By Jon McDonald, Board Chair and Bread Bakery Manager
Weaver Street Market is unique in so many ways: our great prepared foods, our special relationships with vendors like Riojana and other producers, our award-winning bakery. But to me the most unique aspect of our company is the fact that our governing body is elected by our owners. When I was elected to the board, I was 23 years old, made $11 bucks an hour, and had never worked on a board in my life.
I feel honored to have been trusted by my co-workers to serve our community and co-op! Our directors have come from all sorts of sectors and walks of life. There is no need for directors to possess any specific expertise or titles or connections. Directors are both workers and shoppers.
But they all do share a few core qualities. A commitment to the long-term health of the co-op is essential. Directors also need to be willing to listen to owners, even when owners do not necessarily agree among themselves, and synthesize the interests of all owners into a vision for the co-op as a whole.
If you’re interested in learning more about the board and want to explore this opportunity to serve our co-op, please join us on Wednesday, June 12 for our candidate orientation. Our goal for the session is to give you a taste of our processes and culture. And to allow you to assess whether being a board member might be a good fit for you. Even if you choose not to run, the orientation is a great way to get a glimpse into what’s going on in the co-op! Any current owner who has been an owner in their current class of ownership for at least one year by the date of their application is eligible to become a candidate.
Attending the candidate orientation session is a requirement to run for a seat in this year’s elections. The application process is described in our Call for Candidates flyer: in English or Spanish.
Hear from our directors in their own words about their experiences on the board:
“Being on the WSM board is a great opportunity to learn about all the ways the co-op impacts our local community and is an opportunity to work as a team to help enhance this impact with creative strategies.”
–Alice Ammerman
The candidate orientation session will be held at the Weaver Street Market Admin Office on June 12 at 6:30 PM (dinner served at 6:15). Please RSVP to board@weaverstreetmarket.coop.