Hello Co-op Market Owners!
We have begun our search for the next person to lead our co-op into the future, and we wanted to update you on our progress. In this time of economic uncertainty and disruption, it is critical that we find the right person to help us navigate the chaos, maintain our financial strength and growth, and operate in accordance with our mission and values.
In May 2020, we promoted our retail support manager, Shaun Sims, to serve as our interim general manager. The board of directors then established a budget and timeline for our search and formed a search committee. To help us, we hired Carolee Colter, a consultant with extensive experience supporting co-op boards in hiring general managers. Carolee is a member of Columinate, the national consulting cooperative that helped us open our doors and operate successfully.
The search committee includes Rich Seifert, Art Gelvin, Brian Kassof and me. Because we value input from current staff about this critical hire, we also asked Amber Hernandez, the co-op’s bookkeeper and HR assistant, to serve on the committee. The final selection will be voted on by consensus by the full board of directors.
The first step in our search was to gather input from the Co-op Market board, the management team and staff. We conducted a survey to determine the qualifications and experiences we should seek in our next GM.
Based upon that feedback, we determined that our new general manager should possess these qualities and experiences:
1) Strategic Thinking
2) Business Planning and Financial Management Skills
3) Managing People, Team Building and Leading
4) Embrace of Co-op Values, Service Orientation, Integrity
5) Retail Grocery Experience
After finalizing the job description, we will advertise the position both locally and nationally. We will reach out to community organizations and other cooperatives. We’ll also publicize it on our website, on Facebook and Instagram, and through our newsletter. If you use social media, we hope you will share our announcement with your friends and colleagues.
We would like to hear any ideas you may have about possible candidates or places to send the announcement. Please feel free to contact the search committee with your questions and ideas.
In cooperation,
Chase Nelson, Search Committee Chair
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