Mark Thorne, Board President
April snow showers are here! Springtime on the Palouse!
The Moscow Food Co-op Board of Directors held their April Board meeting on Tuesday the 2nd at the 1912 Center from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Present were seven Board members, our General Manager, and Co-op staff, and one Co-op owner via Zoom. On the agenda were the General Manager’s monitoring reports for the Ends (A) policy and the Global Executive Constraint (B) policy. The Ends policy monitoring report included data on how the Co-op is fulfilling the written directives stated in the Ends policy (see below). The seven-part report thoroughly detailed how the Moscow Food Co-op is at the heart of a thriving, healthy, and inclusive community. The Global Executive Constraint policy states that the General Manager must not allow activities that are unlawful, imprudent, or in violation of accepted business practices, professional ethics and practices, or violate the Cooperative Principles. Both monitoring reports were well detailed and were accepted in compliance with their respective policies. More details can be found in the General Manager’s FYI report on the Meetings and Minutes page of the Co-op’s webpage.
The Board also monitored its Global Governance Commitment (C) and Governing Style (C1) policies. The Global C policy requires us to work effectively together, to empower and hold accountable the General Manager, to provide strategic leadership, and to perpetuate our organization. The C1 Governing Style policy describes the framework of how we are to govern based on the Four-Pillar concepts of teaming, accountable empowerment, strategic leadership, and democracy. In both policies, Board members discussed the meaning of strategic leadership and how we might improve in that area. Both policies were accepted in compliance.
In other business, the Board heard an update from the Elections and Board Owner Communication Committee (EBOCC) regarding the time and location for the 2024 Annual Meeting. An Official announcement will be released when finalized. The Board also accepted the results from the 2024 Board election and seated Trish Hartzel and Mark Thorne, each for another three-year term. The Board discussed filling the vacant Board seat left open from this year’s election. A motion was presented and passed to have EBOCC prepare an announcement and begin the process of seeking an individual for appointed to the Board. Finally, the Board approved a slate of members to fill the Board officer positions. Officers for the new year will be Mark Thorne, President, Candis Claiborn, Vice-President, David Nelson, Secretary, and Priscilla Schmidt, Treasurer.
For our Study and Engagement Series, we heard from Kelli Cooper, the Sustainability Programs Coordinator for the City of Moscow. Kelli gave a very nice presentation on the city’s work and plans for dealing with climate change. The Climate Action Plan outlined sources of carbon emissions and offsets through carbon sequestration and transitioning to electric vehicles. Moscow intends for city operations to be carbon net-zero by 2035, and for the community to be carbon net-zero by 2050. Clearly, a lot of work and planning has gone into climate action, and a lot of work remains. Nice work, Kelli and Moscow! You can read more about the Climate Action Plan at their website: https://www.ci.moscow.id.us/1002/Climate-Action-Plan.
Our Study and Engagement Series is a way in which the Board and staff become better informed about issues and activities that affect our community. One of the Seven Cooperative Principles states that we have “Concern for Community,” and listening to people describe aspects of concern in our community is directly tied to our Ends.
The next Board meeting is scheduled for May 7, 2024, in the Fiske Room at the 1912 Center (412 E 3rd St, Moscow, ID). The meeting will run from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Current Co-op Owners can attend in person or via Zoom. To attend via Zoom, contact the Board's Administrative Assistant at boardadmin@moscowfood.coop for more information and to RSVP.
Further information about our Board meetings is at https://www.moscowfood.coop/board-meetings.
Sincerely,
Mark Thorne, Board President
Sincerely,
Mark Thorne, Board President
Moscow Food Co-op Ends Policy
The Moscow Food Co-op is at the heart of a thriving, healthy, and inclusive community where:
1. We embody and embrace cooperative principles and values.
2. All community members have local access to environmentally friendly, socially responsible, and healthful choices.