PCC Board of Trustees report, November 2011
This article was originally published in November 2011
Board report
There was no board meeting in October.
The October 25 member meeting occurred after press time. Look for a meeting report, including photos, on our website by November 9 and in the December issue of this paper.
Next board meeting
The next regularly scheduled board meeting will be Tuesday, November 29 at 5 p.m. at the co-op office. Member comment period is at 7 p.m. Comments are limited to three minutes unless a longer presentation is approved by the chair in advance of the meeting.
Nominating committee completing work
The 2012 board candidates will be announced on our website and in the January issue of the Sound Consumer.
Ends policies
Management reports each year on its interpretation of our Ends policies and on the actions of the past year that convey its compliance with these guiding policies. Below are some excerpts from the 2011 report based on 2010 activity.
ENDS POLICY D:
PCC members and patrons are well educated in matters of healthful foods, healthy sustainable living, and the cooperative business model.
An excerpt from management’s interpretation:
PCC is to conduct outreach efforts to educate its members and patrons on issues that relate to food and other products offered by PCC, the cooperative business model and governance activities. Educational efforts will often occur one-to-one between well-educated staff and members of our shopping public but may also take the form of classes and lectures directed at staff and consumers, electronic and printed communications, and PCC sponsored events.
Compliance Indicators:
- Staff education
- Consumer education
- PCC Cooks program, store tours, product demonstrations
- PCC website
An excerpt from management’s report:
Staff education
Throughout last year our employees were offered opportunities to learn more about our products and to improve their skills. Our human resources department provided training that included:
- New staff orientations: Required classes that include information about the cooperative business model, our governance structure and governance activities. In addition, all new staff members are required to attend at least one in-store class to begin orienting them to PCC’s product lines and product standards.
- Computer training classes
- Health and safety training
- Our staff also attended a variety of vendor training sessions.
Consumer education
We always are looking for more ways to promote healthful living in our community. A key example is our 27-year-old PCC Cooks program. In 2010 the program offered classes featuring hands-on practical advice about preparing and cooking healthful foods. PCC Cooks offered 1,089 individual classes last year, which were attended by 16,262 people. The number of classes increased 12.3 percent from the previous year; total students increased 23.9 percent.
Major categories of instruction include:
- Walk, Talk & Taste: Staff experts guide shoppers through the aisles of PCC providing food facts, recipes and products to sample.
- The Basics of Cooking: Tips, techniques and recipes for beginning cooks.
- PCC Kids Cook: Hands-on classes for kids ages 2 to 15. Kids make their own meals while learning kitchen skills and techniques appropriate to their age.
Store tours/product demonstrations
Tours of our stores are requested by schools and community groups, visiting industry professionals and the media. Tours are scheduled on an individual basis and led by store and/or office personnel, depending on the group.
PCC website
Substantial progress was made in educating consumers in 2010 through enhancements to our online offerings, especially our new website. Customers now have five searchable databases (gluten-free, PCC Kid Picks approved, non-GMO products, bulk products and recipes), and a variety of new podcasts and videos to learn how to prepare PCC products and become more familiar with PCC producers.