|
BY JONATHAN SEIGEL, BOARD OF DIRECTORS,
NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS COMMITTEE Each year the Co-op holds elections for 3 seats (of the
nine total) for the Board of Directors. The position
is time consuming, profoundly important, and
challenging. We discuss and articulate policy, and monitor
the overall health of the Co-op as a social and economic
organization; we most emphatically do not keep
tabs on the price of asparagus or which brand of soap
is selling best.
The Co-op is a $20 million a year operation; we currently
operate four stores: two in Albuquerque, one in
Gallup, and one in Santa Fe. In the past year, we have
opened a significant warehouse which is part of a larger
initiative intended to develop and maintain a sustainable
web of local suppliers – a part of what we’re calling
our “food-shed.”
As elected representatives of the 12,000 member/owners,
the Board especially focuses on a vision and a
strategic plan for the Co-op’s long term stability and
success. The board’s work is both demanding and
rewarding. We govern by means of a conceptual framework
called “policy governance.” At our monthly meeting,
the board reviews management’s work by examining
performance reports and comparing them to policy
standards we have established. When an initiative is
desired by management, or if a problem exists, we
examine the situation through the lens of these standards.
We call them “ends” (goals) and limitations, and
only by adjusting these boundaries do we adjust the
direction of the Co-op. We leave day-to-day operational
details to the General Manager and his team (that’s the
people you see every day as a shopper); we keep tabs on
the stores on a monthly basis through formal reporting.
We attend to many details through committee work as
well – smaller sub-groups of the board develop specific
proposals for consideration by the board as a whole. We
also engage in training workshops in order to better
understand ourselves and our role in the organization and
the organization’s role in the community.
The board also tries to maintain at least an
hour per month for long range visionary discussion
on a broad range of topics; of late
we have been focusing on “sustainability” as
it relates to our continuity in the retail food
business, and our ever-evolving role in our
community. We invite guest speakers and
prepare by reading material targeted at the
month’s discussion topic.
In addition, board members attend various
public functions (Earth Day; Garden Party)
and intermittently develop other public
/member involvement; last year we held a
fascinating dinner/roundtable discussion
dubbed the “World Café.”
Overall, board members are expected to
spend the equivalent of about three hours a
week on board duties, including committee
work, community work, trainings, and
workshops, and other meetings and activities.
In exchange, board members’ households
are entitled to an 18% discount on
purchases (the same as workers receive). Board members
are expected to serve a three-year term.
We seek board members from diverse backgrounds and
age groups, with a variety of skills including business,
grass-roots community, environmental, or social, involvement,
agriculture or production, or other areas related to
the Co-op’s current (and future!) direction. Prospective
candidates are encouraged to visit our (always open)
monthly board meetings (check newsletter or website for
specific dates) and location.
If you’re interested in running for a position, you may pick
up materials at any store, starting mid-July. Or you may
contact us at bod@lamontanita.com.
|
News