Your co-op, February 2011
This article was originally published in February 2011
Coming soon: 2011 board election
The 2011 board election dates are April 26 through May 19 with five PCC members vying for three open seats:
- Carol Binder (management consultant), incumbent
- Julianne Lamsek (director of technology, KCTS 9), incumbent
- Michael LaBaw (president, Sound Telecom)
- Jane Repensek (vice president, Special Olympics Washington)
- Bruce Williams (director, HomeStreet Bank)
Our candidates just completed videotape interviews designed to give members an early chance to begin examining the candidates’ ideas on PCC governance. Our members have told us they take very seriously their votes in board elections and appreciate the extra time to consider the candidates.
The video interviews will be posted on PCC’s website no later than March 23, more than a month before the printed election material is mailed to members’ homes in April. We encourage members to spend some time getting familiar with the candidates.
Our annual meeting on April 26 will offer a chance to meet and talk with the candidates and all current board members. We’ll also once again host informal candidate forums in May at two of our stores — one on the eastside and another on the west.
All of the candidates will participate, along with several current board members. We’ll announce the dates and times of the forums in the March Sound Consumer so that members may make plans to attend.
Actually seeing and hearing the candidates really does help members feel more confident about voting. So, do try to attend the annual meeting or the candidate store visits and check out the election material on our website after March 23; then VOTE.
All members who are active as of March 31, 2011 will be eligible to vote in the 2011 board election.
Board report
There was no board meeting in December and the January 25 meeting report will be published in March. The next regularly scheduled board meeting will be Tuesday, March 29 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.
Annual meeting speakers announced
For the educational segment of our April 26 annual meeting, we will look at The Future of Organic. We are incredibly fortunate that the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) and the National Organic Program will hold their spring meetings in Seattle April 26 through 30.
We have asked a stellar group of experts who will be attending those meetings to talk to our members about some of the key issues facing the organic industry. Liana Hoodes, Urvashi Rangan, Ph.D., and Michael Sligh will join us.
Hoodes is director of the National Organic Coalition. Dr. Rangan is director of technical policy at Consumers Union. Sligh is founding chair of the NOSB and Sustainable Agriculture Program director of the Rural Advancement Foundation International USA (RAFI-USA).
They will discuss a range of issues that impact the organic industry, including animal welfare, poultry standards, aquaculture, nanotech, and items up for sunset review by the NOSB.
For more information