At the March 25, 2020 tele-meeting, The Board of Directors of the Chequamegon Food Co-op in Ashland, WI approved and hired Kiersten Galazen to fill the General Manager position for hire. Galazen has a 15-year history at the Co-op in addition to several years of experience at local retail food establishments and farms throughout the area. Galazen has served the Co-op as Interim General Manager since September of 2019 and since 2016 had served as one of three managers hired to the General Management Team.
Galazen’s roots run deep in the area, from her upbringing on a vegetable farm to her first job as manager at Wild by Nature in Bayfield, she has dedicated her professional and personal life at the forefront of local food production. Wild by Nature Owner, Nancy Trapp stated, “[Galazen] started managing people older than her when she was 15.” “Unflappable” is the term a former colleague said of Galazen, “she can move quickly and logically and delegate well.”
Those traits will serve the Co-op well as it moves through uncertain times during the flood of management decisions as it responds to Covid-19. “Where we used to have longer discussions on things, now it’s like, well, we need to just get it done” said Galazen. These are times that Galazen thrives in. Recently the store has paid down a loan of $70,000, saving interest and is also on schedule to paying off member loans incurred during the expansion. She has kept sales trends moving up during a time where national co-op sales have leveled over the last five years. Galazen will lead a strong team of managers, with an average length of employment of more than 10 years, keeping the store on a steady path and making the aisles familiar with members and visitors.
For more information about Chequamegon Food Co-op, please contact Kiana Abel, Marketing and Member Services manager at (715) 682-8251 or kianaa@cheqfood.coop.