PCC Board of Trustees report, February 2015

The annual meeting is April 28. Learn about activities leading up to the board election.

Put the annual meeting on your calendar — April 28, 5:30 p.m.

The meeting will be your first chance to talk in person with this year’s candidates. Each will talk briefly about why they want to serve on our board. The candidates are:

• Maggie Lucas (parent, attorney), incumbent, current board chair
• Sandy Voit (divorce financial planner), incumbent
• Jason Filippini (senior director of finance at The Seattle Times)
• Michael Hutchings (business and social purpose attorney, partner at DLA Piper)

The 2015 board election dates are April 28 through May 18.

We’re glad our members want extra time to consider the candidates who are asking for their votes. To help members acquaint themselves with this great slate, our candidates will videotape interviews that we’ll publish on our website in March. The interviews are designed to give our members an early chance to think about the candidates before voting.

The candidates will discuss 1) why they want to serve on the board, 2) what they think makes PCC a different kind of business, and 3) what skills or experience they will bring to the board.

If you have any questions for our candidates, please email board@pccmarkets.com and we’ll forward them to the nominating committee. They’ll try to get your questions answered and we’ll post them on our website during the election.

Seeing and hearing the candidates really helps members feel more connected to the process and confident about voting. So, do plan to attend the annual meeting and browse the election material on our website after March 19. All members who are active as of March 31 will be eligible to vote in the 2015 board election.

In addition to meeting our board candidates at the annual meeting, you’ll hear reports from the board and management with highlights from 2014. We also will take a look at our newest store being constructed in Columbia City and scheduled to open in the summer.

One highlight of the evening will be saluting the 30-year-old PCC Cooks program. Started in 1985, the program now boasts more than 1,000 classes each year. We’ll talk about the evolution of the program and the great education it provides in our communities. Our PCC Cooks chefs will be involved in our menu planning and preparation!

Board report

There was no board meeting in December. The January 27 meeting report will be published in the March Sound Consumer. The next regularly scheduled board meeting will be Tuesday, March 31 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 6 p.m.

All of the board’s committees were scheduled to report on their work plans at the January meeting. The board planned to meet for a one-day retreat on January 31 for strategic and personnel discussions.

Ends policy review coming in March

These mission-related policies embody the board’s long-range vision. Virtually every initiative that management pursues is guided by an element of these policies. Management reports to us each year on the actions it has taken and it is at this time that the board considers whether it would like to see changes to the Ends.
Here is the current Ends policy language:

• Global Ends: PCC exists to create a cooperative, sustainable environment for our members and patrons in which the natural and organic supply chains thrive.
• Ends-A: PCC members and patrons will have access to high quality, healthful food that is fairly priced.
• Ends-B: PCC membership is a respected and valued choice.
• Ends-C: PCC has a local focus.
• Ends-D: PCC members and patrons are well educated in matters of healthful foods, healthy sustainable living and the cooperative business model.
• Ends-E: An inherent part of PCC’s business is the balance of economic, social and environmental responsibilities.

Questions? Email board@pccmarkets.com