Hot off the press: previews of our 2013 candidates for the Board of Directors! You'll also find the information below in the October-November newsletter, along with your ballot. Voting runs from October 15th - November 15th. In addition to choosing four new Board members, you'll also have an opportunity to vote on four proposed changes to the Co-op's bylaws.
Want to know more about the candidates? Mark your calendar for the Annual Meeting! October 27th, from 1-4 pm at the Olympia Ballroom. Great food, candidate speeches and the first round of member discussion on recent research into whether the Co-op should change our legal status (currently, we are a not-for-profit under RCW 24.03.) We look forward to seeing you there!
Board Candidate: Desdra Dawning
1. Why
do you want to be on the Co-op Board of Directors?
Want to know more about the candidates? Mark your calendar for the Annual Meeting! October 27th, from 1-4 pm at the Olympia Ballroom. Great food, candidate speeches and the first round of member discussion on recent research into whether the Co-op should change our legal status (currently, we are a not-for-profit under RCW 24.03.) We look forward to seeing you there!
* * *
Board Candidate: Desdra Dawning
1. Why
do you want to be on the Co-op Board of Directors?
I have been a volunteer member for over
two years, working as a Courtesy Clerk, helping with Special Projects (tabling
for and attending the Co-op Conversation and No GMO March, reorganizing the
Eastside bulletin board, reminder-calling new volunteers), writing and
photographing for the newsletter, and serving on the newsletter committee. I
now have clearer insights into what the Co-op means to this community, its
challenges and potential future. I see cooperative businesses such as the
Co-op, and the principles they uphold, as key to future sustainability and
conscious stewardship of the earth.
Being on the Board is an excellent way for me to serve my Co-op further,
working to help it grow, prosper and ensure its longevity.
What general abilities would you bring
to the Board? What specific abilities
and experiences would you offer to help provide direction in dealing with the
Co-op’s challenges?
I have good people skills in
communication and problem-solving. I have the ability to see both sides of any
issue and skills in helping resolve conflicts. I am a good listener and
appreciate the diversity of our membership. I have a Master's in English, with
strong writing skills (I write for a local alternative newspaper). I am a
retired educator (have taught pre-school through college) and highly value an
educated and creative citizenry as key to conscious human evolution. I have the
ability to help the Olympia community understand the values upon which the
Co-op stands ( community outreach). In the Olympia community, I have worked on
fund-raising for SideWalk (homelessness advocacy) and the YMCA, and have created
my own business, Loving Hands Pet Care.
What do you see as current strengths of
the Co-op that you would like to see maintained? What would you like to see changed?
The Co-op creates the vision and holds
the space in our community for compassionate, fair, intelligent participation
in life, not only in Olympia, but globally. It offers good, clean,
socially-conscious products to our community. It shows us how to live a more
conscious life than what the status-quo offers. What could be stronger than that?
Sometimes, however, I see financial fear and contraction enter Co-op affairs. I
would like to see that healed so we can move forward gracefully and
effectively, becoming an even stronger force in our community.
What vision do you have for the Co-op
for the next five years?
Since
the Co-op Conversation, we--the Membership, the Staff Collective and the
Board--have developed a vision and plan for expansion for both markets which
will give us newer, cleaner and roomier shopping areas plus expanded warehouse
space and parking. Understanding that in working with the consensus process
projects often take a little longer to accomplish, I also see a growing
commitment from our membership to move forward with plans we have already
agreed to. I would like to be part of seeing this happen. Already a vital part
of our region, I would like to see the Co-op become even more inclusive,
bringing in those from our community who have less voice and, as our brothers
and sisters, are even more in need.
Other comments
This Co-op is one of the major reasons
I uprooted myself from my home in Arizona and moved to Olympia. It nurtures my
spirit in ways that go well beyond the good food on the shelves. I wish to be a
participant in making sure that it continues to be a strong and vibrant part of
this community for many years to come!
