From the Board of Directors
It came as a surprise to us all that Lee Bradford, our General Manager for the last 15 months, decided to leave his position at the Co-op at the end of August. As he stated clearly in his communication to Co-op staff, he is “not leaving the Co-op because of any concerns, questions, regrets, or challenges.” He has indicated that an unforeseen opportunity emerged, one that he feels most strongly compelled to accept for “both professional and several deeply personal reasons.”
The Board is grateful for the incredible team building and systems development that Lee has accomplished in his short tenure with the Co-op. We are very sad to see him go, and determined not to lose the ground we’ve gained and the positive culture he has helped to develop over the last year. The Board will be working toward a smooth transition as we identify the best person to take the helm of our much-loved Brattleboro Food Co-op.
On another note, the Board is excited by the prospect of our first in-person Annual Meeting in three years! Once again, we will be able to gather in the same room and talk with one another! Our plan is to employ a group process known as a World Café. This is a widely used method for encouraging meaningful conversations within large groups of people who share some common interests. It is particularly effective for organizations such as ours.
Our hope is to facilitate conversations about what the Brattleboro Food Coop means to us now, what we might dream going forward, and what we imagine is possible.
We encourage Shareholders to mark September 23 on the calendar and check here for details and to register for our Annual meeting.