by Stephanie Ricketts, Board Member
Happy return of Spring fellow Co-opers!
The spring equinox falls on March 20th this year, and I am buoyed by the lengthening days and the occasional whiff of spring carried in on the breeze. I hope each of you feels the thrill of possibility as we move toward warmer days, festooned with ramps, morels and the first tender greens of the growing season.
Can’t Stop Won’t Stop… Policy Monitoring
In the meantime, your Board has been busy through the final weeks of winter! At our monthly Board meetings, we continue to monitor the financial health of the organization (in a nutshell: things look solid), grow our knowledge base and overall cohesion as a group, and monitor compliance with our various governance policies. In January we reviewed reports on Policies B6 (Staff Compensation + Treatment), B9 (Management Continuity) and C9 (Board Compensation).
For those who don’t know (or would just like a reminder), Willy Street Co-op’s Board utilizes Policy Governance to monitor and guide the health of our organization. The oh-so-stimulating definition from Policy Governance.com reads, “Policy Governance® is a model of governance designed to empower Boards of directors to fulfill their obligation of accountability for the organizations they govern. As a generic system, it is applicable to the governing body of any enterprise. The model enables the Board to focus on the larger issues, to delegate with clarity, to control management’s job without meddling, to rigorously evaluate the accomplishment of the organization, to truly lead its organization.” Which is to say that the Board sets policies, which management and staff strive to meet, as a way to provide structure and leadership.
Speaking of policies, the Board —via the Policy Committee—is also reviewing our current policies and bylaws for any redundancy or opportunities for improvement. Keep an eye on future Readers for any updates to the language!
Meet a Board Member
Curious about the Board’s work? Have questions about policies, the strategic direction of the organization, or other aspects of the Co-op’s leadership? Come ask us in person!
Board members will be tabling at each location on the following dates and times. At least two Board members, along with some tasty samples, will be on hand to answer your questions, chat about your thoughts and ideas for the Co-op, and get to know you, our Owners! We would love to meet you, and I hope you’ll stop by.
- March 10, Willy North, 12:00pm-2:00pm
- April 14, Willy West, 12:00pm-2:00pm
- May 12, Willy East, 12:00pm-2:00pm
Our intention is to repeat this tabling format for the rest of the year. Let us know if there are other ways you’d like to meet your Board!
2018 Elections
Before you know it, the heat of summer will be here along with the AMP and Co-op Board elections! If you are passionate about Willy Street Co-op, love the sound of setting and monitoring policies, and/or have a vision for the future of our organization, it’s the perfect time to consider running for the Board. Nomination materials will be available in the stores and posted on the Co-op’s website by March 5, and a number of Board candidate orientation sessions are scheduled as well. Our first Board Candidate orientation session will be at Willy West on March 14, 2018 from 6:00pm-7:00pm.
Know someone who would be a phenomenal candidate? Send the information to them! The more awesome candidates we have, the brighter the future for our Co-op.
Happy Trails, Dave Pauly
Board member and VP Dave Pauly has resigned from the Board, as he and his wife will be moving on to exciting adventures in a new locale. Thank you for your 2+ years of service Dave, and for bringing an incisive, articulate and wise voice to the Board!
As always, it is a pleasure to serve on your Board of Directors. Thanks for being a part of this Co-op!
