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!
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Board Candidate: Sally Brownfield
Why do you want to be on the Co-op Board of Directors?
I would like to be on the Co-op Board of Directors because I agree with the mission statement of the Co-op and I want to bring my experience and abilities to serve the needs of the Co-op and its membership. I have been a member of the Co-op since 1992 and I feel the Co-op has given me so much and that it would be a privilege for me to serve on the Board of an organization that encompasses all of my values and to be able to give back to it. I have been interested in food issues and their impact on social justice issues my whole life.
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?
In general, I am knowledgeable about food
issues, social justice issues, cross-cultural issues and the workings of the
Co-op from the point of view of a member.
As a French teacher and former Peace Corps volunteer, I try to be
sensitive to cultural differences. I am
a reasonable person and a good listener--I used to work on a crisis hotline and
was trained in empathic listening. This
technique helps me to see both sides of situations which can be useful in
bringing people together and making decisions.
I also worked on the Board at the Unitarian Church; I was involved in
forming the Bosnian Student Project with the Olympia Fellowship of
Reconciliation; I am an active member of the Tacoma Education Association Union,
and I helped start a non-profit food buying club in Jonesboro, Arkansas when I
lived there because there was no Co-op.
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?
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 strength of the Co-op is the sincerity of
its staff and members in striving to achieve the goals and fulfill the mission
statement. The Co-op has been successful
in its mission because the staff and members believe in what the Co-op stands
for. For that reason, they are willing
to do things differently to make it a success even if sometimes it involves
risk. In addition to maintaining the high quality
of the foods available and the relatively smooth operation of this
organization, I am especially interested in policies concerning GMOs (or
GEs). For example, I am concerned about
organic companies owned by large corporations and the money they have
contributed to the anti-labeling campaign in California (and now in Washington)
and whether or not the Co-op should continue selling their products under these
circumstances (for example Muir Glen). I
am concerned about the contamination of our food supply from GMOs and would
like to keep the Co-op as GMO free as possible.
However, this does not mean I am against scientific research regarding
food. But the research should be to
benefit humanity, not for profit and should not pose a threat to our food
supply.
What vision do you have for the Co-op for the next five years?
I would like to see the Co-op and its principles
regarding food and process reach even more people. I would also like to help develop policy
regarding GMOs .
