Introducing our 2016 Board Candidates

Sam Sundermeyer

Occupation

Marketing Manager

Education

B.S. Recreation, Parks and Leisure Studies, MN State, Mankato

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

I value action. And working for others. Among my passion, I feel strongly that action, and moving forward, is incredibly important. As that pertains to food, our food supply, and how we interact with it, I feel  that working on the ground level, locally, can foster positive change. I want to be a part of that.

2. What experience and expertise would you bring to the board?

I love learning. Throughout my life I have played the role of both student and teacher, diving in to a number of disciplines. Across them all, my passion for wellness has been my focusing point. I am committed to improving the health and wellness of everyone. From this, I have become well-versed in themes of wellness, sustainability, food production, and education. I will look to contribute my knowledge in these areas to the board through multiple actions.

3. List and briefly describe any business and/or volunteer positions you have held.

“Professionally,” I have worked in a number of capacities. I have been a teacher, field worker, marketer and journalist, among some other occupations. I have volunteered my time at community events and after-school programs.

4. Please describe your skills that would directly contribute to achieving the Ends Policies of the co-op.

I believe that education leads to empowerment. By fostering themes of health, wellness, sustainability, choice and local economies, the co-op can create this landscape of empowerment. I want to contribute to that.

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

I have held leadership positions of varying levels. From student government officer to directing after school programs, I have always believed that focus is important above all. In creating and leading an afterschool running club at an elementary school, I focused on creating an environment for kids to let go and run. It was an idea of simplicity that I wanted to foster.

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

                1. The unsustainable food “system” that surrounds us

                2. Transparency

Alex Slichter | Incumbent

Occupation

Senior Marketing Manager

Education

B.S. Chemistry, University of Minnesota, MBA, University of Memphis

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

Serving on LHC’s board has been a tremendous privilege.  I remain as convinced of our co-op’s importance as I was three years ago.  Personally and professionally, I am passionate about healthy and nutritious foods and I believe I can continue to bring a skill set to the Board that will enhance the coop experience for all members.    

2. What experience and expertise would you bring to the board? 

I have completed one term of service on Linden Hills Co-op’s Board.  In my second year, I was Vice President and in my third I was elected President.  I believe there is still a lot of work to be done in regards to our strategic direction and potential.  I am seeking re-election to continue on executing on our strategic plan.

I have led our evaluation of the consolidation project as VP and President to make sure it was in the best interest of our community.  I also chaired the overall consolidation project between LHC, Wedge, and Eastside as head of the cross-co-op steering committee.  With our General Manager and Finance Manager, I reviewed and approved the financial business case for our remodel and signed off on the financing packaging.  These opportunities have given me the chance to utilize my leadership, influencing, presentation, and financial skillsets.

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

In addition to my ‘day job’ and serving as President of LHC, I volunteer as an income tax reviewer for Prepare+Prosper during the tax season.  I really enjoy assisting low-income families navigate our tax code and seeing the look on their faces when they find they have a big refund coming to them that they weren’t expecting.  I estimate that in a typical year, I complete about 150 tax returns.  I have been volunteering with this organization since 2012 and previously as a tax site assistant manager with the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program in Mississippi.  

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

I believe that the food you eat is a more effective and efficient predictor of a healthy life than reactionary medicine.  My technical background in food and nutrition is an asset to achieving the first Ends Policy.  Education of our members on making healthy choices and the long-term benefits of doing so is an area in which I would contribute.   

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

The accomplishment I’m most proud of is leading the work that LHC did with our partners to bring the consolidation proposal to our owners.  This was a long, regimented process to make sure that we were conducting full due diligence.  In addition, I was tasked with being responsible for the overall communication and direction between all three boards and staffs.  This included having meetings of 30+ people with varying opinions and views.  There were workstreams for communication, culture, finance, governance, and on and on that all dealt with key issues that would need to be diligently evaluated and presented to the broader team.  There were certainly ups and downs and lots of hurdles we had to clear.  I fashioned my leadership choices around leading with the values of inclusion and transparency to make sure we were always being true to ourselves.  Successfully navigating the concerns while making sure we had a plan that was in everyone’s best interest was a key accomplishment.

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

Having lived in a few different parts of country, I can tell you that the Twin Cities’ commitment to coops, farmer’s markets, and CSAs is definitely ahead of the curve.  In the next decade, LHC must determine what it wants to be in this sea of locavorism and food advocacy.  What do we offer our members beyond geographic convenience?   Can we maintain our position as a community anchor point? 

As more choices are available to consumers who want to eat healthy and sustainable food, the board and management will need to determine what our niche will be – how can we collaborate with our members to be more than a grocery store and a true community pillar?  How do we keep what it is best and grow to continue to be relevant.  LHC has changed a lot over the last 40 years and will continue to change in the future.  By holding true to our core values, we can continue to be relevant and integral to our community.

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

I’m an equal opportunity shopper but I’ll share a recent story.  My four year old son asked the meat department how they made sausage and they invited him to come back someday to watch.  We spent almost two hours with Charlie and his team watching all the grinding, mixing, filling, and twisting that goes into a 50 lb. batch.  I eventually got bored (and cold!) but he was riveted.  It was a great experience that you only get when you’re part of a community.

Wendy Ponte

Occupation

Realtor

Education

BFA in Scenic Design, Graduate work in Writing and Anthropology

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

I am passionate about co-ops and have been for many, many years. I consciously choose organic, local and sustainable products whenever I can. In addition, I’m a true foodie and have written about the topic of food. I like to use high quality food products.

2. What experience and expertise would you bring to the board?

I’m a new member to Linden Hills Co-op and a fairly recent resident of Minneapolis. I was a working member of Park Slope Food Co-op in Brooklyn, NY for many years—one of the largest and oldest co-ops in the U.S.

3. List and briefly describe any business or volunteer positions you have held.

• Habitat for Humanity

• Halos for Hope (creating hats for cancer patients)

• Several knitting groups

• Parent/Teacher organizations

4. Describe your skills that would directly contribute to LHC’s Ends Policies

I’m a strong personal advocate of good nutrition, local and sustainable products and I can promise to translate those strong beliefs in to advocacy for co-op members and the local community.

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

I’ve served as an editor for Mothering Magazine-bringing new writing talent to the pool, in addition to writing about natural parenting myself. I’m a strong researcher and wordsmith.

6. What do you see as the most important issues facing LHC in the coming five to ten years?

I think that community involvement is a key issue, and one that will become increasingly important in the years to come. This is a crucial component for the well-being of the co-op.

7. What’s your favorite product or department?

I’m a big fan of the health and beauty department! I could spend hours perusing those shelves.

Scott Devens | Incumbent

Occupation

Public School Teacher

Education

B.S. Business Administration and Marketing, M.A. Elementary Curriculum and Instruction, Ed. S Educational Leadership

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

I have served on the board for the last 3 years and I am running for another 3-year term to further promote the mission on Linden Hills Co-op and to enhance the co-op’s position in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

2. What experience and expertise would you bring to the board?

I have experience in all aspects and responsibilities of being a board member. I have prepared for and consistently attended all board meetings. I have attended numerous trainings for board members at both the local and the national levels. I have lead committees for the preliminary stages of consolidation planning and have participated in a variety of community events as a board representative. All of these experiences and trainings have helped make me a more effective board member within our policy governance model.

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

Besides my current vocation as an educator in the Linden Hills community, I have relevant experience as a writer, marketing researcher, property manager, and retail manager.

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

I am skilled in interpreting financial and other management reports. Along with my communication skills during board discussion, my ability to interpret reports helps the board make better business decisions. During the annual board retreats, I am highly engaged in brainstorming with board members and management about new and better ways to strengthen our co-op.

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

• School Program Coordinator: successfully hired and managed staff for the entire program

• Consolidation Planning Committee Chair: coordinated scheduling and work for committee

• Marketing Research Project: conducted research project from initial meeting with clients to implementation of survey instruments to production of final report

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

The absolute most important issue facing the co-op is the viability of co-op business in an increasingly competitive marketplace, which is just one reason why the consolidation plan is so important.

7. What’s your favorite product or department at the co-op?

The produce department is definitely my favorite. There is no better selection of quality produce anywhere in the Twin Cities.

Emily Paul

Occupation

Director of Kitchen Operations, The Good Acre

Education

B.A. in International Studies, Culinary Degree

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

I am interested in serving on the Linden Hills Co-op Board of Directors for several reasons. My experience in food systems, local business, community development, board involvement and board management could not only be complimentary, but hopefully constructive to LHC overall. I’m also looking to engage with my hyper local community around issues of food quality, sourcing, access, and procurement, so becoming an active member in my co-op’s board seems like a logical and thoughtful step in the right direction.

2. What experience and expertise would you bring to the board?

While my previous community lacked co-op infrastructure like that in the Twin Cities, thus limiting my exposure to the co-op governance structure, I believe strongly that my professional career spent in nonprofit development, nonprofit management, and my tenure as a board member of the local business/social enterprise organization (similar to a BALLE) called Think Local First DC in Washington, DC, provides me with a solid baseline for decision-making that prioritizes the needs of a membership or client base. Additionally, my local food and agriculture experience, both on the consumer and producer side, provides a holistic lens in which to analyze challenges and opportunities that might come before the board. Finally, I am a trained chef, most recently having run an 87k+ meals annually, scratch-cooking soup kitchen, so I have the highest respect for product quality and guest service.

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

Nonprofit board management
Nonprofit team management
Chef and line cook
Fundraising/development
Special events/event planning
Board member (FEMA DC & Think Local First DC)
Volunteer cook and culinary instructor

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

Provides and promotes healthful choices for its members and shoppers

I believe that “healthful choices” are educated choices, so transparency and access to information are important components of healthful store offerings.
High-quality offerings and the due-diligence of product selection are important to me as a shopper, as well as important to me as a board member, and in many ways, brand representative for LHC in the community. My professional circles have me traveling in the local, sustainable farming world, as well as the local food-makers/food entrepreneurs networks; so an eye for and access to quality ingredients is important to me.

Provides, uses, and promotes earth-friendly, sustainable products

To echo the above, I believe that as a board member, you are the human representation to a brand. So in the case of a co-op board, “walking the talk” is
important. From being a good steward of resources (shopping with reusable bags, patronizing the co-op for food and non-food purchases)—to choosing local products as available—to taking a minute to think about how my individual buying decisions affect the people and places in my community and region.

Encourages activism on sustainability, health and nutrition-related issues

Knowing what you eat is just as important as knowing who grew it or how it was made. With global transport of goods, price and convenience often times trump quality and source. Continuing to educate consumers and continuing to uphold the high-standards for sourcing is something I believe will set LHC aside from the competition and create opportunity to shine in this competitive grocery market.

Builds community within Linden Hills and neighboring communities

People make place, and to that end, businesses create place and a reason to patron a community. That said, in less than one year here in the Cities, I’ve done a very good job networking within the local food scene and believe as a representative for the co-op, I could enhance the work of my fellow board
members and really make an imprint here in Linden Hills, SW Mpls, and the Cities as a whole.

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

Director of Kitchen Operations, The Good Acre
Launched a teaching kitchen, online registration platform, created hands-on cooking class concepts diverse in concept and price-point; as well as
developed a corporate wellness platform, shared commercial/incubator program, and community partnership model in less than 6 months.

Director and Executive Chef, Miriam’s Kitchen
Reduced food budget expenditures by 40% ($31,000) in 2 years through local food recovery, vendor partners, and a culinary advisory board; orchestrated an annual 350-person, black-tie gala for zero food, beverage, and labor costs, resulting in 92% net profit or $619,000; and managed a kitchen team of six and a volunteer network of 2,600 people.

Director of Institutional Advancement, American University of Afghanistan/Friends of AUAF
Developed an international network of actively engaged contacts, advocates, prospective donors, and academic partners for university promotion; created and implemented strategic fundraising plan to identify, cultivate, and steward relationships with corporations, foundations, private donors, government agencies, and academic institutions; managed 10-member planning team for nationwide fundraising series raising over $500,000.

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

Frankly, I do not feel I have the data and background knowledge to project and prioritize the issues LHC will face, nor how the announcement of the merger will affect governance, pricing, sourcing, and strategy. That said, the issues below seem to be local food system issues that might have some bearing on co-ops, and in particular LHC:
Food access/membership (addressing the socio-economic diversity of the store radius)
Food cost as a percentage of incomes nationwide, in the Twin Cities, and in SW Mpls specifically
Sustainable farming and the costs to the consumer (and communicating those costs and value)
Education about food purchasing (what about “ugly produce”)
Transition away from cooking, toward prepared foods?
Food as medicine (preventative as well as prescriptive)
Membership growth and development of the store

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

Produce and bulk! Great value, great selection, seasonal, local.

Are you ready to vote?

In addition to choosing new directors for the board, members are also voting on recipients of the Seedling Fund and the proposed consolidation with Wedge Community Co-op and Eastside Food Co-op. Read up on these important measures before casting your vote. 

Active members can vote online or in store. Linden Hills Co-op defines an active member as any member who has shopped at the co-op in the past 3 years. 

If you're an active member, you can vote online now.