Become a Director

This Spring, there are two spots on our Board of Directors up for election!

The application can be filled out at the bottom of this page or you can pick up a hard copy in-store.

The deadline is January 25th.

Candidates will also be expected to attend the BOD Annual Meeting in April, date TBD.

What’s it like to be on the board of directors?

The Characteristics of Effective Directors: Self-Reflection
Board directorship is just one of a variety of ways Co-op owners can contribute and participate in the
Co-op’s direction. While directors are not expected to have specific prior training or experience in
running a business or managing a grocery store, there are some characteristics that effective directors
share in common.

As you consider whether or not to run for the Board of Directors, it can be helpful to reflect on how
your interests, experience, and motivations align with the characteristics of effective directors. You
will not be asked to write about or share your responses to this section – these questions are only
designed to give you an additional set of tools for determining if serving on the Board would be a good
fit for you.
• Are you a passionate and enthusiastic owner-shopper at the Co-op?
• Are you interested in learning about and supporting the cooperative values and principles?
• Do you like to think about big-picture planning and developing systems and visions for the Co-op’s
future?
• Are you good at working in a team environment that makes decisions by consensus?
• Are you willing to delegate areas of decision making to others and hold them accountable for
results?
• Are you willing to set aside any personal agendas to honor the diversity of owner perspectives?
• Are you willing to take on a “servant-leader” role and serve the Co-op through your participation
and active engagement?

Responsibilities of The Co-op Board of Directors
• Create and sustain a meaningful relationship with owners.
• Hire, compensate, delegate responsibility to, and hold accountable a general manager.
• Have expectations in the form of written governing policies that realistically address the broadest
levels of all organisational decision and situations.
• Assign responsibility in a way that honors our commitment to empowerment and clear distinction
of roles.
• Regularly assess operational performance by monitoring our written governing policies.
• Perpetuate the board’s leadership capacity using ongoing education, training, and recruitment.
• Ensure that the cooperative remains financially secure and that owners receive a reasonable value
on their equity in accordance with cooperative principles.

The board is not involved in the daily operations of the store.

Seven owners serve on the Board of Directors of the Co-op. Board Directors have a duty to represent
the owners at large and not a particular constituency, and to act in the owners’ best interests.

The Co-op’s Board of Directors is compensated through a small monthly stipend in the form of a
Co-op gift card.

Board of Directors Candidate Information
A strong and successful cooperative depends on a highly functional and effective Board of Directors.
In order to ensure that such a board is in place, candidates for board positions will be asked to attend
at least one board meeting. This is a voluntary attendance that reflects on your willingness to learn
and understand what serving the board entails. Meeting are held at 5 p.m. in the Co-op’s
Community Room or via Zoom on the third Tuesday of each month, unless
otherwise noted on the Board Meeting Schedule on the Co-op Information Board.

Expectations, and Qualifications of Board Membership Include:
• Must be a Co-op owner in good standing and be at least 18 years of age
• Must state all potential conflicts of interest and must not have an overriding conflict of interest
• A three year commitment to serving on the Board
• Familiarity with and adherence to the Co-op’s bylaws and Policy Governance
• Preparation for, and active participation at, monthly Board meetings
• Attendance at Board training sessions, professional development workshops, the annual retreat,
and the annual owner meeting
• Ability to understand financial statements (training provided!)
• A willingness to take responsibility for Board duties and to work together with understanding,
mutual support, and respect
• An ability to keep certain information and materials confidential
• Integrity, flexibility, and common sense

Serving on the Co-op of Directors: What to Expect
• Meetings are on the third Tuesday of each month (currently being held via zoom).
• The meetings usually begin at 5 p.m. and end between 7:00 and 7:30 p.m.
• New directors attend a half-day orientation.
• All directors attend a one-day board retreat each year.
• Attendance at Co-op owner events is expected.
• Directors receive a monthly stipend in the form of a gift card.
This is a sampling of the time you can expect to spend in a given month:
Meeting preparation: 1-2 hours
Meeting: 2 to 2 1/2 hours
Committee work: 1 hour (per committee) Policy Monitoring – 1 hour
Miscellaneous: 1 to 2 hours
Total number of hours per month: 7 to 10

Now is your time to shine! Fill out the form below or pick one up in-store.