Staff
Supervisory Team
The co-op's management team is in charge of the store's day to day operations and it is their job to drive the co-op to fulfill our Ends. Virtually every initiative that management pursues in the course of a year is guided by an element of these policies. Click on the images below to email a particular director or manager, or contact us at 785-843-8544 in Lawrence and 913-320-0404 in Kansas City.
Director Team
Our team of directors oversee co-op wide policies, planning, financials, operations and managers across all store locations.
(Exiting January 3) General Manager, she/her
Rita has over two decades of experience in the food and hospitality industry. She is the longest-standing GM in the co-op's history and continues to be a champion for the cooperative business model as a way to meet people's economic, cultural and social needs while adding wealth to communities. Under her leadership, the co-op has taken great strides to become more inclusive through product selection, price, customer service and work culture. Rita led the co-op's 2015 rebrand and renovation, piloting National Cooperative Grocers' (NCG) cobranding program. She spearheaded the co-op joining Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG), a purchasing cooperative, that provides competitively-priced mainstream and private label grocery products. Serving as the Designated Representative to NCG, Rita collaborates regularly with her peers to share best practices and support the sector. Rita is a graduate of University of Missouri at Kansas City where she earned a bachelor's degree in hospitality studies.
General Manager, he/him
With a career spanning over 17 years in the grocery and cooperative sectors, Seth brings a wealth of experience as well as a deep commitment to community.
Seth’s career began with Kroger, where he spent 12 years honing his skills in various roles including as district coordinator overseeing grocery, produce, front end and general merchandise departments across several locations. He transitioned to The Merc Co+op five years ago and has served as the Director of Operations for the past four years. Seth has successfully overseen the operations of our two stores, driving sales growth and fostering a culture of excellence.
Seth is passionate about leadership, staff and customer engagement and achieving results. He believes that the success of any organization is rooted in the strength and dedication of its team, and he attributes much of his success to the incredible people he works with. A strong advocate for community, Seth is dedicated to ensuring everyone has access to healthy, affordable food.
Finance Director, he/him
Jason has over 20 years of experience in corporate finance and accounting in both cooperative grocery and global financial services industries. He has presented at multiple industry conferences and has consulted on several expansion and acquisition projects for other cooperatively owned grocery stores.
Jason is a graduate of the Washburn University School of Business with a bachelor's degree in Finance and a minor in Accounting.
Human Resources Director, he/him
A Topeka native, Brent has 12 years of HR experience. His career has taken him from Kansas to North Carolina to Colorado. Now back in Kansas, his family’s focus is on achieving an ideal work-life balance and strengthening ties with friends and family. Beyond the professional sphere, Brent is a closet nerd with a penchant for Marvel, DC, and Star Wars movies (whether good or bad). A two-time San Diego Comic-Con alumni, he’s proud of his selfies with a few Impractical Jokers. Armed with a grill and smoker, Brent is a culinary explorer, always eager to try new recipes. Yet, his greatest joy lies in spending quality time with his family — his wife, 5-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter.
Marketing Director, she/her
A native South Dakotan, Laura served as the co-op’s Outreach Manager for 5 years before accepting the role of Marketing Director — overseeing programming for both the Lawrence and Kansas City stores, classes, in- and out-of-store experiences, owner services, and board of director coordination and communications. A graduate of Northern State University with a degree in art, Laura has a diverse collection of experience, including community organizing, event and travel planning, administration, photography, farming and local food production.
Management Team
Our team of managers oversees individual departments and employees at our Lawrence and Kansas City stores. They are listed alphabetically below.
Retail Systems Manager, she/her
Zarina earned her Finance degree through Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University. Before moving to the United States in 2017, she worked in environmental organizations specializing in environmental education and promoting energy efficiency and climate change adaptation.
Technology has always been her hobby, and Zarina has over 3 years of IT experience. She enjoys using her skills to make sure things are running smoothly and to assist the employees with their technical needs.
Grocery Manager — KC
Grocery Manager — Lawrence
Patrick began his grocery career at the largest retail grocer in Milwaukee, in their produce and floral department. He started at The Merc Co+op in 2012, and accepted the role of Grocery Manager in 2019. He has a combined 14 years of grocery experience.
He earned his Masters in Russian, East European and Eurasian studies in 2012 from The University of Kansas. Outside of work, Patrick loves producing music, literature, gardening, and cats.
Produce Manager — Lawrence
Becky earned a BS in Environmental Studies from The University of Kansas in 2013, which fueled her passion for sustainability, native ecosystem restoration, food and food systems. Through college and after graduation she found her passion for community organizing through community meals, free markets, and managed a community garden in town for several years.
Becky began working in the co-op in 2014 in the Deli kitchen and in 2019, she accepted the role of Produce Manager. She loves being able to work with local farmers to connect her love of local food systems to the grocery market.
In her free time, Becky and her husband Bridger love to garden, play music, camp and kayak. They are excited to be new homeowners, working to convert their turf grass to food, perennial flower gardens, and native plants.
Deli Manager — Lawrence
Bobby Joe has over a decade of experience in grocery retail and restaurant leadership. Most recently, he held the position of Specialty Foods Team Lead at Whole Foods in Overland Park. Previously he was the General Manager/Partner at Taos Brewing Co. in New Mexico.
In 2022, Bobby Joe moved to Lawrence with his family. He has a passion for fine cheese and made-from-scratch baked goods. He recently received an educational grant that sent him to Switzerland and France to study cheese.
In his free time, Bobby Joe studies jiu jitsu and enjoys cycling and fishing.
Bakery Manager — Lawrence
Josiah started his first bakery job as a teenager. Since then he has experienced a number of different kinds of work–running rides at the carnival, managing a garden center, and chasing owls around the forests of the Pacific Northwest… to name just a few. But, he has always been a baker at heart and has repeatedly returned to the bakery life.
Josiah has over a decade of experience in commercial baking and many years in bakery management and leadership roles, including production manager at Flour Garden Bakery in Grass Valley, CA, and—most recently—Bakery Specialist here at the co-op.
Outside of work, Josiah is a lover of country drives, thrift stores, books, music, old radios and birds.
Meat & Seafood Manager — Lawrence
Kyle is a third-generation member of the grocery industry. He has worked in a variety of departments and positions over his 10-year career including meat market, seafood, and natural foods.
He has experience with locally-grown meat processing and is excited to bring this expertise to a community-focused market. He, along with his wife and two sons, currently reside in Ottawa with their two dogs, five cats, and three goats.
Fresh Manager — KC
Starting as a Fresh Specialist at the co-op in September of 2023, Tessa has brought valuable retail expertise from her past experiences at Menards and Amazon.
She has made a lasting impression on our guests, ensuring that they always receive the highest quality and variety of fresh products.