Board Connections + January

A pleasant cap to a rather strange and distant spate of board work is that The Merc Co+op elected two new board members, Sofía Galarza Liu and LeAnne Richardson, and reelected incumbents Rachel Jefferson and Judy Dutton, who will serve as board president this year.

Sofía is collections manager at the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas. She describes herself as an “avid cook and…passionate about making and eating nutritious and delicious food.” A long-time member, she first began shopping at the co-op when it was located at 7th & Maine, which was two blocks from her childhood home in Lawrence.

LeAnne is a high school biology teacher with Kansas City Kansas Public Schools. She says that she ran for The Merc board because “the lack of quality, fresh food is a big problem in Wyandotte County and I want to be part of the solution.” She and her family love living in Wyandotte County and hope to be a part of the community for years to come.

All co-op owners are invited to attend monthly board meetings. Due to the pandemic, all board meetings are virtual. Early in the agenda, the board reserves ten minutes of space to hear from owners who wish to address the board. See February’s agenda here! Email board@themerc.coop for your meeting link.