Each month, The Merc Co+op Board of Directors shares the decisions and topics discussed at their most recent meeting, promoting transparency and accountability with co-op owners.
Hans Carttar, Board Member
July Board Report
Hans Carttar, Board Member
CCMA 2024
Greetings from The Merc Co+op Board of Directors. We hope that all of you had a wonderful Fourth of July celebration and are finding ways to stay cool as our Kansas summer unfolds.
In late May, The Merc Co+op board members Melissa, Deon, Anthony, Mark and Hans along with Operations Director Seth Naumann, attended CCMA 2024 in Portland, ME. Every year, CCMA (Consumer Cooperative Management Association) hosts a conference for food cooperative directors, management, staff and sector allies from across the country to come together to share issues, challenges and ideas with each other. The conference started with a visit to Rising Tide Co-op in Damariscotta, ME. There we toured the store, community kitchen and tasting tent. After that we visited a local conservation trust, food bank farm and toured their food storage hub. It was an inspiring day witnessing how the local teams cooperate and collaborate to address food access barriers and promote local food economies in Maine. We then spent two days in seminars and break-out sessions, in which co-op representatives shared their challenges, experiences and lessons learned. Every session was educational and valuable. It was so powerful to hear the co-op’s Seth Naumann take part in a panel discussion regarding the challenges of providing food to low-income, low-access neighborhoods. In another equally riveting session, Mark, Anthony and Seth shared the co-op’s journey of opening the KCK store.
The three-day conference was educational, thought-provoking and truly inspiring. The conference gave each of us the opportunity to meet amazing people from across the country. We established or rekindled relationships that provide an invaluable wealth of shared experience. The conference reinforced the knowledge that we are part of an important movement and have an amazing team here at The Merc Co+op. It also made it clear that our team operates two stores that lead the way relative to many of our peers.
As a relatively new Director in their sixth month on the board, I found this experience incredibly powerful. It reminded me how rewarding my board membership has been for me. Running for a board director position is something I would recommend to anyone who wants to take a more active role in the success of the co-op. If this speaks to you, please consider running for a position in the upcoming election. Please see the link for more information: https://www.themerc.coop/online-board-candidate-packet-2024
About the Board
The Merc Co+op's Board of Directors is comprised of nine co-op owners who are elected by the general ownership and serve a three-year term. Any co-op owner can run for a board position.
The board creates a set of policies to govern themselves and the General Manager, who provides the group with regular reports on store operations. The board delegates all operational matters to the General Manager.
Board Meetings
All co-op owners are invited to attend monthly board meetings. Early in the agenda, the board reserves ten minutes of space to hear from owners who wish to address the board.