The Board of Directors
The Brattleboro Food Co-op is a community-owned marketplace where all are welcome. The Co-op is democratically governed and overseen by a Board of Directors.
Contact Us Today! Elected by the shareholders, the Brattleboro Food Co-op’s Board of Directors comprises nine community members, of whom at least one and no more than two are Co-op staff. The Board is responsible for ensuring that the store is run in a way that is financially responsible, socially conscious, and genuinely responsive to the broad interests of our shareholders. However, the Board is not responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Co-op: instead, the Board provides support, strategic leadership, and oversight to its sole employee, the General Manager of the Co-op.
Our Board meets on the first Monday of the month from 5:00-7:45.
At each meeting, the Board of Directors evaluates three things: the work of the General Manager, their own work, and the health of the BFC. We schedule time at the beginning of each meeting for Shareholders to provide input.
If you would like to attend a meeting, please get in touch with us at [email protected] or 802-246-2820.
If you answered yes to these questions, we would value your participation on the Board.
Not sure you’re ready to commit? You can learn more about our application process and what’s involved in serving on the Board. When you are ready, please fill out and apply a “Statement of Interest.”
If you need more information or have further questions, please schedule a time to talk with one of us; we’re always happy to answer your questions and share our passion for our Board participation!
Jerelyn has been part of the BFC’s fabric since the very early days. She helped initiate and edit the first newsletter in the 80’s, served her first term on the Board in the 90’s, and is now completing her third term. Jerelyn applies her superhuman leadership skills to everything she does, not to mention her role as CEO at BuildingGreen, Inc., a 14-person company located in the Estey Organ buildings on Birge St. She doesn’t like to hang out at the periphery; she’d rather be in the core, seeing things from the inside.
Judy’s working life bounced back and forth between NY and NH before she retired and settled in Dummerston, VT, in 2012, where she plans to stay. She taught elementary school, taught teachers, and founded and directed a farm program for a nonprofit. Food and farming are dear to her heart, and the BFC and local farm stands are where Judy shops and likes to hang out.
Calvin’s heart has been in VT for so long, though he’s moved away for various periods in his life. He recently retired from his work as a Unitarian Universalist minister and moved to Brattleboro because of its strong sense of community with people who value sustainability and resilience. Calvin was a participant of the Plainfield Co-op in the 1970’s. He likes to build things in his spare time and is currently building a boat. With his vast experience on committees, boards, and nonprofits, Calvin is a welcome new Board Director.
Anneka moved to Brattleboro 20 years ago and has been a BFC shareholder and active shopper from day one. Some folks in the area may know her as the former owner of the Twilight Tea Lounge, and she’s also worked as a legal assistant, education policy researcher, and web designer. She is currently working in publishing at Echo Point Books.
Michele may be the only person in town who relocated to Brattleboro in search of a larger city (she moved from a small town in Alaska in 2021). However, she has quickly made VT her home. Michele is self-employed as a licensed, certified massage therapist and well-being coach. She has had prior board experience and has chosen to contribute her skills to the health of the BFC. We cherish Michele’s thoughtfulness and wisdom in her role as a new Board Director.
Vanessa is dedicated to participatory democracy and social justice and is a small-scale, regenerative farmer and artist. She has joined the local food co-op as the first order of business in every place she’s lived. She also had the opportunity to visit and engage with various women, worker, and community co-ops worldwide, most memorably in Nicaragua in the late 80s.
Johanna recently became a homeowner in Brattleboro after renting for almost two decades. She grew up in MA, had family ties to Brattleboro, and increasingly spent more of her time here. She remembers the BFC in its early scrappy days, became a member early on, and is a cheerleader shareholder. Johanna works in retail grocery. This is her first term as a Board Director.
