Your co-op, February 2010

Election coming soon

The 2010 board election dates are April 27 through May 20 with four PCC members vying for three open seats:

• Katrina Basic (controller, Aqua Quip)
• Jason Hamlin (financial advisor, UBS)
• Bryan Pearce (CEO, University Book Store)
• John Sheller (managing librarian, King County Library System)

This month our candidates are videotaping interviews designed to introduce their ideas for PCC governance to members. The video interviews will be posted on PCC’s Web site by March 24, more than a month before printed election material is mailed to members’ homes in April.

Nominating committee chair Mary Simon says, “We hope members take advantage of this early opportunity to begin their deliberations.”

Our annual meeting on April 27 is another chance to meet and talk with the candidates and current board members. We’ll also host informal candidate forums in May at two stores — one on the east side and another on the west. All the can-didates will participate, along with several current board members. Dates and times will be in the March Sound Consumer.

All members who are active as of March 31, 2010 will be eligible to vote in the 2010 board election.

Board report

There was no board meeting in December and the January 26 meeting report will be published in March. The next regularly scheduled board meeting will be Tuesday, March 30 at 5 p.m. at the co-op office.

Members are welcome at all public sessions of the board meeting. Member comment period is at 7 p.m.

Members also are encouraged to ask questions or share ideas or concerns with board members during Talk to the Board visits. These in-store events have become a regular avenue for the board and members to interact on a one-on-one basis. The next board visits are:

• Sunday, February 7, Noon to 2 p.m.
  Redmond PCC
• Saturday, March 27, 9 to 11 a.m.
  Issaquah PCC

You always may contact the board at
board@pccmarkets.com
or at the co-op’s postal mailing address.

Former trustee in Obama administration

(l-r) Board chair Stephen Tan, Public Affairs Director Trudy Bialic, Board Administrator Janice Parker, Horton, and Nutrition Educator Goldie Caughlan.

Kelly Horton, a member of the PCC Board from 2007 to 2009, has accepted an offer to work on fellowship in the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Food and Nutrition Services’ (FNS) Office of Strategic Initiatives, Partnerships and Outreach. During the next year, Horton will focus on FNS policy initiatives for the Obama administration.

Horton was named a 2009-2010 Health and Aging Policy Fellow (www.healthandagingpolicy.org). She has an interdisciplinary background in business management and food and nutrition policy, and left the PCC board last summer to explore opportunities in the Obama administration.

The Health and Aging Policy Fellows Program enables professionals to earn the experience and skills necessary to help develop and implement policies affecting older Americans.

Fellows participate in the American Political Science Association Congressional Fellowship Progam (www.apsanet.org). The nine- to 12-month program offers opportunities to participate in the policymaking process as legislative assistants in Congress, professional staff members in executive agencies, or in policy organizations.

Horton recently wrote, “My colleagues and I just completed a two-month orientation preparing us to serve as fellows. It’s very exciting to learn more about our nation’s politics, policy and process. I look forward to putting this knowledge to use.”
Horton expects to report occasionally to the PCC membership on her work.

Member satisfaction survey

Every two years, the PCC board conducts member opinion research. The board has hired Gilmore Research Group, a Seattle-based independent marketing research and public opinion firm, to survey our members. A random selection of PCC members will be called in February.

We encourage you to participate. The survey takes approximately eight minutes to complete. Your comments will be kept confidential, as will your contact information.