Co-op Governance

Willy Street Co-op is owned by more than 33,000 active Owners, governed by a Board of Directors, and operated by a paid staff. Owners have always been the backbone of the Co-op, supporting it financially and participating in governance.

Board of Directors  |  Committees  |  Bylaws  |  Policies  |  Global Ends Policy

 

Board of Directors

Sarah Larson,

Board President

Ashwini Rao,

Vice President

Carol Weidel,

Board Member

Tatiana Dennis,

Board Member

Isabel Spooner-Harvey,

Board Member

Nancy Ranum,

Board Member

Gigi Godwin,

Board Member

Anthony Hernandez,

Board Member

Ike Ross,

Board Member

Ros Murphy (send e-mail),

Corporate Secretary

Board Meeting Schedule (Note: Board meetings are open to Co-op Owners only, or those who receive approval from the Board to attend. To request permission to attend, please email all-board@willystreet.coop)

Approved Board Meeting Minutes

Incorporated in September of 1973, Willy Street Co-op was born into a politically charged atmosphere. Founding members felt a need to make a statement to support an alternative way of life. Over forty years later, Willy Street Co-op continues to provide alternatives–offering the finest in natural and organic foods; maintaining a safe, participatory workplace; supporting local businesses and suppliers; and operating the store efficiently for the long-term benefit of Owners and the community.

Willy Street Co-op is a consumer-owned cooperative governed by a Board of Directors and operated by a paid staff. Owners have always been the backbone of the Co-op, supporting it financially and participating in governance.

The Board of Directors welcome your comments by email:

Email all-board@willystreet.coop contacts all Board members, the General Manager, the Board administrator, and relevant personnel.

Email board@willystreet.coop Goes to Board members only.

As a cooperative, we are committed to being responsive to our Owners and shoppers. This can best be accomplished when the Board reflects the wide diversity and interests of our Owners. We are especially eager to welcome new Board members with skills and backgrounds relevant to a large, complex business, for example, experience in business, finance, community development, real estate, law, retail operations, or human resources. However, because the board practices policy governance, members with or without these skill sets may competently serve in accordance with the democratic requirements of our bylaws and the co-op principles. Board of Directors elections are held each year. Elections will take place in October of each year and the candidates are announced at the Annual Meeting & Party, in our newsletter, and in other candidate materials. For more information on how to run for the Board, contact the Board Administrator.

Learn more about diversity, equity, inclusion at Willy Street Co-op here.

 

Committees

We have a variety of committees to help with:

  • Oversight of certain areas of the Co-op where we want feedback from Owners and/or knowledgeable experts outside of the Board and/or management
  • Make decisions in certain areas
  • Improve processes at the Co-op

Learn more about our committees, who is currently on them, and how to let us know you would be interested to serve on one of the committees by visiting our Committees page.

 

Bylaws

Bylaws of the Williamson Street Grocery Cooperative
A Cooperative Formed Under Chapter 185 of the Wisconsin Statutes

The complete Bylaws can be found on the Bylaws page of the Co-op’s main site.

 

Board Policies

As a policy governance board, we monitor performance and compliance through our policies. View Board Policies Here.

ENDS Policy (Policy A)

The Williamson Street Grocery Co-op is, and will remain, an economically viable and environmentally sound business cooperatively owned by its owners; its primary mission is to operate a retail grocery store that forms a cornerstone of a vibrant community.

To evaluate progress towards these ends, the Board shall monitor compliance with our ENDS Policy

Policy A:

Willy Street Grocery Co-op will be at the forefront of a cooperative and just society that:

  • has a robust local economy built around equitable relationships;
  • nourishes and enriches our community and environment; and
  • has a culture of respect, generosity, and authenticity.
Board Code of Conduct

We each commit ourselves to ethical, professional, and lawful conduct.

  1. Every director is responsible at all times for acting in good faith, in a manner which they reasonably believe to be in the best interests of the Cooperative, and with such care as an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would use under similar circumstances.
  2. Directors must demonstrate unconflicted loyalty to the interests of the Cooperative’s owners. This accountability supersedes any conflicting loyalty such as that to advocacy or interest groups, membership on other Boards or staff, and the personal interest of any director acting as an individual consumer or member.
    • There will be no self-dealing or any conducting of private business or personal services between any director and the Cooperative except as procedurally controlled to assure openness, competitive opportunity, and equal access to “inside” information.
    • At the first meeting of the newly seated Board, at the beginning of the fiscal year, all directors will complete the “Conflict of Interest Disclosure” form, and will verbally report to the whole board the potential conflicts. Any subsequent potential conflicts will be reported to the whole board immediately.
    • When the Board is to decide on an issue about which a director has an unavoidable conflict of interest, that director shall abstain from the conversation and the vote.
    • Any director who is also a paid employee has the same duties and responsibilities as any other director and has the additional duty of clearly segregating staff and Board responsibilities.
  3. Directors may not attempt to exercise individual authority over the organization.
    • When interacting with the GM or employees, individual directors must carefully and openly recognize their lack of authority.
    • When interacting with the public, the press, or other entities, directors must recognize the same limitation and the inability of any director to speak for the Board except to repeat explicitly stated Board decisions.
  4. Directors will respect the confidentiality appropriate to issues of a sensitive nature and must continue to honor confidentiality after leaving Board service.
  5. The board of Directors does not have a direct role in retail operations or union bargaining relationships and should not engage in conversations with employees related to workplace conditions, wages or benefits, or any issues directly related to the employees’ union. Therefore, directors will respect the relationship between the General Manager and United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America 1186 by not engaging employees in conversations related to the employee’s union.
  6. Directors will prepare for, attend, and participate fully in all Board meetings, and trainings.
  7. Directors will support the legitimacy and authority of the Board’s decision on any matter, irrespective of the director’s personal position on the issue.
  8. If it is determined that a Director has acted against the best interest of the Co-op or has violated the Director’s code of conduct outlined in this policy, the Director may be removed by a 2/3 vote of the Directors present at a Board Meeting pursuant to Bylaw 5.7 Section 3.”

 

Global Ends Policy

View Board Policies 

The Williamson Street Grocery Co-op is, and will remain, an economically viable and environmentally sound business cooperatively owned by its owners; its primary mission is to operate a retail grocery store that forms a cornerstone of a vibrant community.

To evaluate progress towards these ends, the Board shall monitor whether;

Policy A:

Willy Street Grocery Co-op will be at the forefront of a cooperative and just society that:

  • has a robust local economy built around equitable relationships;
  • nourishes and enriches our community and environment; and
  • has a culture of respect, generosity, and authenticity.

These policies statements shall be reviewed at each board meeting, and the GM shall provide a monitoring report in February.

Adopted by action of the Williamson Street Grocery Co-op Board of Directors on October 12, 2002.
Amended by action of the Williamson Street Grocery Co-op Board of Directors on February 8, 2003.
Amended by action of the Williamson Street Grocery Co-op Board of Directors on April 4, 2005.
Amended by action of the Williamson Street Grocery Co-op Board of Directors on January 17, 2012
Amended by action of the Williamson Street Grocery Co-op Board of Directors on November 15, 2015

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