Introducing our 2015 Board Candidates

Matthew Larson

Occupation: Business Analyst at Ruan Transportation

Why are you interested in serving on Linden Hills Co-op's Board of Directors?

I believe our co-op have an important mission and role in our community. I seek to serve on the board and contribute my time and energy to pursue that mission through its long term planning and strategic initiatives.

What experience and expertise would you bring to the board?

While I don’t have specific experience relating to the business or operations of a cooperative enterprise, I believe my professional experience to be readily translatable. Among that experience: inventory management at a national retail chain, responsibility for distribution, warehousing and freight management at an international manufacturer, and leadership of the supply-chain management team for another large manufacturer. 

List and briefly describe any business and/or volunteer positions (including community groups) you have held.

More specifically describing the above, my recent business positions are:

a.   Target-Merchandise Planning Business Analyst-managed more than 50,000 SKUs across the chain and developed weather-related strategy optimizing store inventory of hoses and sprinklers.

b.   Ruan-3rd Party Logistics Specialist at Polaris-responsible for finished goods transport between and from three plants and eight warehouses; delivered volume goals in twelve consecutive quarters of growth.

c.   Ruan-3rd Party Logistics Manager at Arctic Cat-led transition to 3rd Party supply-chain management in year with new high production levels for all categories and delivered savings nearly $800K in related freight costs.

Please describe your skills that would directly contribute to achieving the Ends Policies of Linden Hills Co-op.

I am a clear and effective communicator, and I particularly like being analytical. Both of these skills will support the provision of healthful choices for members and the promotion of sustainability.

List any relevant leadership positions you have held and a key accomplishment from one of those positions.

As Logistics Business Manager for a manufacturer client, I oversaw the reduction of expedited freight charges by 45% from the prior year. My proudest accomplishment, though, was increased collaboration across departments leading to a 30% increase in freight moved on company assets rather than common carriers.

What do you see as the most important issues facing Linden Hills Co-op in the coming five to ten years?

Most important is likely to be LHC’s position in an increasingly competitive marketplace as well as the changing ways in which consumers behave in that marketplace. The second most important in my mind is continuing to inform and promote sustainable choices and behavior in our community and world.

What’s your favorite product or department at the Co-op?

I can find things to love in every department, but my favorite is the produce. I appreciate the labeling which helps me find what’s local and in season along with local hydroponic options available all year.

Ann Ferreira • Incumbent

Occupation: Partner, Good Harbor Capital Partners

Why are you interested in serving on Linden Hills Co-op's Board of Directors?

The Linden Hills Co-op is our family grocery store and our primary trusted food source. We believe in the LHC mission, and its role in our community. Continuing to offer server to the LHC Board is important to me. There are significant challenges and opportunities facing the co-op. I want to help leveraging my professional business   experience and long-term personal interest in the food industry and food systems. I share the vision of promoting community and member-owner initiatives to encourage and access a robust, high-quality food supply. I respect the LHC team and its mission-their knowledge and commitment to product quality, community, and sustainability.

What experience and expertise would you bring to the board?

Three years of experience on the LHC Board including membership on the finance committee and on several ad hoc committees, attendance of national and local cooperative forums.

a.    Involvement with and access to food industry thought leadership through volunteer work with the Agricultural College at Cornell.

b.    Professional financial and advisory experience with middle-market companies including capital planning, strategic advisory, and board governance expertise.

c.    Member of the Cook County Co-op and the Arrowhead Electric Co-op

List and briefly describe any business and/or volunteer positions (including community groups) you have held.

My professional experience includes over 25 years in corporate finance, advisory, and investment experience. My work is focused on small-to-medium size businesses requiring capital and strategic support. For over a decade I was a partner with a Minneapolis-based mezzanine fund that invested in middle-market companies including consumer goods and food service companies. Through previous banking roles, I have extensive public and private company board-level advisory experience in M&A, restructuring and corporate finance. My current volunteer experience includes a Board role for the Minnesota Children’s Museum, a Board role at LHC, and Board role on an educational foundation at Cornell and a member of the Cornell University Council.

Please describe your skills that would directly contribute to achieving the Ends Policies of Linden Hills Co-op.

In any Board position, it is important to facilitate constructive discussion, collaboration, and sound governance. I have used my professional and communication skills to focus on these areas in my three years on the LHC Board. In addition, I enjoy engaging at a grass roots level, building connections for LHC in the community where the combination of my young family and personal interest in nutrition align so well with the LHC mission. It has been a great pleasure to introduce LHC programs to Early Childhood Family Education in my community, and connect LHC to a partnership with an area high school student wellness initiative program for students championing improved nutrition among their peers.

List any relevant leadership positions you have held and a key accomplishment from one of those positions.

I have been involved in a number of volunteer and professional organizations in leadership roles such as Treasurer, Board member, and officer when I could work with the leadership teams to develop and implement strategies as well as provide connections in the community and industry that advanced the interests of the organizations. A key accomplishment while serving on the LHC Board had been to contribute strategic and governance concepts that further align and enhance the efforts of management and the Board to steward the co-op in an increasingly complex competitive environment.

What do you see as the most important issues facing Linden Hills Co-op in the coming five to ten years?

Preparing for and responding to increased grocery competition.

a.    Providing a differentiated value proposition that honors our vision and mission.

b.    Remaining relevant to the members/owners and targeting key growth demographics

c.    Serving the community as a trusted source—continuing consumer education for product and ingredient sourcing/quality in an increasingly complex distribution system.

What’s your favorite product or department at the Co-op?

The list is long and includes produce, meat (the lamb kabobs), bakery (Rustica’s fruit and nut bread), and cheese (current favorites—LHC’s smoky blue cheese and beer cheese spreads) with a particular fancy for sampling products from local vendors. Since there are strong feelings at home about our selections, I should add my kids love to sample fruit from the Explorer baskets while my husband would vote for the apricot brats.

John Hatzung • Incumbent

Occupation: Architect, LEED Accredited Professional, National Council of Architectural Registration Board 

Why are you interested in serving on Linden Hills Co-op’s Board of Directors?

Two of the most important missions in my life are focused on building a healthy, sustainable food system and making our community an even more vibrant place.  My 25 years of experience in the food business gives me a unique perspective on what brings success and how our local and national competitors operate.  As president of the board these last two years, I have had the opportunity to help create a new vision for Linden Hills Coop and lead some exciting initiatives.  I hope to continue this effort.

What experience and expertise would you bring to the board?

I have been an architect in the food business for more than 25 years, working with a wide range of retailers (coops to regional and national chains) to design facilities to better compete in this constantly changing market.  My company, freshArc remains dedicated to this sector.  I also co-founded and lead onFarm Storage, a company focused on providing innovative cold chain solutions for our developing local foods infrastructure.  I was involved with the design of coops in St. Paul, Urbana, IL, Dubuque, IA and a food hub in South Carolina.

List and briefly describe any business and/or volunteer positions (including community groups) you have held.

As a member of the Board of Deacons at a local church, I helped create and lead their Outreach Committee.  Currently serving on the Facilities Committee.  Tutor for NIP inner city student program.  Presentation on food store remodeling at Food Marketing Institute SPECS Conference. Habitat for Humanity.  Minnesota Healthy Food Charter group.  Advisor to the MISA Commercial Kitchen Guide.

Please describe your skills that would directly contribute to achieving the Ends Policies of Linden Hills Co-op.

As an architect, I lead and coordinate diverse teams of retailers, designers, vendors and contractors to make visions reality within the constraints of budget, schedules and legal requirements.  The hallmarks of my career are sustainably designed projects and buildings focused on promoting community interaction.

As a small business owner, I am acutely aware of the necessity of fewer people dealing creatively with a wider range of responsibilities normally tasked to multiple people in larger organizations.

List any relevant leadership positions you have held and a key accomplishment from one of those positions.

Client Team Leader at Planmark/DSG/Supervalu: created and implemented client-centric business structure.  Sr. Project Architect at Leo A Daly A/E: completed 1,000,000 s.f. Publix refrigerated distribution center campus in Orlando, FL.  Partner in freshArc: designed coops, food stores, food hubs and processing kitchens.  CEO onFarm Storage:  ongoing research on innovative cooling systems for produce.

What do you see as the most important issues facing Linden Hills Co-op in the coming five to ten years?

The success of coops and other natural food stores has attracted competition from all sectors of the food industry.  Linden Hills must continue to maintain its focus on sustainability, community, great operations and innovation to continue to thrive.

What’s your favorite product or department at the Co-op?

Toss-up:  produce and meat.