friendly, I understand the struggles that some people can have to be able to do that for themselves and their family. I’m hoping that my transparency and honesty will be valuable and benefit the community that I’m representing and for the City Market coop as a whole.
4. What opportunities and challenges do you see in the future of City Market?
Change is a part of life, it is inevitable. However, with change comes opportunities or challenges that come with it.
When it comes to the future of City Market, I see a lot of positive changes because at the core and foundation of the coop I see passionate, kind, and eager people. City Market does so many wonderful things for the community and its people but they also know that there’s always room to do better, to do more. With that being said, I think the challenge is how do you become a role model, to get more people engaged in the work, and to inform the community in a way that is authentic and true to the values of City Market.