2023 Board of Directors Election
Democratic member control is one of our seven cooperative principles, and your vote helps decide who will be on the Co-op’s Board of Directors. The Board of Directors plays a critical role in ensuring the continued success and health of the Co-op.
You must be a Co-op member to vote. One vote per membership.
You may vote online, by mail, or in-store. Ballots must be received at our Concord location by 8 pm and our New London location by 6 pm on Thursday, September 14, 2023.
Don’t want to vote online? No Problem!
Pick up a ballot at either of our stores or click below to download one. Drop off at either store or mail it to our Concord location.
Amanda McCrea
Owner,
Innovate Marketing Co.
Lives in Dunbarton, NH
I lived in Concord for many years prior to moving to Dunbarton and I have a strong connection to Concord downtown. I practice a healthy lifestyle and care greatly about the quality product and food I use. I would love to be part of future change and education to drive growth. As I will outline below, I understand the coop model well and find great benefits in the model.
In my previous roles in corporate marketing and communications I worked closely with executive teams, advisory committee members, and the board of directors on strategic planning, growth, and development. I understand the time commitment, and how to work well in relation to others. Additionally, I worked for CCA Global Partners in Manchester under Howard Brodsky for many years. CCA Global is a long standing cooperative in North America. I know the cooperative model well and I am passionate about the coop business model to serve small business and the communities in which they exist.
As stated above, I understand the coop model well, I am passionate about food, and the quality of its ingredients. My work in public relations and marketing could be of benefit to the Coop in communicating the mission, values, and principles of the Coop.
Inflation is going to be an ongoing issue and with that small businesses will struggle to keep their prices low. This in turn could effect the Coop in having to also raise prices. While customers who follow a healthier lifestyle are willing to pay more to do so, there could be a reduction or compromise in purchases to offset the increase of expenses in all areas.
I believe member-owners should choose me to represent them because I spent 6 years working with 85 member-owners with CCA Global Partners – I was their liaison to marketing, business analytics, and all things CCA Global. I understand the mission and business structure of a coop model business and I am passionate about it. Additionally, my advanced education and experience in marketing and communications could be an asset in working with members, staff, and other board members to continue growth.
Shawn Menard
Executive Director,
Seacoast Eat Local (nonprofit)
Lives in Epsom, NH
The Co-op is a vital part of the greater Concord Community. It is important for me to see the Co-op succeed into the future as it is a primary mechanism for connecting the community to sources of locally grown food. I believe the Co-op is equally valuable as an outlet for local food and also as a teaching tool to demonstrate the complexity of our local food system in New England.
I served as Produce Manager at the Co-op from 2013 to 2015 and have hands-on experience with operations and the customer base. I also served as General Manager for the Gardiner Food Co-op (Central Maine) from 2015-2019. My current role as Executive Director for Seacoast Eat Local, a nonprofit based in Lee, NH, gives me a variety of experience working with a board and various community stakeholders.
My background in customer service and management of food co-ops gives me a unique viewpoint as a member. I know how co-ops operate and will be able to apply that knowledge to the policy governance role of a board member. It is important for the board to be able to understand the day-to-day operations in a way that will enable them to make informed decisions. My background will enhance the board’s ability to do so as a whole.
As the co-op continues to navigate a challenging economy, we must find ways to provide a positive experience for our shoppers. While Co-ops may not always be competitive on price, they have ample opportunity to build positive relationships with members and other shoppers in a way that corporations are not able.
My hands-on experience working in Co-ops gives a unique opportunity to strengthen the entire board’s understanding of how the store operates. One of my greatest strengths as a former employee was my ability to build relationships with employees and shoppers, which was an important part of the everyday shopping experience. I look forward to having a similar impact as a board member.
Sam Pike
Middle School Science Teacher & Food Educator
Lives in Concord, NH
I spent most of my 20s moving all over the country. The common thread that connected my haphazard movement was a love of supporting good local food. My dream of joining the board of directors is to follow this thread and help the local food community here in Concord. I’m currently a middle school science teacher by day and an avid home cook, fermentor and brewer by night. You’ll often find me checking out new local restaurants, breweries, and farmer’s markets and talking them up with my friends.
While living in Wisconsin, I worked at a living history museum, Old World Wisconsin, as the Manager of Historic Brewing and Foodways. I spent my summers there coordinating and managing volunteers and delivering programs for the museum guests. I
also volunteered in outreach for the Whitewater Grocery Co-op which is where I learned most of what I know about how co-ops form and operate. I really enjoyed attending the food workshops hosted there and was inspired to lead some of my own. I hosted several in Wisconsin and now at public libraries and Rotary Clubs in New Hampshire.
In addition to these experiences, I’ve been involved in local foraging communities and worked in various food service industry jobs. These have helped me understand where our food comes from and what types of foods people are interested in or might be interested in once they understand how to use them. To add to this, working in a public school in Manchester, I have a good idea of how New Hampshire communities are changing and what a forward-thinking co-op can do to meet those needs.
In the coming 5 years, there are many issues co-ops need to be aware of in order to succeed. Food prices continue to go up, online shopping is becoming more and more prevalent, and there is growing competition from big box stores. I see staying profitable and relevant without estranging lower income shoppers as the most important issue facing the Concord Food Co-Op.
Member-owners that choose to support me, are doing so because they want to give a voice to young people and people who are middle and low income in the community. Despite the common misconception, co-ops are a community and shopping center for the whole community.
James Stever
Co-Owner & Organic Farmer, Generation Farm
Lives in Concord, NH
I would like to serve on the Board of Directors of the Concord Food Co-op because I operate Generation Farm and have been selling produce to the Co-op for over a decade. The Concord Co-op was the first place I sold produce when I started my small organic farm. It made an enormous difference for my business and confidence as a young farmer. I care deeply about the Concord Food Co-op, its members, employees and mission. It would be an honor and a privilege to become a member on the Board of Directors.
As an organic farmer and co-owner of Generation Farm, I can bring a unique set of experience and expertise to the
board from the perspective of a vendor. The relationship the Concord Food Co-op maintains with local vendors is one of the magical ingredients that makes it a unique and special place and draws in customers. The Concord Food Co-op is a vital part of our local food infrastructure that gives local producers an amazing market and opportunity to thrive that does not exist in large corporate grocery stores. As a board member I would hope to strengthen its relationships with the local food economy and bring in even more local vendors.
Farmers and small business owners have been facing many challenges over the last few years with the pandemic and now inflation. Over the next five years the Concord Food Co-op should do everything it can to make sure these farmers and vendors continue to thrive and survive. As a local producer of organic vegetables, I would like to help ensure that the Concord Food Co-op continues to foster and maintain positive relationships with local vendors.
Joe York
SVP Innovation & Impact,
Walden Mutual Bank
Lives in Concord, NH
The Co-op is the type of community institution that makes places like Concord special. I moved to the area a little more than two years ago, and joining the Co-op was one of the first things I did when I arrived. The benefits of having convenient access to fresh, sustainably-produced food were obvious – but as somebody new to the area, it also made me feel more connected to a region that otherwise felt foreign. By joining the Board, I hope to contribute to the vitality of a community institution that I hold very dear.
I work at the intersection of finance and food systems change at Walden Mutual, a new online bank (based in Concord) that’s focused on providing access to capital for farms and food businesses in our region. My career spans experiences in finance, technology, design, strategy, and marketing – and I have specialized expertise in examining the ways those areas influence inclusion (specifically for people who historically face some sort of structural exclusion). I’m also beginning additional graduate studies in psychology, with particular research concentration on the ways that emotions influence our relationships with our finances.
I’m comfortable around numbers, having studied finance and worked in financial services my entire career. I have applied experience in design, not specific to visual design – but more generally to the design of systems and experiences, both physical and digital. I think my experiences in technology, marketing, and strategy could also contribute to the Co-op’s growth and viability.
I understand the Co-op’s most immediate challenge to be economic sustainability. The food industry is a crowded space, and locally sourced, sustainably produced food is expensive. An institution like the Co-op can be both beloved and largely financially inaccessible. To be financially viable, it’s my opinion that businesses like the Co-op have to be creative. Education (including why food deserves more of individuals’ budgets than it has historically been allocated), partnerships (leaning on the ecosystem of other values-aligned organizations to support growth), and experiences (providing people spaces where they can taste/see/smell the difference between conventional and sustainable production methods) are all potential avenues for diversifying the Co-op’s economic model.
The Co-op is on a short list of community institutions (alongside places like Red River Theaters) that I care deeply about supporting. I’m happy to give time and whatever skills I have to that cause.