Draft

Phoenix Earth Food Co-op (PEFC)
Minutes, Annual Meeting 10/6/2013

Location: Augsburg Lutheran Church, 1342 W. Sylvania Ave. Toledo OH 43612

The meeting was called to order at 6:43 pm.

1. President’s address

   President Sean Nestor gave the State of the Co-op address. Major points of his address were

   • During the past year the current board has been able to implement the principles of co-operation. In all aspects of its operations and governance, board members have been able to work together better than in the past. Furthermore, the board as a whole has successfully worked together with Co-op staff.
   • Cooperation has paid off: Sean reported that during the past year the Co-op has had the best sales in five years.

2. General Manager’s report

   GM Lisa Blake presented financial information that supported President Nestor’s positive characterization of the state of the Co-op. She explained how Phoenix Earth Food Co-op and Co-ops in general benefited the local economy and community. Lisa characterized the Co-op as an information hub where people come together to exchange ideas that facilitate the improvement or our community. Her advocacy for labeling of food from genetically modified organisms was a major topic in her address.

3. Presentations by current board members

   Current board members Shelly Boraby, David Bohon, Tom Fine, Sándor Halász, Anita Levin, Sean Nestor and Hermann von Grafenstein gave a short presentation explaining what guided them in their role as board members. Common themes were:

   • In contrast to large chain stores, Co-ops such as Phoenix Earth are owned by their members and are democratically controlled. Accordingly, the Co-op model allows members to define their own priorities rather than having those of large profit-seeking corporation imposed on them.
   • The importance of healthy food.
   • The importance of contributing to the community.
   • The importance of reaching out to the community and communicating the ideas of the Co-op.
   • The joy of working together in an organization that chooses benefit to members and the community as a priority over profits.

4. Presentations by candidates for board elections

   • David Bohon wanted to bring his experience as a member of the board of several other co-ops to Phoenix Earth. He had seen how other co-ops have overcome difficulties.
   • Shelly Boraby expressed her general enthusiasm for the Co-op and wanted to work with people who contribute to it.
   • Sándor Halász cited continuity as the main reason for his interest to serve on the board.
   • Jodie Kania wanted to help create more sustainable practices and explained that her family can now allow her to commit more time to the Co-op.
   • Alyx Kendzierski found that the Co-op incorporated many of her own ideas.
   • Nichole Nauden praised the customer service of the Co-op and wanted to make available her experience serving on other boards and her church. Locally owned businesses were worth supporting.

5. Elections

   Voting procedure: Members had been notified in a letter sent by mail that they could vote by either

   1. using a mailed ballot and bringing it to the store
   2. casting a ballot at the membership meeting
   3. using a mailed out ballot and have another member bring the ballot to the meeting.

   Vice President Sandor Halasz supervised the voting process. Ballots collected at the store were added to ballots cast at the meeting.

   Results: A total of 38 votes ballots were cast, one ballot was invalid. The total number of valid ballots exceeded the number of 30 necessary to reach a quorum. Votes were counted by President Sean Nestor and Secretary Hermann von Grafenstein. Vice President Sándor Halász excused himself because he was a candidate. The following members were elected:

   Shelly Boraby, David Bohon, Sándor Halász, Alyx Kendzierski and Nichole Nauden.

   Sean Nestor asked Jodie Kania to attend all board meetings and be available as a new member of the board should any of the current elected board members have to resign.

6. Closing remarks

   Sean Nestor emphasized that the goals for the next year should be

   • to build on the current momentum and to double the membership to 600 and
   • to reach monthly sales of $60,000, a figure that Bill Wersell of the Toledo Chapter of the Chamber of Commerce had identified as necessary to obtain financing for expansion or relocation.

   A small chart should be displayed in the store showing current sales and progress in member recruitment. This should help motivate members to work towards common goals. The fact that during the past year membership could be increased by ~100 was encouraging and a reason to celebrate.

7. Open discussion

   During an open discussion new ways of outreach were discussed, such as creating a Co-op cookbook (Jodie Kania). Members were invited to volunteer at Co-op event such as inventory and to actively participate in Co-op committees, particularly the outreach committee. The Co-op’s outreach committee now has a calendar of events suitable for outreach activities. Members were encouraged to sent Information about any future events suitable for the Co-op’s outreach effort to outreach@phoen….

8. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 8:32pm

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Submitted by Hermann von Grafenstein, Secretary