Vote in the Board of Directors Election • Sept. 3 thru Oct. 15

Here’s how you can meet the candidates:

Co-op News • Sept. 2013

By Kate LancasterNominating Committee

Chair

INSIDEINSIDE• Candidate Statments

• Official Ballot

• Voting Guide

• Annual Membership

Meeting

It is hard to believe it is election time again! This year there are three open seats on the Co-op’s Board of Direc-tors. One seat is designated for an

employee member and two seats are open to the general membership. We have three members running for those three seats. The employee member, Kelly Boehms, was elected by the Co-op employees in July and now must be ratified by the general membership. Steve Suttell is running as an incumbent, hoping to serve a third term. His work as Chair of the Finance Committee and on updating our Administrative Code has helped keep the Board focused on the big picture. New to the Board of Directors scene, but not new to the Co-op, is Jessica Unmack who has been a member since 2008. You can learn about these strong candidates in this Special Election Section or on our website (www.northcoastco-op.com).

We have one director leaving the Board this year, Melanie Cunningham. As a pre-vious Chair of the Nominating Committee and Vice President, Melanie has contrib-uted a great deal to refining the election cycle and the General Manager evaluation process. She will be stepping down to focus on her growing organic farm and family. We also had one employee direc-tor leave the Board earlier this year. On behalf of the Board, I thank each of them for their contributions over the years.

As current Chair of the Nominating Committee and a fellow member-owner, may I take this opportunity to encourage you to vote in this upcoming election? Although it may seem that your vote does not matter since there are only three seats open and three candidates, let me tell you why I think it is still important for you to vote. Unlike many businesses, the Co-op is member-owned. The Board has a fiduciary responsibility to the members that we take very seriously as well as a responsibility to all our stakeholders. Your vote represents your involvement in this very important process and demonstrates the trust you have that the elected mem-bers will represent you. In addition, our bylaws state that an election is not valid unless 250 or five percent of the member-ship (whichever is lesser) cast ballots.

New board members will begin their three-year term at the Annual Member-ship Meeting on Saturday, October 19. New board members will be seated and the new Board will elect officers. With officers in place, your Board will be well equipped to get right down to business at their first meeting on November 7.

What will be the Board’s focus this coming year? It is a big year, with many strategic decisions ahead of us. The man-agement team developed a budget that, if met, will result in a profit; we’ll be keep-ing a close eye on the results. There will be the evaluation of the General Manager who is keeping us well informed on the big issues. You’ve heard before about the 5-year strategic plan – a rough draft has been presented and the final one should be completed by the Co-op’s Annual Mem-bership Meeting in October. The strategic plan will guide how the Co-op directs its energy –you have already seen the move to offer more local and GMO-free prod-ucts. There is also the Union contract, on which the Board will have final approval.

In addition to the coming year’s priori-ties, the regular responsibilities of a Board member keep us engaged and active. We each chair a committee, some of which are ongoing while others are short-lived to fulfill a special need. We each also serve on another committee. For example, I chair the Nominating Committee and also

serve on a committee tasked with refining and coordinating the General Manager evaluation process. We attend monthly Board and quarterly Finance Committee meetings. In addition, we attend board training sessions, the Co-op’s Annual Membership Meeting, and numerous other Co-op events where we represent the Co-op. We approve the budget, are informed of personnel matters, and take turns writ-ing for the monthly Co-op News. Most importantly, we consider the interests and concerns of all the Co-op’s members. Day-to-day operations are entrusted to our outstanding management team and talented, enthusiastic employees; our focus is to ensure we are operating in align-ment with the member-approved bylaws.

Which gets me back to why I en-courage you to vote. Our values are encompassed in the following statement: “Cooperatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity, and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, cooperative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibil-ity, and caring for others.” I invite you to help us ensure we uphold these values by participating in the election process.

On behalf of the Nominating Com-mittee, thank you for being a mem-ber of the North Coast Co-op.

Candidate StatementsEach of our three candidates was asked to write a short statement describing why they wish to serve on the board and their unique qualifications. Their statements can be found in this Special Election Section of the Co-op News, on our website, and will be posted in each store near ballot boxes.

Video StatementsEach candidate was offered the oppor-tunity to record a short video statement, affording them more face time to share their unique experience and perspec-tives with you. These are available for viewing on YouTube and are well worth watching. Find the link on our website.

Candidate ForumYour Board also hosted a Candidate Forum in August. A series of questions was posed to each of the candidates in turn, and their answers are available for you to check out on YouTube. You can find the link to the forum video on our website.

www.northcoastco-op.com

Special Election Section

One of the main reasons my husband and I moved to Humboldt 5 ½ years ago with our two small children was to be

closer to sources of locally raised grass-fed beef, community supported agriculture and seasonal farmers markets not readily available to us in southeast Alaska. I’m pretty sure the second day in town we became Co-op members. Living in Alaska I attended a small liberal arts college and earned a degree in Ecology focusing on local plants and rural entrepreneurship. After receiving my undergraduate degree, I worked for several years with the Sitka Tribe of Alaska, a local Na-tive government organization coordinating feder-al grants to assist in documenting traditional uses of plants with elders and organizing community-wide traditional food events and potlatches. When our twins were born in 2007, I put work on hold.

We were encouraged to move to Humboldt at the suggestion of local friends in 2008 and in 2009 I was accepted into the Environment and Community Masters program at Humboldt State University, excited to be discussing con-nections and interactions of people to their environments again. While several others in my cohort were researching food systems and added their knowledge and passion for food justice issues to class discussion, I found my research focus in a group of ranchers actively

engaged in voluntary environmental stewardship. I found their ties to the land and their outreach to non-ranching and governmental organizations within the community fascinating and person-ally encouraging. I feel like my education and time spent at HSU was valuable in many ways but as someone new to the area I found the con-nections I gained to local people and organiza-tions within the community most valuable.

Before purchasing our first home a year ago in McKinleyville we had brief thoughts of moving back to Alaska, however the sick feeling I got in my stomach to the idea of leaving the Co-op would not allow us to move back. We were of-ficially hooked. From the cooking classes and community involvement to the availability of fresh organic produce and local meats and the gluten-free and non-GMO choices, leaving the Co-op was not an option for my family. While I have had little direct experience working on a Board of Directors I can contribute my passion for the Co-op and its mission, previous experi-ence coordinating federal grant monies in a non-profit setting, and successfully engaging and working with a variety of community members. I’ve been a dedicated member of the North Coast Co-op for over five years and would love the op-portunity to contribute my energy and enthusiasm at a more involved level; to work to insure that the Co-op maintains its dedication to its current members and that it stays viable into the future for members who have yet to discover how great it feels to shop local and be more connected to their sources of food. Thank you for consider-ing my candidacy for the Board of Directors.

It has been my pleasure and privilege to serve on our North Coast Co-op Board for the last five years. I have extensive background in

finance that has been very useful in acting as the Treasurer. I also have a passion for local-izing our food sources. I am constantly amazed by how dynamic it is to be a Co-op board member. A wide variety of issues, concerns, opportunities, and challenges are common-place and require an open-minded, creative and thoughtful response. I feel I have the qualities necessary to fulfill the obligation and respon-sibility to address current and future agendas.

We have a cohesive board. The board members work well together; never hesitating to disagree or look more deeply into an issue. The results are often refined decisions that are a good fit with cooperative values and preserve the cul-ture of our Co-op to the greatest extent possible. We have a lot more to do with respect to enhanc-ing our local foodscape. Finding a way to ad-vance local food production with an emphasis on cooperative values is one area that I will strive to achieve in the future. Implementing the strategic plan going forward will do a great deal to further my shared and personal goals for the future.

Jessica Unmack Steve Suttell

Meet the Candidates

Mem

ber #

20298

Mem

ber #

9932

Voting Takes Place Sept. 3 thru Oct. 15

Hello. My name is Kelly Boehms. I have worked for the North Coast Co-op since 2011, first in the Eureka Produce Depart-

ment, and currently as an Administrative Assistant in Human Resources. I am originally from Kansas

City, Missouri, and have a B.A. from the University of Kansas City Missouri in Environmental Science. From an early age, I was shown the value of whole foods and plant-based nutrition. My stepmother is a prolific urban gardener and amateur beekeeper. My very first job was working in the produce and wellness departments at a small natural foods mar-ket in downtown Kansas City. From 2007-2009, I served as a City Coordinator for the San Francisco and San Diego Greenpeace offices, and had the opportunity to attend multiple national commu-nity organizing and direct action trainings. Before working for the North Coast Co-op, I worked on a number of small organic farms and goat dair-ies. I believe I can bring to the Board a practical knowledge of the retail organic grocery landscape, and a commitment to social and food justice.

Why do I want to serve on the Co-op board of directors? As the mother of a two year-old, it is often difficult to face the realities of the toxic

world in which we live. The Co-op has the unique opportunity to push back against the corporate monsters that are consuming our culture. The North Coast Co-op serves an incredibly valuable role in our community. We are the most important access point for fresh, locally produced, non-GMO, dairy-free, gluten-free, wholesome, ethically produced, grass-fed, and fair trade foods in Humboldt. The Co-op is also an invaluable resource for education, and an important forum for community connec-tion. I would love to serve our membership and to help ensure that we are moving in a direction that best represents their interests, as well as the interests of the community at large. I believe that everyone deserves the right to be respectfully heard, and everyone deserves access to healthy food. The Co-op is a Humboldt institution. We owe it to the farmers and families of our com-munity to move forward on a proactive, respon-sible path! Thank you for your consideration.

Write-in

Steve SuttellAll three lines below must be filled out and legible in order for

this ballot to be valid.

1.

2.

ALL BALLotS due By oCt. 15 At 5 pm

Jessica unmack

Mem

ber #

22844

Meet the CandidatesVoting Takes Place Sept. 3 thru Oct. 15

Write-in

oFFICIAL BALLot Please read voting guide on back page before casting your vote.

Full Name (Printed Clearly, Required)

Member Number (Required)

Signature(Required)

Kelly Boehms Employee Director Candidate

there are two open member director Seats. Vote for up to two candidates in this section. More than two votes in this section, write-in or not, will invalidate this ballot.

there is one open employee director seat. Affirm (yes) or reject (no) the candidate elected by employee members.

Kelly Boehms yES NO

Fold this section in first to retain anonymity.

Fold

this

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tion

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Return your ballot to the provided ballot boxes available in both store locations. You may also place your ballot in an envelope and mail it to:

North Coast Co-opAttn: Nominating Committee

811 I StreetArcata, CA 95521

Be sure to fold your ballot in thirds along the guides to retain anonymity.

All ballots due by october 15 at 5 pm

Thank You for Voting!

Voting Guide Sept. 3 thru Oct. 15

Watch the Candidate Forumswww.northcoastco-op.com

Get to know your candidates as they answer your questions in video forums

40th Anniversary Celebration &

membership meeting

Election Results Announced • Free for Members More information in the October issue of the Co-op News

Sat., oct. 19 • 5 to 10 pm Arcata Community Center

est. 1973

MUSIC HAPPINESSDINE WINE

Votes will be considered valid if all of the following apply:

1. Membership with the North Coast Co-op is current as of September 4, 2013.

2. Votes per ballot cannot exceed the number of open seats.

3. Ballots must include the mem-ber’s name written legibly, their member number and their sig-nature.

4. Write-in candidates must be current members of the North Coast Co-op and agree to can-didate requirements (list avail-able at Voting Table).

In the event that more than one otherwise valid ballot is cast by the same membership, only the ballot of the first name on the member-ship will be tallied.

Electioneering will not be al-lowed within 100 feet of the ballot boxes at the stores.

Ballot boxes are located near the front entrance in each store.

Ballots may be dropped off at ballot boxes in either the Arcata or Eureka store or mailed to the address shown on the back of the ballot.

The Nominating Committee will count the votes and notify the membership with in-store signs within one week. The candidates receiving the highest number of votes will be elected.

Election outcomes will be an-nounced at the Annual Member-ship Meeting. New board members begin their terms that same day (see right).