June Board Reflection
Dear Open Harvest Owners,
At the June 5th Board meeting, we opened the meeting with each board member reflecting on what it means to be part of a co-op that has been in business for 44 years, an uncommon achievement among food co-ops that began in the 1970s. Members of the board shared that they were proud to be a part of this legacy and expressed a feeling of duty to help the co-op survive long into the future. Board members also brainstormed ideas for how to celebrate this milestone and think even bigger to celebrate Open Harvest’s 45th anniversary in 2020!
The board continued planning for 2019 Board Elections and shared ideas about potential candidates to recruit. This activity left me feeling grateful that our community has such a deep pool of talent to draw upon to make our co-op stronger into the future.
Another important – but seemingly routine – action taken by the board was the approval of the 2019-2020 board calendar. In the same way that a budget communicates values, this calendar reflects the priorities and aspirations of our board for the next 12 months. New to the calendar this year is the incorporation of scheduled financial education for board members and specific strategic conversations that will help us as a board better prepare Open Harvest for whatever the future holds.
Our next board meeting will take place on July 10th at 6 PM. The July board meeting is one of the most important meetings of the year as the General Manager will be presenting the business plan for the next 12 months. This plan requires a lot of time invested by the GM and the rest of the management team. It is always exciting to hear the vision of the GM and where they plan to take the co-op in the next 12 months.
If you are thinking about running for the Open Harvest board, you are required to attend at least one board meeting prior to the elections. The July meeting is a great opportunity to hear about the direction of the store for the next year.
In cooperation,
Matt Pirog
Vice Chair
Open Harvest Board of Directors