Staff Spotlight: Anthony S.

Way back in May, I interviewed Anthony, our then-new Finance Director. But then my coworker left, the new point of sale database was coming…I just got busy.

So here I am, in mid-September, writing about Anthony with the benefit of four additional months of getting-to-know-you time.

Anthony is originally from the Northeast Poconos in rural Pennsylvania. He described it as a vacation town, small, nothing much going on and in the winter not many people around. He got his bachelor’s degree in economics and business. His first job out of school was doing what he called “backroom ops” at a bank in New Jersey, which, now that I’ve written it on the page, sounds highly suspicious. But I’m pretty sure it was all above board.

Anthony came to southern VT about thirty years ago. He got his MBA in micro and macroeconomics, and he worked at SIT for a long time doing government grant administration. But once a baby was on the way, he had to find a job outside the nonprofit sector so he could support his family. That’s how he ended up at C&S, where he worked for twenty years. He learned a lot there, and eventually moved on to another job that took him to Minnesota for five years with a company called Supervalu.

He gladly came back east looking for a job with more meaning – an independently-owned place where he’d be part of a community and helping out small businesses instead of boosting the big ones. First came Burdick’s Chocolate in Walpole, and now he’s here.

After a few weeks of working with Anthony I noticed he wore a lot of tie dyed shirts, which led to conversations about the Grateful Dead. From the sound of it, he’s been a serious deadhead for a long time. He’s one of those Dead fans that considers their studio albums to be completely irrelevant when it comes to their body of work: it’s gotta be live. He also loves being outdoors, hanging with his dogs, and skiing. He’s got a cabin up north he enjoys.

He is also interested in the world of finance – it’s not just a paycheck to him. He explained that as opposed to being an accountant, which is essentially about paying bills and closing books, his role is more analytical. He’s brought a lot of expertise and wisdom to our co-op that has been, for lack of a better word, reassuring. My perspective on our economic health has changed because his perspective is different than what I was used to; it’s more expansive and farsighted. For instance, he shared that our sales are like clockwork. Every season, or quarter, is predictable and dependable. That’s a lot different than my previous picture of our store, which felt a lot more chaotic and stressful. Yes, the pandemic was a part of that, but Anthony’s mental framework is genuinely different. I, for one, appreciate that a great deal, and I know others do, too.

Thanks for being here, Anthony. We’re so glad you’re part of our team.

by Ruth Garbus

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