2021 Board Candidate: Esteban de Dobrzynski

For the past five months, I have had the wonderful privilege of serving on the TPSS Co-op Board, filling an unexpected mid-term vacancy. In this role, I have had the opportunity to get to know fellow board members, to learn about the core issues facing the Co-op, and to be involved in rich debate, discussion, decision making, and action. Most of all, I’ve had the chance to experience firsthand the important job that the TPSS Co-op Board does for our Co-op community. During this past year, I have also taken an active role in the TPSS Co-op membership committee, as our membership—our community—is of sincere interest to me. I would be very honored to have the opportunity to continue serving this truly special Co-op, and to continue to learn from the TPSS Co-op Board members and the entire Co-op community.

The very first time I heard about the TPSS Co-op, I knew I wanted to be part of it. I began shopping at the TPSS Co-op when I was living in downtown DC, and I have been enjoying its bulk section since my first visit! Eventually, I was lucky enough to move to Takoma Park in November 2019, and I knew at that time I wanted to become a TPSS Co-op Board member one day. Community service and volunteering were instilled in me from a young age by my parents, and food has been a central part of my upbringing. Food has always been a passion of mine, passed down from my grandmother and through my mother, and food cooperatives have also been very important to me and my family.

As you can see, being interested in serving on the Board of the TPSS Co-op is natural for me (no pun intended!). I deeply value the work the TPSS Co-op does of making smart choices for our community, carefully researching which companies and organizations to support, developing the values we stand for, taking an economic stand for what is right, allowing its members to access healthy, nutritious, and socially and environmentally responsible food – all in a collective way. I want to contribute to the important job the TPSS Co-op Board does in improving the reality and future of the TPSS Co-op and its community. I want to put my skills, knowledge, training, and energy into the greater good by serving the community I live in. I know how to work well with others and to collaboratively solve problems. Additionally, I consider myself a practical person and my approach to problem solving reflects this. I have been living in the US for just six years and there is still so much for me to learn, but I also believe I bring a unique voice and approach to the TPSS Co-op board.

The true origin of the word “cooperative” means working together. By working together, we can strive to form a better, healthier, more understanding, compassionate and supportive community. I come from a country, Argentina, where a multitude of things have gone wrong many times, but if there is one thing that has held us Argentines together, it is cooperation. Growing up part of a continually challenged national community, I learned that working together for a common good—and striving to do the right thing for others--comes naturally to me. As a few examples, I work at the Inter-American Development Bank, which is considered a cooperative development bank; I’m a member of Frontier Co-op; and we do banking with a credit union. Even in Buenos Aires we shopped at a cooperative market.

I deeply believe accessing healthy, nutritious, enriching food should not be a privilege for a few. Through cooperative organizations better food is accessible to more people. Food should not be something that stands in the way of peoples’ path to a better life.

When I emigrated to the US about six years ago and started studying a postgraduate degree, I served as President of the Board of students. In that capacity, and together with colleagues from all over the world, we had to represent our fellow students both inside and outside the institution. We were also tasked with supporting our classmates and helping all of us get the most out of our experience studying abroad, all while being conscious of our cultural and background differences. This is much like the Coop, where its community mingles different religions, beliefs, races, origins, paths in life, etc.

In addition to that, for many years I held a leadership volunteer position organizing and managing an annual contemplative pilgrimage in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In that role, I led a group of volunteers that provided food, transportation, wellness, and wellbeing for our community so this cleansing walking experience could happen smoothly. This was the most meaningful event for many people in my city and within my community. For me, it was a joy to serve in this way. I have also volunteered in a number of different food banks in Argentina.

Moreover, I attended the Crossroads Food Entrepreneur Program at the Community Kitchen of the Presbyterian Church in Takoma Park, where I was able to learn about food safety and food business fundamentals, among other culinary-related topics.

Lastly, as mentioned, in terms of cooperative experience, I currently work at a large international cooperative development bank, and I have been serving on the membership committee for almost a year; and serving on an interim basis at the TPSS Co-op Board for the last five months.

My favorite Co-op Principle is CONCERNS FOR THE COMMUNITY: a group of people decides to organize themselves under a cooperative system to help the community they belong to because they care about it, and to represent everyone equally and democratically, to educate and inspire them. A Co-op could not exist without a strong community, and a community is definitely better and stronger with a Co-op by its side. I believe sometimes might be understated how important is for our lives, the community we live in. And having a Co-op alongside the community caring for it is such an important and invaluable resource.

Tangentially, as a lawyer, I have been exposed to and studied finance, although I have been lucky to work in settings where other people specialized in financial management and oversight. I currently work within a cooperative development bank, where finances are a central part of the job. I serve as the legal advisor for teams that develop loans for projects that fit the needs and realities of the countries we serve. Also, as a member of the student board at my postgraduate degree, as well as in previous projects and work experiences, I have had smaller-scale financial oversight responsibilities. I have also gained some knowledge from my serving at the Board these last five months, from the Crossroads Food Entrepreneur Program, and from the Cooperative Board Leadership Development Program 101 I attended at Columinate.

I consider myself very curious, so if elected to the Board, I would take the opportunity to develop financial skills by learning from the Board and the Management team at the TPSS Co-op.