PCC Board of Trustees report, April 2013

Notice of annual membership meeting

Chuck Benbrook, Ph.D., of Washington State University

Tuesday, April 23, 5:30 p.m.
St. Demetrios Hall
2100 Boyer Ave. E., Seattle

• Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
• Dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m.
• RSVP by April 16 online
• Free parking
• Directions are available online or by calling 206-547-1222
• Accessible by Metro Bus: tripplanner.kingcounty.gov

The spring member meeting will feature annual reports from the board and management on the state of our co-op. You’ll get a look at renderings of our new Green Lake store (now under construction and opening in early 2014). We also will talk about plans for our next new store in Columbia City. Construction should begin in 2014.

You also will hear from our five board candidates. They each will have a few minutes to tell you about themselves and why they want to serve you.

With the recent focus on I-522, the legislative initiative that would require labels on genetically engineered foods in our state, it is very timely that we will talk in our meeting’s education segment about the importance of organics.

John Reganold, Ph.D., is Regents Professor of Soil Science & Agroecology at Washington State University (WSU). Also joining us will be Chuck Benbrook, Ph.D. Benbrook is a research professor at WSU’s Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources. Both were instrumental in the establishment of the organic major at WSU — the first in the United States.

They will discuss why organics are important for consumers, growers and the environment.

2013 election

To give our members more time to get to know their candidates, we will post the candidates’ information on our website by March 30. We’ll also post brief video conversations with each candidate. The information will remain posted throughout the election period — April 23 through May 21. You’ll receive your printed information, including your ballot, by mail to your home inside the May Sound Consumer.

Our candidates are:

• John Sheller (managing librarian), incumbent
• Carlos Herrera (environmental engineer, university professor)
• Taso Lagos (university professor)
• Karen May (retired engineering manager)
• Art Scheunemann (business development executive)

Patricia Glazer, Vice President of Gilmore Research, is shown here with our board’s member relations committee chair John Sheller. Glazer presented a summary of the recently completed member survey at the board’s February retreat.

In addition to the candidates’ presentation at the annual meeting, we’re planning two store visits where all candidates will be present to give members an opportunity to meet them and ask questions in person:

• Saturday, April 27, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  Edmonds PCC
• Saturday, May 4, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  Issaquah PCC

Next Board Meeting

The next scheduled board meeting is Tuesday, May 28 at the co-op office. The meeting begins at 5 p.m., with member comment period at 7 p.m.