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2009 Candidate Profiles
Jackie Bradley
With a few years as both a Co-op member and employee under my belt, I feel I am just beginning to understand the many facets in which our Co-op works to nurture and sustain our community (members and non-members alike). As most of us know and feel (which is probably what led us to become members in the first place), the Co-op is more than just a place to pick up "what's for dinner" on the drive home from work. It is an entire community of people working together to create a sincerely sustainable regional food system. One of the Co-op's greatest assets has been its connection to local farms. If elected, I would like to focus my efforts as much as possible to increase education and awareness about our local farms, as well as finding new ways to nurture and support them to ensure the sustainability of our community.
During my tenure at the Co-op, I have worked in multiple departments (currently as Manager on Duty) and been given the opportunity to attend a number of training sessions on a multitude of subjects ranging from organic standards, to Co-op financials, to the nationally-recognized "Rising Stars" leadership seminar. I also have spent some time volunteering on local farms and am currently participating in a part-time internship at the Food Farm in Wrenshall. And, out of respect to my student loan payments, I suppose I should mention that I hold a degree in Communicating Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Superior.
In my opinion, the Co-op's greatest opportunities stem from the sense of community it provides its customers. It is precisely that sense of community, as well as the relationship with local growers, that puts the Co-op in a unique position to not only provide better choices to its customers, but also education as to what factors are important in making those decisions. Most loyal Co-op shoppers eventually come to understand that, when purchasing their food (no matter where that happens), they are not only spending another dollar but casting a vote as to the kind of world they want to live in.
Mary Dragich
I want to be on the Board as it moves the Co-op toward its ENDS of being a partner in creating a healthy regional food system. The Co-op can use its expertise to educate the community about food system issues, can increase local food product offerings, and decrease offering of highly packaged and imported foods. Some community members say, "I can't afford to shop at the Co-op." I'd like to help the Co-op change perceptions about food costs. The Co-op is a natural venue for educating its membership and the public about food safety, environmental impacts of food choices, and cooking and preserving techniques using local, seasonal food. As a Board member, I want to learn more about efforts of other co-ops and to help Whole Foods Co-op develop in creative and sustainable ways.
I have a non-profit administrator certificate from UW-S, was the executive director of the Duluth Community Garden Program, am the current local leader of Slow Food Lake Superior, and have served on other non-profit boards. I wrote a thesis on garden- and landscape-based environmental education for my masters in education-environmental ed degree. I have been a Co-op shopper for nearly 30 years and sometimes a community gardener. My husband and I grow most of the produce and some of the fruit we eat, and I am a new farmers' market vendor.
The Co-op's biggest opportunity is to obtain its ENDS of helping create a healthy local food system. Working toward a local USDA meat processing operation would be a huge community benefit. The Co-op's flat roof could create an opportunity for garden space as a community garden or a source of deli produce. The Co-op's biggest challenges are reframing food expectations and educating members and the public about their roles in a healthy local food system.
Chris Edwardson
I have twice served on the WFC Board since becoming a member. Both experiences were rewarding and I am ready to serve the membership again. In the past several years I have been learning more about our industrial food system and the problems it has created. I have read current and relevant material on the subject, including Michael Pollan's books, and led a discussion course (Menu For The Future) that delved into our food system, farming, and our eating habits. I would like to see WFC continue with and expand its efforts to provide local food, promote a just food system, and help our community learn what it can do to promote food health.
Having served on previous Boards, I am comfortable with the process, familiar with policies and procedures and will be ready to make an immediate contribution. I have served on committees and I look forward to that work. I have skills in general business operations (MBA) and have operated a small business for the past five years.
I believe that WFC will continue to be the place to go in our community for the best information about food and health. WFC has maintained a steady growth in membership and, as we grow, it will be a challenge to connect with members in a meaningful way. Member education, not only about food, but also about our cooperative principles is important. Membership should have meaning and encouraging member involvement will continue to be a challenge.
As a Board member I will actively listen to member concerns and represent members in a way that is consistent with the WFC vision to create a healthy community and a healthy regional food system.
Mark Friederichs
Having had the privilege of serving on the WFC Board now for nearly two years I have had the opportunity to connect and hear from fellow WFC members about their concerns and aspirations for the future of WFC. My hope now is to take the necessary steps and measures to alleviate those concerns and focus on the aspirations. Our dedicated and hard working staff has put WFC in an amazing position to come out of this tough time in the economy and make a large impact on not only the way people consume and think about their food; but also on our surrounding community. Being a part of this pivotal point in WFC history and impacting change in our surrounding community are the reasons why I want to continue to serve the members of WFC.
I graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth with a B.A. in Finance. Upon graduation I was hired by a local financial firm, Stolat Partners, Ltd. I have served on the WFC Board for nearly two years and have a good understanding of our Cooperative structure. I spend a majority of my time interacting with our Duluth community. I was part of the 2007 Leadership Duluth class which exposed me to the many different challenges Duluth faces and the opportunities those challenges present. I am also involved in the planning and directing of the Respect Your Mother Earth-Fest (R.Y.M.E), held in Leif Ericson Park during the spring. R.Y.M.E. gives our community the opportunity to come together for a day with our local artists and musicians and celebrate Mother Earth. I believe that my diverse experience provides a great asset to the WFC Board.
WFC is in an amazing position as our country and community work through and come out of the current economic recession. The biggest challenge is going to be utilizing the resources we have in the most efficient means possible to ensure that WFC has the largest impact on our community and the Cooperative movement. In order to do this we must trust in the guidance of not only the staff and Board of WFC, but more importantly our dedicated member base. By listening to the voice of our members, WFC will be able to navigate through any challenges we face.
Theresa Koenig
It's been a privileged to witness our Co-op transition through expansion, post-expansion and now to adjust once again to a very challenging economic climate. After four years on the Board, I've come to appreciate working with a cooperative organization that enriches not only its individual owners, but also the community in which it conducts its business. The Board recently conducted focused conversations with WFC owners and identified the outcomes our owners are looking for as a result of our business success. We've aligned our ENDS Policy to reflect those outcomes. Like a mission statement, ENDS Policy drives decision-making and focuses the energy and efforts of our organization. We now have clear language directing our efforts towards continuing to thrive financially and towards supporting efforts to build a healthier community and a stronger local regional food system. In my next term, I look forward to the very exciting task of monitoring our progress towards achieving our stated ENDS. I also hope to improve Board recruitment and development practices and to continue bringing owners' perspectives to conversations about our cooperative.
Over the last four years I have studied and practiced the policy governance process that our Co-op uses and I am more excited than ever to contribute to that process in a productive and supportive way. I've also been lucky enough to participate in many cooperative centered workshops lead by experienced grocers and cooperative consultants from the national cooperative community. I am enthusiastic about learning even more and applying the wealth of that knowledge to our Co-op's Board work.
Now is a great time to be on a cooperative Board of Directors. It is our challenge to demonstrate the advantages of a cooperative business model, where accountability to owners and ethical business practices can be successful and can make a real difference for our members and for our community. Resources our Co-op earns are reinvested in our business and in our community. Our store remains a strong employer, even in these tough economic times, and as we work to support more regionally produced food, our Co-op contributes to developing a stronger more self-sufficient local economy.
Cooperatives exist to meet the needs of their member-owners and are democratically controlled by their member-owners. Our Co-op is over 5,000 owners strong now, and it's an ongoing challenge to keep in touch with them. I am truly humbled by the task, and as always, grateful for the opportunity. Thank you!