PCC Board of Trustees report, March 2016

Board report

The board met on January 26 and heard reports from its board development committee and Bylaws Task Force. The board approved the proposal from the Task Force to amend and restate our bylaws. Members will vote on them this spring.

Management presented an education segment to the board on future merchandising efforts. The board also heard from members who are concerned about employment practices at Sakuma Brothers Farms.

The 2015-2016 nominating committee attended to present the 2016 board candidate slate. (See board election below.) The board also reviewed applications and named the 2016-2017 nominating committee slate:

• Jason Filippini (a CPA and Director of Finance at The Seattle Times)
• Janet Hietter (Microsoft worldwide human resources, retired)
• Mary Simon (AT&T ombudsman, retired; former PCC board member and board chair)
• Sara Walsh (PCC Community Relations department manager)

The next board meeting will be March 29 at the co-op office at 4:30 pm.

Board election

The nominating committee interviewed eight applicants for board service on January 13 and 14. They nominated the following four PCC members for three open seats in the 2016 election and presents them here with a background note on each:

• Alice Cho Snyder (Licensed CPA, financial consultant and coach to small businesses) Alice is solution driven, collaborative and proposes ideas to move forward.
• Tania DePue (retired supply chain program manager) Tania has a passion for sustainability tied to pragmatism that should bring thought leadership to the board.
• Paul Reed (retired CEO, board member, community volunteer) Paul brings experience as a CEO and CFO. He is recognized by his peers for his analytical and financial skills.
• Elin Smith (Retired VP, PCC merchandising) Elin brings a unique knowledge of grocery retailing and a deep commitment to PCC values.

You’ll learn more about the candidates in upcoming issues of the Sound Consumer and on the website in the coming weeks.

In order to give our members more time to consider who will get their votes, we will post the candidates’ biographical information and campaign statements on our website in late March. We’ll also post brief videos of the candidates’ telling members why they want to serve in this important board role.

All candidate information will remain posted throughout the election period.

Voting will begin April 13.

Am I ready to vote?

Q: How do I know if I’m eligible to vote?

A. Your signature must be on the original member application for your household. No one else may vote on behalf of your household.

Q: Only active members may vote in PCC elections. How do I know if I’m an “Active Member” and thereby eligible to vote?

A. You may vote only if your membership is active as of March 31, 2016. This is the eligibility date set by the board. If you have questions, contact the PCC business office at 206-547-1222 or email membership@pccmarkets.com.

Get to know your trustees

Carol Binder: Third term (second year). Term ends in 2017. Not eligible for re-nomination due to term limits. Committees: board development, finance, nominating.

I have lived in Seattle for more than 35 years, all of them in West Seattle. By living and raising a family in the same neighborhood, I have come to appreciate the community that I feel in my neighborhood. It is that same sense of community and loyalty that attracted me to PCC and service on its board of trustees. I have worked for more than 30 years in business and finance in Seattle, beginning with work for a large international accounting firm, to owning my own business, and most recently, to serving as CEO of Pike Place Market.

Throughout my work and personal life I have been drawn to businesses whose focus has been broader than just economic success; businesses that understand their role in their community and their obligation to give back. I have a strong personal commitment to food and environmental issues. I continue to work on community development both locally and globally. In addition to serving on the PCC board, I serve on the Steering Committee for the Seattle Waterfront Redevelopment and have traveled to Africa to assist women’s cooperative businesses with financial training and business development.