Breakout Sessions Schedule

The Big Move: Planning, Adapting, and Thriving During Your Co-op Relocation
Julie Hafer, Senior Director of Retail Operations, National Co-op Grocers
Denise Hansen, Retail Manager, Keweenaw Co-op Market & Deli
Amy Tabor, General Manager, Open Harvest Co-op Grocery

Moving a store is a major undertaking that takes years of planning and preparation. Not only that, but you are still managing a store and serving your community. Even with the best of plans, challenges can arise that take you down a road you might not have expected. Our proposal is a panel discussion regarding relocation projects and how to be prepared for anything. Both Open Harvest and the Keweenaw Co-op relocated into new buildings in 2024. One was a lease and one was a purchase. Each with different pressures and expectations. Both co-ops were able to weather little storms that came along the way due to the preparedness of laying out careful plans, years in advance. We would like to walk the audience through our stories, provide encouragement, best practices and how to avoid potential pitfalls from multiple perspectives: GM, Operations, and Project. The following is an outline of the topics covered.

Learning Outcomes:

• Identify effective strategies and repeatable successes from past co-op project experiences to inform future planning and implementation.
• Recognize potential challenges and pitfalls in co-op project work and develop proactive solutions to avoid or address them.
• Support new or emerging co-ops by offering practical advice

Who should attend: Board of Directors, General Managers or Department Managers, Board of Directors, General Managers or Department Managers

Open Book Management: Engaging Teams through Transparency & Inclusion
Michael McCary, Senior Store Manager, BriarPatch Food Co-op
Danielle Scallin, Human Resources Training Coordinator, BriarPatch Food Co-op

Grocery cooperatives thrive when employees understand the financial health of their store and how their daily work contributes to organizational growth. Open Book Management (OBM) is a powerful approach that demystifies financials, empowers staff at all levels, and fosters a culture of transparency, accountability, and shared success. But OBM isn’t just about numbers-it’s a tool for building a more equitable and inclusive workplace.

This interactive session will introduce the core principles of OBM, showcase how BriarPatch Food Co-op has successfully implemented it for over a decade, and engage participants in designing a Mini Game-a practical, fun way to reinforce key business metrics that drive co-op success. The best part? The Mini Game created in this session will be played and won at CCMA, with prizes for all participants!

For over a decade, BriarPatch has seen firsthand how OBM transforms workplace culture by building trust, financial literacy, and engagement. When co-op employees understand how their store operates financially, they feel more invested in the outcomes. OBM not only strengthens decision-making but also fosters equity by ensuring all employees-regardless of position-have access to information that helps them succeed.

This session will provide grocery co-op leaders and staff with concrete strategies and interactive tools they can bring back to their stores, ensuring that financial transparency and inclusion become part of their co-op’s DNA. Attendees will have real-time fun co-creating a Mini Game that makes financial literacy engaging and accessible for all!

We’re excited to bring this dynamic and hands-on session to CCMA and look forward to sharing our passion for Open Book Management. Through storytelling, shared experience, and open dialogue we will help attendees find actionable ways to use OBM as a vehicle for inclusion within their co-ops.

Learning Outcomes:

Attendees will:

• Understand the fundamentals of OBM and its alignment with cooperative principles.
• See real-world examples of OBM in action at BriarPatch, where it has been practiced for over 10 years to enhance financial literacy, engagement, and shared decision-making.
• Learn how OBM can foster a culture of equity & inclusion by making financial information accessible and empowering all employees to contribute.
• Collaborate to create a Mini Game that reinforces key OBM concepts in a co-op setting- bringing an engaging, practical takeaway back to their stores.

Who should attend: General Managers or Department Managers,Store Department Staff -grocery, wellness, deli, meat, etc.

From Access to Ownership: Building on food access innovations to reduce economic barriers to Co-op membership—Three Co-op Case Studies
April Harkness, ESG Program Manager, Co-op Food Stores
Fran O’Farrell, Board & Owner Engagement Coordinator, Seward Co-op Presenter
Laura Buttenbaum, Member Engagement Coordinator, GreenStar Food Co-op

Many food co-ops have implemented programs that provide discounts on purchases on an income-eligibility basis. Three co-ops in the Northeast and Midwest have taken this intent a step further through innovative approach to accessible membership. GreenStar, Seward, and the Hanover Co-op will share the programs they’ve designed, the process they used to develop them, and the positive impact they seek to unlock. Each program is slightly different and provides options for other co-ops to consider. The co-ops will discuss how the ideas originated, what the process looked like, who participated, and what needed to happen. GreenStar and Seward will have feedback on how the programs are working and Hanover will provide a status update on their journey.

Presentations will highlight the collaborative roles of Board and Operations in conceptualizing, vetting, and communicating such programs.

Participants will have ample opportunity to share questions, considerations, and initiatives from their co-ops in a generative dialogue intended to support learning and movement building.

Learning Outcomes:

• Develop strategy that centers inclusivity while grounded in the Cooperative Principles
• Learn different but similar co-op approaches to broaden community access to co-op membership from inception to implementation all designed to proactively address economic barriers to membership.
• See ways in which Board and Operational leaders can rally around a common goal that serves co-op ends.

Who should attend: Board of Directors, General Managers or Department Managers

Finance Basics for Directors
Emily Stewart, Associate Director, Northcountry Cooperative Foundation
Tim Bartlett, General Manager, Lexington Co-op Market

Monitoring the financial health of the organization is often the most intimidating responsibility assigned to co-op directors—but it doesn’t have to be! This session will provide an overview of cooperative finance, with hands-on practice at reading and interpreting financial statements, calculating the ratios that inform board decisions, and asking good questions of your General Manager.

Learning outcomes:

1. Understanding the unique features of co-op finance
2. Deeper understanding of the financial responsibilities of a cooperative director
3. Reading and understanding financial statements and reports
4. Questions boards should be asking about the co-op’s financial picture

Who should attend: Board of directors

Embracing Cooperative Principles and Values to Build a Better Community
Mark Thorne, Board President, Moscow Food Co-op
Melinda Schab, General Manager, Moscow Food Co-op
Stephen Barbuto, Board Member, Moscow Food Co-op
Priscilla Schmidt, Board Treasurer, Moscow Food Co-op

Co-ops build and are built by their communities. As a 51-year-old Co-op in the state of Idaho, we’re particularly skilled at ensuring our Co-op continues to be impactful and relevant in a place that is averse to the cooperative model, principles, and values. Co-ops like ours that are situated in politically complicated regions need to be innovative and engaged with their communities to retain organizational credibility and inclusivity, and to provide needed support to community members. The current political climate is becoming unfriendly to the core concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion, which then marginalizes people who are outside of the dominant culture.

In this breakout session you will hear about the strategies that the Moscow Food Co-op Board and General Manager employ to ensure our own education about unmet community needs, and to focus our resources to achieve the greater good as envisioned in our Ends Statement. The strategies that we’ve developed have strengthened our relationships, improved our governance processes, and led to better decision-making outcomes. Come here about our successes and learning moments and discover some strategies you can take home to invigorate your own community connections.

Learning outcomes:

• Learn how community non-profits have informed the General Manager and Board Members of needs in the community and how this knowledge has informed our decision-making process and how you can engage differently with local organizations in your community.
• Hear about regional and local demographics and structural components that pose challenges for people in our community and for our food co-op, and how you can employ similar strategies to those we use to respond to those in the community who are hostile to the “Everyone is Welcome” core principle.
• Take home some examples of what not to do. You can learn from our mistakes.

Who should attend: Board of Directors, General Managers or Department Managers

Grocery Industry and NCG Co-op System Update
C.E. Pugh, CEO, National Co+op Grocers
Jeanie Wells, Retail Grocery and Co-op Development Consultant, Columinate

Retail grocery is one of the most difficult businesses. The grocery business model itself is brutal and when you add in the intense competitive landscape we operate in and the new instability in our industry, it can leave independent grocers feeling overwhelmed and outmaneuvered by corporate grocers. But despite the volatility and challenges we all face, there are also clear opportunities emerging for all food co-ops!

The NCG food co-op system is experiencing a dramatic increase in sales growth
and is growing market share for the first time in over ten years. This session will explore possible drivers of this growth and how we might sustain it. In addition the presentation will include the history of NCG, current state and future plans to provide additional value to NCG members.

Who should attend: Anyone!

A Brighter Path: Onboarding with Gratitude Cultivates Inclusivity
John Crane, General Manager, Portland Food Co-op
Norman Gonsalves, HR & Engagement Manager, Portland Food Co-op

Long gone are the days when staff onboarding consisted solely of paperwork, a name tag, and a store tour. People’s experience with and expectations of the in-person work environment have dramatically changed. Instead of bemoaning this new normal, we view this as an opportunity to form deeper connections with our staff at the very beginning and set a tone of gratitude and appreciation. The goal is to have inclusivity and belonging built into the beginning of the onboarding process instead of engaging in repair work later down the road.

This session will provide a detailed outline of a 90+ day onboarding program.

Learning Outcomes:

• The importance of a long-term, multifaceted onboarding program
• The key points of a psychological safety program
• The value in prioritizing gratitude and appreciation

Who should attend: Administrative Department Staff – marketing, human resources, finance, IT, etc.

Hybrid Stores: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities
Sarah Larson, Board President, Willy Street Grocery Cooperative
Anya Firszt, General Manager, Willy Street Grocery Cooperative

Hybrid stores create opportunities to serve a wider range of communities allowing for a less traditional (cooperative grocery) product mix. Instead, they feature a product mix that is more community-driven and defined. For WSGC, they present a series of opportunities and challenges: they are a less guaranteed growth contributor (profitability is a challenge) but fulfill the cooperative principles and mission through a myriad of ways.

In this session we will chat about WSGC journey launching a hybrid store including: – the commitment to the north side of Madison (which was lacking grocery stores)- community sensing and partnership building- the harsh reality around profitability- lessons learned – trends we are seeing.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the hybrid store model and the problem it seeks to solve
• Understand the challenges of running a hybrid store and some ways to address them
• Learn strategies for community partnership building and launching a new store

Who should attend: Board of Directors, General Managers or Department Managers

How the Board Administrator Helps Strengthen the GM/Board Relationship
Maria Isley, Board Director, Whole Foods Co-op
Holly Wolfe, Board Administrator, Whole Foods Co-op
Amber Richard, Strategic Communications & Marketing Manager, Cook County Co-op
Lizz Ortiz, Board Administrator, Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op
Brian Munn, General Manager, Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op

Whether your co-op is small or large, having a Board Administrator or Board Liaison plays a key role in ensuring everyone stays focused on their roles and priorities. By managing the finer details of filing reports, administrative tasks, board committee coordination, and board communications, this role enables the General Manager to focus on business operations, strategic planning, community engagement, and fulfilling the co-op’s ENDS—all while fostering strong relationships with the Board and staff.

If your co-op has considered adding this role—or engaging someone on your team to support the board in a part-time capacity—but is hesitant about the financial cost or potential outcomes, this session will be of interest to you!

In this session, you’ll hear from two Board Administrators and a Strategic Communications Manager who supports both the Board and General Manager. They will share insights into their unique roles within their co-ops. Dive deeper into their responsibilities and explore what their key duties are—and could be. These positions can be part-time, full-time, or shared roles within their co-ops.

Learning outcomes:

1. Examples of how a Board Administrator or Board Liaison can help strengthen the GM/Board Relationship.
2. Specific job duties the Board Administrator fulfills benefiting the board with time and efficiency.
3. How flexible this position can be depending on the size or your co-op and financial position.

Who should attend: Board of Directors, General Managers or Department Managers

Learning and Growing Through Giving: The Evolution of Whole Foods Co-op’s Shopper Round Up Program
Sarah Hannigan, General Manager, Whole Foods Co-op Duluth
Jenna Kowaleski,  Marketing Manager, Whole Foods Co-op Duluth
Susie Darley-Hill, Board Member, Whole Foods Co-op Duluth

For over 55 years, Whole Foods Co-op (WFC) has been central to a thriving community in and around Duluth, Minnesota. Originating as a buying club, WFC is now a two-store co-op with over 14,000 Owners and 160 employees, generating annual sales exceeding $23 million.

Since 2017 WFC has operated GIVE!, a shopper round-up donation program which has collected and distributed over $900,000 to date.  In the early days, GIVE! donations provided between $2500-$4000 to different local non-profits or WFC’s food access programs each month. By 2019, shopper donations had increased by almost 300% from the initial program launch; it was determined that retooling the program could provide an opportunity to expand impact to local food systems.

Starting in 2019, a portion of GIVE! shopper donations were allocated to the Grow Local Food Fund, a new program to provide grants to emerging and established farmers and food producers in the region. These grants build capacity and expand production in the local food system.

As of February 2025, WFC’s shopper round-up program has provided over $220,000 in Grow Local Food Fund grants to farmers and food producers, as well as $575,000 to local non-profit organizations, and more than $83,000 to WFC’s food access programs for member-owners of limited means.

Numerous unforeseen challenges have been navigated in the development, execution, and continued refinement of the GIVE! program at WFC, each lighting the way for improvements across the shopper round-up donation program.

Learning outcomes:

1. Learn the components of a successful shopper round-up donation program.
2. Understand ways staff and member-owners can become engaged in the development, execution and assessment of a shopper donation program, as well as the selection of program beneficiaries.
3. Appreciate the importance of maintaining an openness to feedback from stakeholders, a commitment to continuous learning, and a willingness to be wrong and to grow from failures.

Who should attend: Board of Directors, General Managers or Department Managers

Road Map to Implementing The WIC Program in your Co-op
Roman Diaz, General Manager, Common Market Co-op
Susan  Schulman, Marketing Manager, Common Market Co-op

The Common Market recently got the certification to accept the WIC program in our stores. We will now be able to provide WIC approved foods, frozen fruits and vegetables, dairy products, dry grocery, whole grains and baby formula, along with resources to help families make informed choices about their nutrition and perhaps help them become owners of the co-op. The program benefits eligible individuals and Families ensuring that they have access to fresh food that is crucial for healthy growth and development. This aligns perfectly with our values of accessibility community and nutrition. In today’s environment, having a program like this in the co-op is important. The presentation is the road map from beginning to end on how to implement a WIC program in your co-op. It was not an easy process; we did not know much about how to implement the program, and we faced a lot of speed buns in the process. It took a lot of time, lots of planning, patience, communication strategies, collaboration and research to be able to implement the program. This presentation hopefully will give some light on the process and make it faster and easier to other co-ops that may want to pursue this initiative.

Learning Outcomes:

• Benefits of having a WIC program in your co-op
• Learning the implementation steps needed to make it happen
• How this aligns with our values of accessibility

Who should attend: Board of Directors, General Managers or Department Managers

Beyond Diversity: Creating Workplaces that Support Well-Being, Representation, and Economic Equity
Allanah Hines, Independent Cooperative Consultant, Allanah.h Consulting, LLC
Sam McCormick, General Manager, Assabet Co-op Market
Gabrielle (Gabby) Davis, Equity, Inclusion & Community Engagement Manager, National Co+op Grocers

Workplace inclusion is more than just policies and representation—it is about fostering an environment where employees feel valued, well-being is prioritized, and business practices actively contribute to economic equity. As companies navigate an evolving workforce, the ability to cultivate inclusion through holistic, sustainable strategies becomes a key driver of success.

This session will explore the intersection of employee well-being, inclusive workplace practices, and supplier diversity, demonstrating how these elements work together to build stronger, more resilient organizations. Participants will gain insight into the ways inclusion goes beyond compliance to become a transformative business approach—one that improves workplace culture, enhances employee engagement, and expands economic opportunities within communities.

By the end of this session, attendees will be equipped with tangible strategies to embed inclusion not just as a corporate initiative but as a core business practice with meaningful and lasting commitment. Whether you are a GM, HR professional, DEI practitioner, or procurement specialist, this session will provide the insights needed to transform workplace culture and contribute to a more equitable economic ecosystem.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the connection between overall well-being and workplace inclusivity.
• Explore the role of inclusivity in fostering a workplace where all employees feel valued.
• Learn how supplier diversity contributes to long-term inclusion, economic empowerment, and social responsibility and identify strategies for integrating these three elements into workplace culture and supplier engagement.

Who should attend: General Managers or Department Managers, Store Department Staff – grocery, wellness, deli, meat, etc.

Navigating Changing Cooperative Waters
Colleen Bakken, General Manager, Harmony Food Co-op

After a tumultuous 2020-2021, cooperative grocery retailers encountered whitewater growth, labor upheaval, and significant cultural challenges within and without their organizations.  This is Harmony Food Co-op’s journey navigating turbulent changes first refocusing on the necessity of sales, margin, and inventory numbers targeting growth while navigating a “Devils Kettle” of labor crisis and transition towards agility and stabilization.  The previously assumed culture of cooperative staff direction and engagement continues to need deeper guidance and a vision inspiring a generational workforce that is still learning how to balance a kayak entry into the workforce; many staff are still working to transition work and personal life trauma experienced into resiliency that is a tool for them to utilize as strength.

This session will utilize Harmony’s experience to offer concrete examples of:

• Key Indicator tools for store performance evaluation and assessment
• Examining organizational capacity and intentional strength building
• Techniques for staff engagement and work culture building
• Community development strengthening via designed events and programs

Solid tools, adaptable skills, realigned structure and systems, intentional gatherings, and valuing telling the story of change moves culture to where we need to go on the next step of our journey.  This is the essence of navigation…it is possible to make this journey together as a Co-op…it is historically our call and lived experience!

Learning Outcomes:

1. Attendees will be able to identify and apply specific tools and methods for building desired staff culture.
2. Attendees will understand the significance of designed organizational capacity and bring back to their store strength building strategies
3. Attendees will have examples of community building events and programs that can be used or developed within their own stores.

Who should attend: General Managers or Department Managers, Administrative Department Staff – marketing, human resources, finance, IT, etc.

When Crisis Hits Home: Board-GM Conflict, Accountability, and Recovery at Two Co-ops
Shari Gross, President, Erie Food Co-op
LeAnna Nieratko, CEO/GM, Erie Food Co-op
Barb Button, Board Member, Menomonie Market Food Co-op
Crystal Halvorson, General Manager, Menomonie Market Food Co-op

In this powerful and honest session, two food co-ops—Menomonie Market Food Co-op (WI) and Erie Food Co-op (PA)—share how they each navigated major organizational crises involving breakdowns in communication, allegations of misconduct, and public conflict between boards, GMs, and member-owners.

Menomonie Market’s crisis emerged in early 2024 after years of intense operational change: pandemic management, a co-op merger, and a major expansion. Just as stability seemed within reach, the board was faced with allegations from staff and member-owners about GM misconduct and a toxic workplace culture. Erie Food Co-op’s crisis centered around the GM/CEO enduring public harassment from board members and member-owners, prompting a former board president to return to the board mid-crisis to help stabilize and guide the recovery.

In both cases, trust was fractured—but both co-ops emerged with hard-won lessons in accountability, communication, and policy development.

This session brings together board members and GMs from both co-ops to present on what happened, how they responded, and what they wish they had known beforehand.

Learning outcomes:

1. Building and Sustaining Trust: Participants will explore the importance of cooperation and trust in the board-GM relationship and how to repair it after it’s been broken.
2. Crisis Management and Communication: Participants will gain strategies and resources for thoughtful, transparent communication with owners and staff during periods of conflict or unrest.
3. Prevention Through Policy and Skill-Building: Participants will identify key policies (e.g., Board Code of Conduct, GM Monitoring Reports) and skill sets (e.g., HR, conflict resolution) that can prevent or de-escalate crises—and learn where to turn when these capacities are missing.

Who should attend: This session is for anyone who wants to lead their co-op through difficult times with integrity, clarity, and care—and come out the other side with stronger systems and relationships.

Brave Conversations, Stronger Co-ops: Cultivating Dialogue for Change
Jon Steinman, Accredited Professional Dialogue Practitioner, Cooperative Dialogue
Laura King, Leadership Development Coach, Columinate

Food co-ops thrive on collaboration, but like any community-driven organization, they often face the challenge of navigating difficult conversations—whether about governance, culture, or systemic change. These challenges also apply to the wider food co-op movement. Are there difficult conversations that are collectively being avoided, which, if engaged in meaningful dialogue, could strengthen the movement?

In this session, experienced co-op communication facilitators will guide participants through exercises designed to build the skills necessary for transformative dialogue. From there, we will engage in a group dialogue on a big-picture topic that will harness the unique opportunity that CCMA provides – an unparalleled convergence of hundreds of governance and operational co-operators!

The focus will be on increasing the capacity for considering and understanding other perspectives, and on collective thought —where the group works together as a whole rather than as a collection of individuals.

This session is not about providing easy answers or immediate solutions, but rather about strengthening the dialogue muscles that enable board members and managers to engage with the complexity of organizational challenges, inherited belief systems and unspoken tensions. This session will also set the stage for the group to continue the dialogue virtually after CCMA, where we can continue to practice dialogic skills and apply them to fundamental conversations in the food co-op movement.

Learning outcomes:

1. Enhanced Dialogue Competence: Participants will learn skills for engaging in difficult conversations, including how to better embrace a wide diversity of perspectives.
2. Improved Relationa Intelligence: Attendees will explore how unspoken beliefs, inherited systems, and unacknowledged relational dynamics may be shaping their co-op’s culture and decision-making.
3. Capacity for Collective Thinking: Attendees will learn to shift from individualistic thinking to collective thought, cultivating the ability to work as a cohesive group that can tackle complex challenges together.

Who should attend: Board of Directors, General Managers or Department Managers

Understanding Union Organizing in Food Cooperatives: Legal & Peer Perspectives
Presenter: Alice Kirkland, Shareholder, Littler Mendelson P.C.
Moderator: Courtney Berner, Executive Director, UW Center for Cooperatives

As worker unionization efforts grow across various industries, food co-op leaders must be prepared to navigate the process effectively and in alignment with cooperative values. This session provides an essential foundation for board members and general managers to understand the legal framework of union organizing, common challenges, and best practices for responding in a way that upholds cooperative principles.

A labor law expert will outline key legal considerations. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of their roles, responsibilities, and options when workers organize, along with practical insights for fostering open communication and strong workplace relationships.

The session will also include a facilitated discussion where participants can share and reflect on what they have learned from their own unionization experiences.

This session is designed to be an informative, balanced discussion that helps cooperative leaders approach unionization with knowledge, respect, and cooperative values at the forefront.

Who should attend: Board of Directors, General Managers or Department Managers

Illuminating a Path Through Change
Rita York Hennecke, Leadership Coach, Facilitator and Change Agent, Lead with Rita
Seth Naumann, General Manager, The Merc Co+op

Food co-ops have long driven progressive change, and as the industry evolves, it is vital that leaders embrace adaptability to survive and thrive in the future. Whether the co-op is changing policies, strengthening community initiatives, or planning for growth, leading change with intention is essential. Change can be complex, but proven strategies make it more effective and sustainable. This interactive workshop equips co-op leaders with practical tools from Cornell University’s Change Management program. Participants will analyze a current or upcoming change within their co-op through a new lens, using worksheets, discussions, and a case study to gain actionable insights.

Change is inevitable—but with the right tools and strategies, it becomes an opportunity to make significant progress toward the Ends and positive impact that co-ops aim to make in their communities. This workshop provides space for reflection, collaboration, and action planning. Leaders will have the tools and confidence to implement sustainable change at their co-op.  Join us as we learn, strategize, and grow together!

Learning Outcomes:

• An understanding and drafted responses to the five essential questions to ask before launching a change initiative.
• Tools to anticipate and respond to both active and passive resistance to change.
• A drafted communication plan for a current or upcoming change at their co-op.

Who should attend: Board of Directors, General Managers or Department Managers

Collaboration to Change the Senior Discount: A Case Study in Equity & Financial Sustainability
Samantha Conselman, President, Davis Food Co-op

Grocery co-ops strive to balance financial sustainability with community impact, but discount programs can often reinforce inequities if not carefully structured. The Davis Food Co-op recently navigated a challenging but necessary transition—moving from a broad senior discount to a more targeted, needs-based approach. This session will explore how a collaborative effort between the Board and management led to this decision, the extensive research conducted to support it, and the key lessons learned in implementing change while maintaining community trust.

This session will provide a behind-the-scenes look at how the Co-op Board took an active role in decision-making by modifying executive limitations, conducting community outreach, and ultimately making a policy change that better aligned with the Co-op’s mission and financial health. Attendees will gain insight into managing similar transitions in their own co-ops, engaging members in constructive dialogue, and ensuring discount programs reflect the needs of the broader community.

Learning Outcomes:

• Assess Discount Program Equity & Sustainability – Understand how to evaluate the financial and social impact of discount programs using data-driven decision-making.
• Lead Collaborative Change – Learn strategies for co-op boards and management teams to work together in making policy shifts that align with cooperative values.
• Engage Stakeholders in Difficult Transitions – Gain practical approaches to communicating and gathering input from members, staff, and community groups when implementing change.

Who should attend: Board of Directors, General Managers or Department Managers

Board Compensation: Current data and thinking on paying board members for their service
Ben Sandel, Consultant, Columinate
Rose Marie Klee, Leadership Development Consultant, Columinate

In many co-ops, board service has been without compensation or with minimal compensation. Is this good for the co-op? What does this mean for board diversity, commitment, accountability and recruitment? In this session we’ll present the findings of a recent survey on board compensation and engage in a discussion on the impact of compensated versus uncompensated board service. There may be no universal solution that works for all co-ops, but all co-ops should consider the implications of compensation for the people who fulfill this essential part of our organizations.

Learning outcomes:

• Understanding the current landscape of co-op board compensation
• Creating a context for a discussion that can be taken back to your board, on the question of compensation
• Furthering the work of making our co-op boards more effective

Who should attend: Board of directors

Innovations from the Next Generation: What My Co-op Can Learn from Detroit People’s Food Co-op
Chris Dilley, Director of Startup Support, Food Co-op Initiative
Lanay Gilbert-Williams, Board President, Detroit People’s Food Co-op

The number and makeup of communities across the country in various stages of organizing food co-ops continues to grow and is rapidly evolving. Ten new food co-ops opened their stores in the past two years; there are more than a dozen planning to open in the next two years; and 60 other startups are at various stages of organizing.

The natural and organic foods that anchored the second and third waves of our co-ops are still core to the organizing of some new food co-ops, but there are voices from communities rarely served by these waves joining the chorus of determination to build community-owned grocery stores. We are seeing more and more communities inspired to build cooperatives to address food sovereignty and food access issues, organized in ways that more powerfully engage their communities beyond previous efforts, and including conventional products in their selection.

In this session, managers and board members of existing food co-ops will have a chance to learn from the recent and powerful community organizing efforts of communities that are predominantly of the global majority, and/or historically redlined communities. The session will take a close look at the intensive organizing efforts of the Detroit People’s Food Co-op (DPFC) and translation of those efforts into their retail grocery store, which opened in May 2024. Learn how DPFC established a blended natural/conventional product mix, actively engaged dozens of volunteers in their development, and how board and staff continue to work together to co-create a store that also serves as a vibrant center of community – from Monday night chess night to grocery giveaways.

Learning outcomes:

1. Strategies to engage more deeply in community building
2. New ways of thinking about how boards and staff can work together to better meet the needs of the community
3. A sense of what other racially diverse and historically redlined communities across the country are looking for from similar efforts

Who should attend: Board of Directors, General Managers or Department Managers

GreenStar’s “Remarkable Recovery”:  Turning Around a Big Co-op
Jeff Bessmer, General Manager, GreenStar Cooperative Market
RJ Isley, Council Vice President, GreenStar Cooperative Market

GreenStar’s Vice President and General Manager tell the story of the 2022-2024 recovery of their 13,000-member, $27,000,000 Co-op with 3 stores. Their board worked to build their governance focus, expertise, and foundations while management and staff embraced their co-op values, included their diverse community, and implemented grocery fundamentals.  Together this resulted in going from 0% to 6% sales growth, improving cash from $700,000 to $3,000,000, and ten consecutive quarters of profitability.  This session will be a case study of assessing and prioritizing challenges in a crisis, identifying and implementing solutions, building buy-in, execution of the plan, and reassessment.  Specific examples will include:

1. Board organization and professionalization
2. Bylaws rewrite and member vote
3. Staff wage increase and margin adjustment
4. Community and values re-engagement
5. Operations efficiency focus and professionalization

Learning Outcomes:

• Effective example of Board/GM Relationship in crisis
• Practical ways to assess Co-op problems
• Examples of successful implementations

Who should attend: Board of Directors, General Managers or Department Managers

Building Multi-Store Alignment
Theron Beaudreau, Operations Manager, Whole Foods Co-op
Erika Osterman, Store Manager – Denfeld, Whole Foods Co-op

Exploring Whole Foods Co-op’s journey from discovering a disparity between experiences at our two locations, to developing and implementing strategies to address inequities in experience while also honoring the diversity of our communities/markets. 

As many co-ops, our post-COVID recovery came with unexpected surprises and new realities. In the Fall of 2023, we did a staff survey with 100% staff participation. We knew to expect results that reminded us about systems we had to abandon during COVID and had yet to revive. However, we did not expect to find a large disparity between the staff’s experience at our older store verses our newer location. This caused us to take a long hard look at our co-op and ask: how do we operate as a single co-op with different stores in different communities? How do we serve different markets while staying true to our core values and the small things that make us unique? 

Looking beyond just the staff experience, we recognized the differences in the markets our two stores serve. Our Hillside store is in a Low Access area of Duluth whereas our Denfeld store is in a Low Income area. Clearly, any strategy would need to take these fundamental market differences into account to be successful. With this recognition, we set the intention of better serving the neighborhoods of which we are apart, while also creating a more aligned experience for our staff and our customers. 

In this presentation, we will illustrate the challenges of divergences between the operations of multiple locations, our reflection on the nature of the problem, and the development and implementation of our strategy to address it. 

 Who should attend: Operations/Management

Crisis, Chaos, and Calamity: Getting through hard times at your co-op
LaDonna Sanders Redmond, Board Vice President, Seward Community Co-op
Raynardo Williams, General Manager, Seward Community Co-op

Cooperatives are founded on shared values, but during a crisis, tensions may rise, and governance can be challenged. This workshop explores the difficulties encountered by the Seward Co-op in Minneapolis, concentrating on critical moments of crisis, including union organizing efforts, the George Floyd uprising, and leadership conflicts.

Through an interactive case study, we will explore how Seward’s leadership and community responded to critical moments, covering topics such as labor rights, community accountability, and decision-making under pressure. Current and former Seward Co-op board members, along with the General Manager, will partake in this discussion to share firsthand experiences, lessons learned, and insights on managing conflict while remaining true to cooperative principles.

Expect a lively and candid discussion that explores governance challenges, crisis communication, and cooperative values in practice. Whether you are a co-op board member, staff member, or engaged owner, this session will offer tools to manage conflict, enhance transparency, and build resilience amid chaos.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Understand Crisis Dynamics in Co-ops
2. Learn how co-op boards and general managers navigate conflicts, internal and external pressures, and crisis response
3. Discuss the roles and responsibilities of board members and the General Manager during labor disputes and organizational shifts.

Who should attend: Board of Directors, General Managers or Department Managers

Not Your Ball and Chain: Growing Healthy Relationships on your Co-op Board
Amanda Warren, Board President, Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op
Samantha Langevin, Board Vice President, Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op
Caryne Eskridge, Board Member, Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op
Greg Prescott, General Manager, Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op

The cooperative model has long been known as a tool for innovation, with a deep history of challenging the status quo and creating alternatives to serve those at the margins. As we move through the International Year of the Cooperative, we ask ourselves: how do we continue to innovate cooperative governance, growing branches that reach beyond the store and out into our communities?  Many of us have observed Boards of Directors operating under outdated models of relationships and General Managers describing their Boards of Directors as impinging on their freedom–the stereotypical, problematic image of a “ball and chain.”

At the Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op in rural Vermont, however, our leadership team continues to challenge the status quo for relationship building within a successful, modern business. Rather than a ball and chain, our General Manager and Board working relationship is one rooted in trust, respect, understanding, and mutual accountabilityJoin MNFC Board Members as we use the last few years at our co-op as a case-study for growing positive, healthy working relationships that reach beyond the confines of the Board room.

In this workshop, we will explore both the Board / General Manager dynamic, and relationships between Board members. We’ll give real, practical examples of the ways boards can use intentional, deliberate processes and policy to create relationships that have strong implications for board functioning, store functioning, adaptability in the face of the unknown, and navigating dissent.

Learning outcomes:

• Participants will be able to articulate how different models of relationships can impact the success and function of co-op Boards of Directors.
• Participants will be able to identify new tools for growing healthy, functioning relationships between board members and the board and its GM
• Participants will better understand the correlation between time devoted to relationship building, and the perceived value of each other’s roles within the co-op.

Who should attend: Board of Directors, General Managers or Department Managers

Building Resilience For An Uncertain Future
John Tashiro, General Manager, City Market Onion River Co-op
Sam Werbel, Board President, City Market Onion River Co-op

Food retail is more competitive than ever with national and regional chains offering an abundance of product options and community services across multiple locations in various forms. Local and organic offerings have become mainstream and understanding customer needs and wants remain complex and never-ending. Couple that with limited resources and budgets, long standing cultural ways of working and entrenchment in past successes, not to mention the social climate, co-ops are constantly being challenged with how to differentiate themselves in their communities and stay relevant. In times like these, organizational change and any evolution can feel like a daunting task indeed.

As a +50 year old $60MM two store co-op with over 12,000 Members and a strong community following that is often touted as a key attraction behind Burlington Vermont’s appeal, City Market Onion River Co-op is all too familiar with the issues, perceptions and responsibilities that accompany such high expectations.

Welcoming you to join this co-op through their journey so far and experience a behind the scenes look into their various trials and tribulations with examples including a comprehensive annual programming schedule, self check out, online delivery and new Member benefits among others. We hope to reveal what we believe are the key elements in building a relevant and resilient co-op identity, presence and business in the community.

Learning outcomes:

• A way to revisit your co-op’s identify to strengthen its relevance in your community
• An integrated planning approach that provides the link between your strategies to your various implementations
• A path to bring greater alignment among your Board, GM and staff around the co-op’s operational workings

Who should attend: Board of Directors, General Managers or Department Managers