Tell us about yourself, including any volunteer or professional experiences that might be relevant to board service. In particular, if you have any experience with oversight of an organization’s budget or financial performance, please include that information here.
I started going to the TPSS Coop back in the early-1980s while I lived in Takoma Park and went to graduate school at UMD. It was a small place in the old Sligo Avenue location. My family and I moved back to Takoma Park in 1994 to Woodland Avenue, a block from the current Coop, and have not left. We are “Coop-ers,” we go there about every other day. Since 1998, I have worked at American Farmland Trust, a nonprofit dedicated to farmland conservation, regenerative farming practices, and keeping farmers on the land. I held various senior management position including VP of Programs, Communications, and Finance/Operations and continue working part-time. In those roles, I have had responsibility for developing and managing multi-million-dollar budgets and complex multi-year, multi-million-dollar projects as well as fundraising. I also was responsible for managing Board Committees and presenting before the Board. In addition, I have served on several small nonprofit Boards and am currently on the Board of Folk Arts Rajasthan, a US NGO working with an Indian NGO to maintain the musical heritage of the Merasi and educate the children of these lower caste musicians in Rajasthan India. I also volunteer with Small Things Matter, which distributes food to food-insecure families in Montgomery County and which the Coop generously allows space to deliver and distribute food.
Why are you interested in serving on the Board?
My wife and I are deeply committed to the Coop. We often say that living a block away from our Coop is one of the best things in our lives. We feel very fortunate to have a local and natural food coop in our community. But the Coop is much more than a grocery store. It is a community resource and a successful business providing living wages for its employees. With its diverse staff and customers, it is a gathering place to see neighbors and meet new people. Yet it is not easy or straightforward to strive to be something special while keeping everyone happy and making a profit to remain sustainable. I have spent most of my life shopping at local coops, supporting local foods, and advocating for farmers, farmland conservation and regenerative agriculture. I look forward to bringing that experience to serving on the Board to ensure a sustainable, thriving Coop that serves as a model for others.
What is your favorite co-operative principle and why?
Really a combination of the first three (if that is allowed as an answer): 1) everyone can be a member, 2) it is democratically operated and 3) has equal economic participation. The combination of these three can translate into balance among stakeholders, which is unusual in organizations and enterprises. In reviewing the principles, I was surprised not to see a principle focused on staff/employees—e.g., to support them with living wages and professional development, which the Coop has committed to providing.
What does the expression “diversity and equity “ mean to you and why is it important in the context of an organization like the coop? How are the ideas of equity and diversity reflected in your everyday life?
To me diversity means including all and representing the differences in our community. And equity means fairness in everything, so we all enjoy the same outcome. By following the Coop’s guiding principles, we can strive for diversity and equity within our community. I always have valued the diversity of staff and customers at the Coop, which can help achieve equity. In addition, my life choices of living in a diverse city such as Takoma Park and working for a nonprofit are part of my efforts to pursue diversity and equity in my life.
Check the following areas which you have experience
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Group process and/or group decision-making |
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Meeting facilitation |
| Public speaking | |
| Writing newsletter articles | |
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Strategic planning |
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Accounting and/or finance |
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Project management |
| Online file sharing and calendars (Google) or website editing or management | |
| Volunteer programs | |
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Past and/or present participation on a board of directors |
| Retail and/or Other Business experience | |
| Legal training and/or experience | |
| Equity, belonging, inclusivity and accessibility | |
| Other |