Meet the Board of Directors Candidates!

CALVIN DAME

How long have you lived in the Brattleboro area?
9 years

When did you become a shareholder of the BFC?
2013

1. Why would you like to serve on the Board of Directors of the Brattleboro Food Co-op (BFC)?
I have just finished a one year term on the Board of Directors. I have enjoyed the challenge and satisfaction of the work of the Board, as well as learning how an organization such as the Co-op works. I’d like the opportunity to continue using what I have learned to keep the Co-op healthy and vital.

2. What experience or involvement have you had with the BFC or other cooperative enterprises?
I was a member of the Plainfield Co-op in the mid-1970’s, the friends I lived with were early managers of that coop in those nascent days as food coops were established and blossomed in and around Vermont.

3. What opportunities or challenges do you see in the future for the BFC?
Our coop is emerging from the early Covid years in relatively stable condition, strengthened, I believe, by the hard work of adapting. But the grocery business is competitive and challenges abound. We need to do what we do best: make healthy food available in our community, support local growers and producers, contribute to a strong and resilient community through our practice and modeling of cooperative values.

4. What qualities, skills, and experiences would you bring to your service as a BFC board member?
I served for eight years on the Board of the Continental Unitarian Universalist Association. While different in focus, the UUA was similar in size, budget and ethos. I think my experience of service on the UUA Board is useful for the Co-op Board.

5. Describe an experience where you worked on a team. What did you offer the team? How did you compromise for the team’s benefit?
Life in the church is a life of teamwork. During my years in ministry I served on and led boards and committees large and small in both organizational and community settings. I like to think I’ve learned to speak up when it is time to speak up and to listen when it is time to listen.

Optional: Is there anything else you’d like to tell us? Do you have other experiences that you see as being related to the work of the Board?
I have enjoyed my participation on the BFC Board this past year. I would like to take what I have learned so far and continue to serve.

KEN FAY

How long have you lived in the Brattleboro area?
11 months

When did you become a shareholder of the BFC?
November 2021

1. Why would you like to serve on the Board of Directors of the Brattleboro Food Co-op (BFC)?
I’ve heard such great things about the BFC and its relationship with the community. I would like to be a part of a fantastic organization and I think that I can contribute to the organization. I also think that I would be a positive addition to the BFC. I am new to the area and would like to participate in the community to help put down roots. I feel that being a contributing board member of the BFC would assist in my assimilation.

2. What experience or involvement have you had with the BFC or other cooperative enterprises?
At BFC I have volunteered in the bulk area and have been such an active shopper that staff are probably tired of seeing me. How often? 140 days out of the 312 days I’ve been in town purchasing 323 items of which 64 are unique. I like numbers. Other cooperatives that I’ve been a member of (just as a consumer) include REI and local electric and telephone providers in other areas.

3. What opportunities or challenges do you see in the future for the BFC?
I think that the opportunities and challenges that the BFC face in the short term are similar to what other retail food stores face in these difficult times. These include labor and product shortages, rising prices and Covid. I feel that the BFC should utilize the goodwill that has been acquired and expand on it. While I’m a firm believer of not “recreating the wheel” and utilizing what other co-ops are doing, I think that original, creative suggestions are also valuable for the BFC. Yes, this may be non-specific but I don’t have enough time in Brattleboro to suggest details.

4. What qualities, skills, and experiences would you bring to your service as a BFC board member?
I believe that I can bring many qualities, skills and experiences to the BFC board. My vocation has been in finance and accounting and with that I have had the opportunity to see the inner workings of many organizations with as many as 21,000 employees to as small as 5. I have also lived in many places, from NYC to a city in Alaska with 2500 people. The breadth and depth of my professional and personal experiences should be an asset to the BFC board as well as the BFC. Finally, I have presented to boards and been a staff liaison to board committees so I’m familiar with the processes.

5. Describe an experience where you worked on a team. What did you offer the team? How did you compromise for the team’s benefit?
Interestingly, I have viewed all my work as being part of a team, that of the parent organization. I have often reminded coworkers who have interdepartmental disputes that we are a part of a larger team. As someone who has been on many sport and gaming teams, I am very aware that every teammate is participating voluntarily. I often try to campaign for equal or as close to equal participation as possible and practical. I’ve compromised for the team’s benefit by allowing teammates to participate instead of me even if I may be “better”. I like to think that I offer teams that I am on a different perspective.

Optional: Is there anything else you’d like to tell us? Do you have other experiences that you see as being related to the work of the Board?
In my work I have often been bonded so I am very familiar with fiduciary responsibilities and duties.

DENISE GLOVER

How long have you lived in the Brattleboro area?
I’ve lived in Brattleboro since July 2017, and I have been visiting this area a few times a year since around 2000. The co-op was always one of my favorite things about this area and honestly was part of the reason that I moved here, along with the nature of this community here and the beauty of the area. My sister moved to this area in 2000. She took part in the pilot program for town composting and that also really inspired me to want to be a part of this town. 

When did you become a shareholder of the Brattleboro Food Co-op?
Shortly after I moved here in July 2017.

1. Why would you like to serve on the Board of Directors of the Brattleboro Food Co-op (BFC)?
I have been on the Board for one partial and one full term. I would like to be reelected so I can continue to support the Co-op and deepen the Co-op’s connection with our community. I believe that together we can do so much for Brattleboro and the surrounding areas. The co-op is uniquely well-positioned to contribute greatly to our town, both with the physical location as a downtown anchor and with our cooperative values. We are so much more than just a grocery store, and I want more folks to know about that and to encourage people to be involved!

2. What experience or involvement have you had with the BFC or other cooperative enterprises?
I have been a part-time cashier, and am currently a cashier and bulk department sub at BFC. I have also done volunteer hours at the co-op. My first experience with being on a board  was with Brattleboro Time Trade; I was involved with them for a few years. 

3. What opportunities or challenges do you see in the future for the BFC?
I see many opportunities for growth, especially in our local community. Challenges that I am committed to addressing include climate change and local food insecurity. I think we are optimally placed to help feed those in need and to lower our carbon footprint. I am excited by the ideas and initiatives that we have started working on and would like to continue to be involved with bringing them to fruition.

4. What qualities, skills, and experiences would you bring to your service as a BFC board member?
I am an empathetic listener, and able to see more than one side to a conflict, argument, or issue. I like to foster connections in our community. I volunteer with Brattleboro Area Hospice and have experience with listening to and empathizing with people. I am also on the Brattleboro Tree Committee so have experience in working with groups of people, problem-solving, organizing, and planning. I have past involvement with EdibleBrattleboro and am deeply committed to making healthy food available to everyone. 

5. Describe an experience where you worked on a team. What did you offer the team? How did you compromise for the team’s benefit?
During my BFC board service, I have offered my experience from the viewpoint of someone who is lower-income. I was part of the General Manager hiring committee last year into this year and we had many deep discussions around what qualities we wanted as our priorities for a new GM. This involved compromise and collaboration and really digging into what I value. It was an intense learning experience for me.

ANNEKA KINDLER

How long have you lived in the Brattleboro area?
20 years

When did you become a shareholder of the BFC?
2003

1. Why would you like to serve on the Board of Directors of the Brattleboro Food Co-op (BFC)?
The BFC has played an important role in my time in Brattleboro – keeping me well nourished and well provisioned and providing community. I care a lot about having healthy, local, and sustainable options, as well as cooperative values and local decision-making. The disruptions brought about by the pandemic caused me to reflect on many things that I may have taken for granted, and I see serving on the BFC board as an opportunity to support a unique, local institution that I truly value, and hopefully to help it grow and thrive.

2. What experience or involvement have you had with the BFC or other cooperative enterprises?
I have been a BFC shareholder and active shopper almost 20 years, as well as a sporadic working member. If elected to serve on the BFC board, it would be my first board experience. I look forward to learning from and engaging with fellow board members.

3. What opportunities or challenges do you see in the future for the BFC?
I think some big challenges will be inflation and staying competitive with larger grocery chains as they increase their locally sourced and eco-friendly offerings. Faced with increasing food insecurity, we’ll need to focus on ways to keep BFC affordable and accessible so all segments of the local community feel able to shop here. With such a large membership, I feel that there are lots of opportunities to increase participation and involvement by shareholders and find creative, community-oriented solutions.

4. What qualities, skills, and experiences would you bring to your service as a BFC board member?
I always like to learn new things and hear different perspectives. I have a rather eclectic employment history, which I feel will serve me well on the board. Some folks in the area may know me as the former owner of the Twilight Tea Lounge, and I’ve also worked as a legal assistant, education policy researcher, web designer, database manager, and publishing associate. I enjoy analyzing and problem-solving and trying to find common ground among differing viewpoints.

5. Describe an experience where you worked on a team. What did you offer the team? How did you compromise for the team’s benefit?
Well, despite my diverse work experiences, my jobs of the past 30 odd years have been either independent or part of a hierarchy rather than team-based. But even though I may not have had much of a chance to stretch my ‘compromise’ muscle in a workplace setting, it gets a decent workout in everyday life with big and small decision-making among family and friends. I am a consensus-builder by nature and look forward to having an opportunity to hone that skill working with the BFC board.

MICHELE MEULENDYK

How long have you lived in the Brattleboro area?
1.5 years

When did you become a shareholder of the Brattleboro Food Co-op?
2021

1. Why would you like to serve on the Board of Directors of the Brattleboro Food Co-op (BFC)?
Last year, when I chose to run for the board, I was relatively new to Brattleboro, a semi-regular shopper at the co-op and looking for ways to get more involved in the community.  My time working with this board and welcoming our new general manager has transformed my fervor from fairly passive to deeply optimistic.  I’m learning a great deal about the value of cooperative business models and how they benefit our communities in myriad ways; providing healthful food, directly bolstering local economy by supporting local farmers and makers and working to provide fair wages and benefits for staff, giving back to community organizations in impactful ways, developing cooperative relationships with other socially conscious and community oriented organizations and looking forward to discover new (or old) ways that our cooperative business model can continue to thrive and serve as a community hub in this ever-changing world.  I am deeply optimistic about the leadership and the future of Brattleboro Food Co-op and hope to continue to serve you and our community in this capacity. 

2. What experience or involvement have you had with the BFC or other cooperative enterprises?
I’ve had the pleasure of serving on the BFC Board of Directors for the past year. The Brattleboro Food Co-op is the first time I’ve had a direct, member-owner involvement in a cooperative.

3. What opportunities or challenges do you see in the future for the BFC?
We’ve been exploring these concepts in our board meetings the last few months and one area that is dear to me is re-discovering the role and value of cooperative grocery in our modern era. Food cooperatives began at a time when access to whole, organic foods was limited. Today, you can find many of these products on the shelves of most grocery markets. We have an opportunity, now, to re-evaluate our role in the community, how to meet our members’ needs and how our members would like to engage with their co-op. There is much work to be done, both in visioning and practice, but I feel that we have the foundation and leadership to delve deeply into how BFC can continue to serve Brattleboro for another 45 years…and more.

4. What qualities, skills, and experiences would you bring to your service as a BFC board member?
Over the years I’ve served on a number of boards for arts and education, including representing, at the state level, for Alaska NEA as a paraprofessional. In addition to a desire to see our own co-op thrive and a knack for asking interesting questions, I feel I bring a very down-to-earth perspective. My life hasn’t been linear, nor marked with the milestones many people experience.  I’ve moved around a lot. I’ve spent many working years in service-oriented jobs; waitressing, bartending, barista-ing, working in schools with high-needs children, I even cleaned bathrooms for a while.  At times I’ve really had to weigh the cost of my values and feel that I can bring that voice to represent others who also have or have had to measure their dollars carefully.

5. Describe an experience where you worked on a team. What did you offer the team? How did you compromise for the team’s benefit?
Often our teamwork is a subtle, everyday practice. Family, community, work. In working with teams I strive to bring flexibility, to offer any insight or experience I have and a willingness to defer to the greater experience of others.

DANIEL SCHOENER

How long have you lived in the Brattleboro area?
1 year

When did you become a shareholder of the Brattleboro Food Co-op?
August 2022

1. Why would you like to serve on the Board of Directors of the Brattleboro Food Co-op (BFC)?
I have board and management experience in healthcare and would like to give back to the community and help local business thrive and have meaningful impact. I believe in the value of healthy, responsibly sourced food. I think the Food Co-op is a landmark institution that is intrinsically meshed in with Brattleboro as a place of business and as a home.

2. What experience or involvement have you had with the BFC or other cooperative enterprises?
I have been a customer of the Co-op for 7 years, 1 year since I moved here and before that on frequent visits to the area. I have 14 years of management experience working in large healthcare corporations in Europe and the US (Roche, PerkinElmer) and am currently serving on the board of a cancer diagnostic startup in Zurich. 

3. What opportunities or challenges do you see in the future for the BFC?
Challenges: Inflation with slow down consumer demand and drive customers to lower cost food and retail stores that can lower prices more aggressively. Energy will continue to become more expensive challenging the cost structure of the supply chain and food storage. Opportunities: There is a mega trend away from globalization to localization supported by the government. Locally sources, sustainably procured food is “en vogue”. There is a lot of innovation in eco friendly packaging, more climate responsible food production, such as artificial meat and the electrification of transportation.

4. What qualities, skills, and experiences would you bring to your service as a BFC board member?
Trained as a leader, manager in the industry and recently working as a consultant in startups that have to achieve results with little money, I bring oversight, empathy and efficiency. I am an active listener, use my analytical skill to distill facts and summarize complex situations in a simple manner for stakeholders to enable decision making. I am a strategic thinker that anticipates problems before they manifest and opportunities for growth when they are emerging. I am driven by people and impact as much as by results and outcomes and enjoy working in a collaborative, supportive working style where different points of views are viewed as an asset.

5. Describe an experience where you worked on a team. What did you offer the team? How did you compromise for the team’s benefit?
I work a lot with startups that operate with small budgets and have to deal with complex technical and logistical issues. Recently in one of the teams I work in we had to start a clinical evaluation testing our product patients, while there was not enough time and money to test the product thoroughly internally before. While I would have ideally liked to extend the cost and the duration of the testing phase, I understood that the study had to be started on time to enable another round of financing for the company. I agreed with the team to start the study on time but with very close monitoring of the results and patients to make it successful and safe at the same time.

Optional: Is there anything else you’d like to tell us? Do you have other experiences that you see as being related to the work of the Board?
It would be an honor to serve as a board member and further the Co-op’s mission of community empowerment.

VANESSA VADIM

How long have you lived in the Brattleboro area?
8+ years

When did you become a shareholder of the BFC?
8+ years

1. Why would you like to serve on the Board of Directors of the Brattleboro Food Co-op (BFC)?
My interest is multifold: it is essential to me personally, and on a civic level to serve my community as I can; I think that we are in need more than ever of effective community and business models, and that the cooperative model is one of the most resilient and ethical; to share my experience and skills to support and protect the cooperative model and BFC as an essential community resource; help create positive change; and learn from others and the BFC in order to replicate working models across a variety of community endeavors.

2. What experience or involvement have you had with the BFC or other cooperative enterprises?
Strictly “cooperative” — not just “communal” or community non-profit: I first started working for our local food co-op when I was about seven years old (hey, it was the 70s), and have joined the local food co-op as first order of business in every place I’ve lived. I went to cooperative preschools, and brought my own children up in our local cooperative preschool. I’ve also had the opportunity to visit and engage with various women, worker, and community co-ops around the world, most memorably in Nicaragua in the late 80s.

3. What opportunities or challenges do you see in the future for the BFC?
The impact of, and response to, economic and climate disaster especially in relation to food security and community cohesion.

4. What qualities, skills, and experiences would you bring to your service as a BFC board member?
I have founded two non-profits* and also worked with many non-profits, often serving on their boards — mostly in the realm of local food systems, and the arts as nexus for empowerment. I’ve spent decades both seeking and distributing grants, in non-profit and foundation settings. I’ve worked in community gardens for as long as I can remember, and as Board Chair of the Putney Community Garden, attempted to create a more democratic and inviting organization. I am a problem solver by nature, and editor, and have a good balance of creative and logical approaches that have served the non-profits I have worked with. I come with a dedication to participatory democracy and social justice, and as a small-scale, regenerative ag farmer, and artist, bring a perspective that I think could be of service to the BFC. (*MayDay Media was a production company that used documentary film as a tool for positive social change, and Earthseed Commons seeks to create resilient and sustainable local economies, and invigoration of commons, expressly in efforts related to food security, ecosystem protection, social justice, and climate disaster mitigation.)

5. Describe an experience where you worked on a team. What did you offer the team? How did you compromise for the team’s benefit?
The majority of what I do, I do alone (solo farmer, artist, single-parent…). That said, I’m also a filmmaker, and although I tend to work in the smallest crews possible, wearing most of the hats myself, film is an inherently cooperative and collaborative endeavor. In the end, the product is only as good as the collaboration. My interest is in consensus, which I do not think of as compromise. I suppose one of the things I offer is mediation: an ability to hear the core of what others see or are saying, rearticulate it so it is accessible or understood by others, and find the places where seemingly divergent positions come together.

Optional: Is there anything else you’d like to tell us? Do you have other experiences that you see as being related to the work of the Board?
I’ve tried to be brief, but am happy to expand on anything and answer any questions the Board or shareholders may have. Also should note, I serve on the Putney Planning Commission, ARPA Committee (American Rescue Plan Act), and am JP (Justice of the Peace) for the VT Progressive Party.