2020 Board of Directors Election

1. Why are you interested in running for this board?

My wife and I have been regular customers of Mississippi Market since we moved to Saint Paul nearly 10 years ago. We have a strong interest in many of the facets of Mississippi Market’s business model: locally sourced foods, healthy eating, sustainable agriculture, and community oriented approaches to business. I see joining the board of Mississippi Market as a way of supporting a business that advances these values. In particular, I am interested in learning more about cooperative business models. As COVID-19 continues to impact our economy, I believe that cooperative models will play an important role in advancing community leadership in our economic recovery.

2. Briefly summarize what professional, leadership, and/or volunteer experience uniquely qualifies you to serve on the board.

My career has spanned a number of roles in business, local government, and community development. I hold a BS in Marketing and Master in Urban and Regional Planning. I previously worked in the packaged foods industry, spending a year working in promotion marketing at General Mills. Since then, I’ve dedicated my career to community and economic development, holding positions in residential property management, advocacy, and local government leadership. I have served on advisory or governing boards for six different organizations, serving in multiple roles including co-chair.
Currently, I work in the Saint Paul Mayor’s Office where, among other activities, I help advise the mayor on community informed economic and infrastructure development.

3. Please describe your experience in one or more of these areas: Long-term and Strategic Planning; Diversity and Inclusivity; Legal Experience; Grocery, Local & Natural Food Industry Knowledge/Experience; Supply Chain & Local Food System Knowledge/Experience; and Creativity & Entrepreneurship.

In my work at the City of Saint Paul, I’ve participated in and led strategic planning sessions regarding various policy issues. I have also participated in strategic planning retreats for various nonprofit and political organizations. I work with the City of Saint Paul’s Chief Equity Officer and other senior leadership on efforts to advance racial equity through policies and procedures, as well as bring diverse and underrepresented voices into decision making processes. I work closely with staff on shaping and advancing the City of Saint Paul’s economic development and business support strategies. In my previous work at General Mills, I had the opportunity to work on planning and executing grocery retail promotion strategy and tactics.

4. In your opinion, what is the role of the co-op in the community?

Cooperatives like Mississippi Market are a vehicle for community members to come together to provide greater access to fresh, healthy, sustainably grown food. While there is increasing competition from other retailers, our co-op still plays an important role in bringing our community together around food. Whether it’s offering regionally grown produce, specialty products, or offering classes on growing and preparing food, the co-op is a critical part of our community’s healthy living ecosystem. As a co-op business, Mississippi Market also plays an important role in creating opportunities for community participation and community leadership in guiding and supporting the business’s growth and helping to shape its role in our community.

5. What is your vision for Mississippi Market’s future?

I see Mississippi Market continuing to be a leader in partnering with local communities to bring fresh, healthy food to neighborhoods where there are limited healthy options. I also see Mississippi Market finding new, cost effective ways to bring community members together around understanding, preparing, growing, and celebrating healthy food in ways that increases customer loyalty and brings in new customers and members.

6. The co-op is currently facing many new challenges due to the pandemic and an ever-increasingly competitive grocery industry. What opportunities do you see for innovation and growth for the co-op to overcome these and other challenges?

Looking ahead, it will be critical for Mississippi Market to reinforce it’s core comparative advantage as a community owned and community focused business. While other retailers may offer similar products, as a co-op Mississippi Market has the opportunity to find new ways to bring the communities our locations serve together around healthy food and healthy living. We can explore new ways to collaborate with other businesses and organizations in the healthy living sector to reinforce our co- ops role as a hub for health and bring new customers and members in the door. At the same time, we must continue to find ways to bring in and keep customers by offering additional healthy and unique products that other retailers simply don’t sell.

7. Tell us about your favorite co-op food, and how you like to enjoy or share it.

My absolute favorite co-op food is the Sea Tangle Noodle Company kelp noodles. I combine the kelp noodles with beef broth, beef or chicken that I have grilled or smoked myself, along with fresh onions, jalapenos, cilantro, bean sprouts, and thai basil to create a homemade low-carb pho.

Noel holds a B.S. in Marketing and Master of Urban and Regional Planning, and currently works in the St. Paul Mayor’s office as an adviser on community informed economic and infrastructure development. Noel lives in St. Paul and shops at the Selby location.

1. Why are you interested in running for this board?

I am passionate about supporting and nurturing the local food system from farmers to consumers. The COVID-19 pandemic has only underscored the fragility of our global supply chains and the need for strong and resilient local food systems that benefit all community members. Community-owned cooperatives are a crucial part of a just food system that supports farmers, food producers, and the land while putting community health and wellbeing over huge profit for a few. I run a small farmers’ market where we nurture emerging food producers as they hone their skills; the Mississippi Market is a complementary part of the local food system I would like to help strengthen.

2. Briefly summarize what professional, leadership, and/or volunteer experience uniquely qualifies you to serve on the board.

I have served on boards since I was in high school and lived in cooperative housing in college. I am the Executive Director of the West Side Farmers Market, where I led the effort to become a nonprofit in 2019. I served on the Minnesota Association of Environmental Education’s Board of Directors and was the board president as we went through strategic planning that resulted in major structural changes to the organization to focus its scope of work and make space for positive, sustainable growth. I have been a climate scientist, environmental educator and evaluator, and I have a passion for food. The food system integrates all my interests and directly impacts people’s lives. I am a systems thinker who loves working on a challenge with others.

3. Please describe your experience in one or more of these areas: Long-term and Strategic Planning; Diversity and Inclusivity; Legal Experience; Grocery, Local & Natural Food Industry Knowledge/Experience; Supply Chain & Local Food System Knowledge/Experience; and Creativity & Entrepreneurship.

I love strategic planning! Taking the time to pause and think about goals and how to achieve them is vital and energizing. It is easy to get mired in everyday work and lose focus; clear goals and expectations make ambitious things possible. My experience as an evaluator, and leader has shown me the value of a thorough and thoughtful plan to make work easier to accomplish and more satisfying. I work in the supply chain and the local food system at the West Side Farmers Market where I have served on the leadership team since 2013 and as ED since we incorporated as a non-profit in 2019. As a small neighborhood market, we work with food producers in the early stages of their journey. I have worked with many farmers over the years and know of their struggles to find land and financing, difficulties navigating licensing and insurance, as well as climate uncertainties and crop failure as they try to make a good living growing and producing high-quality food. A more connected local food system across markets and food producers will help our region and gives farmers and food producers viable options that consider the well-being of human and environmental health over the industrial agriculture system.

Additionally, I am working to better educate myself on race and racism and am actively working toward being anti-racist. We all need to actively examine our personal and institutional policies, that perpetuate racist systems and work to replace them with just policies and ways of being.

4. In your opinion, what is the role of the co-op in the community?

The co-op should be a leader in advocating for the use of cooperative principles more widely in society. Cooperative systems where the good of the community matters more than individual profit can demonstrate to the community the bright possibilities when businesses put aside corporate profits so all can thrive.

Additionally, the co-op should continue to work to rebuild a robust and just food economy locally and globally. The co-op can work with farmers, food producers, and food consumers to make fresh local food accessible, appealing, available, and utilized. A stronger local food system will address climate change, community health, and the economic vitality of small- scale organic farming.

5. What is your vision for Mississippi Market’s future?

I see the Mississippi Market as a vibrant collection of stores full of local and global food and craft products produced by fairly- paid workers in ways that mitigate harm to the environment. I envision stores where all workers are happy and feel justly treated and members are more involved in their co-op. Ways to involve members more at Mississippi Market could include expanding and broadening class offerings, as well as offering more opportunities for members to give back to the community as a member of the co-op. Being a co-op member would mean more than quarterly discounts and yearly member refunds; it would mean becoming a part of vibrant community.

6. The co-op is currently facing many new challenges due to the pandemic and an ever-increasingly competitive grocery industry. What opportunities do you see for innovation and growth for the co-op to overcome these and other challenges?

COVID-19 has created many new and unexpected challenges for essential businesses and front-line workers. From supply chain shortages to worker safety, to bewildered customers, the challenges have been great. Yet, Mississippi Market was a leader in store safety and in compensating front-line workers for the increased risk and stress associated with working through a contagious pandemic. The smooth response to this pandemic is as an opportunity to be a leader in the community: when signals from the powers that be were disjointed, the co-op stepped up and did the right thing to protect people. As the global supply chain has been weakened, the Mississippi Market is poised to help us find another way forward that is more sustainable for all.

7. Tell us about your favorite co-op food, and how you like to enjoy or share it.

It is hard to pick one particular food I like best. My favorite part of the co-op is the extensive bulk section. Pre-packaged food wastes a lot of resources and I appreciate being able to reduce the waste associated with purchasing food.

Molly has a Ph.D. in Free-Choice Learning, Science Education and Oceanography and is the Executive Director of the West Side Farmers Market. Molly lives in St. Paul and enjoys shopping at all three locations.

1. Why are you interested in running for this board?

I have the experience of serving on boards and can bring a representation that supports the values Mississippi Market represents. I am also the current Farm Manager at Frogtown Farm. My farming background has allowed me to understand the level of food sovereignty needed in our communities.

2. Briefly summarize what professional, leadership, and/or volunteer experience uniquely qualifies you to serve on the board.

I have been a board member for several different organizations, and I understand the fiduciary responsibilities such membership requires. As a person of color, I bring to the board a representation that supports the community served by Mississippi Market.

3. Please describe your experience in one or more of these areas: Long-term and Strategic Planning; Diversity and Inclusivity; Legal Experience; Grocery, Local & Natural Food Industry Knowledge/Experience; Supply Chain & Local Food System Knowledge/Experience; and Creativity & Entrepreneurship.

I have diversity and inclusion interest, I bring food justice and local food system working together to decolonize food and create more access to food and land use.

4. In your opinion, what is the role of the co-op in the community?

Co-ops are local stores that are owned by community members, investing in the common good for local food access.

5. What is your vision for Mississippi Market’s future?

A space for community members to get access to good quality food. I am envisioning Mississippi Market to be that alternative to big unhealthy food markets like Cub Foods, but also think of Mississippi Market as an alternative to the more expensive privately owned food markets that is not community driven.

6. The co-op is currently facing many new challenges due to the pandemic and an ever-increasingly competitive grocery industry. What opportunities do you see for innovation and growth for the co-op to overcome these and other challenges?

I believe being creative during this very difficult times in our communities is the key. I think providing a space for shoppers to embrace the co-op by having quality food with lower prices.

7. Tell us about your favorite co-op food, and how you like to enjoy or share it.

Eggplants.

Hindolo has a B.A. in Political Science and Global Studies, a Master of Liberal Studies and a Master of Arts in progress in Comparative & International Development Education. Hindolo is the Farm Manager at Frogtown Farm. Hindolo lives in St. Paul and shops at the East 7th store.

1. Why are you interested in running for this board?

My husband and I recently moved to Saint Paul. We lived in Madison, Wis., and I was on the Willy Street Co-op (WSC) board for seven years, where I participated in several committees (finance, investment and audit), mainly due to my financial background. I live and breathe food co-ops, as they are very much aligned to my personal values, they support a local economy, they are democratically owned and controlled by members, and they are cornerstones of vibrant and diverse communities. As a new member-owner of Mississippi Market, I would like to bring my previous experience as a food co-op board member and as the controller at National Co-op Grocers to help further the co-op’s goals, while making sound decisions.

2. Briefly summarize what professional, leadership, and/or volunteer experience uniquely qualifies you to serve on the board.

On the WSC board, we evaluated several expansion projects. WSC remodeled two of their stores and opened a third location in a food desert area, where they opened a mix of conventional and organic groceries to better serve the community. I also volunteered to participate on extracurricular board events, meeting owners, hosting board member information sessions and presenting during the annual membership party. I have also worked as the controller for National Co-op Grocers for almost nine years, and I’m very familiar with food co-op financial operations. In my role, I have prepared operating budgets, proformas and financial reviews for our member food co-ops.

3. Please describe your experience in one or more of these areas: Long-term and Strategic Planning; Diversity and Inclusivity; Legal Experience; Grocery, Local & Natural Food Industry Knowledge/Experience; Supply Chain & Local Food System Knowledge/Experience; and Creativity & Entrepreneurship.

During my time on the WSC board I have been part of several strategic planning meetings. As a board, WSC was constantly evaluating its role in the community, assessing the current landscape to take actionable steps in areas like owner access (economic and in sales mix), competition and DEI of ownership and staff.

National Co-op Grocers is an association of food co-ops (including quite a few in the Twin Cities). We provide the necessary resources so our member food co-ops can compete in this very challenging environment. We have extensive knowledge of the grocery, local and natural food industry and leverage contracts to enhance operational costs of our co-ops. We have also invested resources to not only enhance staff diversity and inclusivity, but to educate staff to become champions and allies in the Black lives matter movement.

4. In your opinion, what is the role of the co-op in the community?

The co-op exists to nurture its surrounding community. It should reflect and enhance the diversity of its owners in all aspects, from its culture to their sales mix.

5. What is your vision for Mississippi Market’s future?

It is a broader conversation when I say that I want Mississippi Market to thrive in this challenging environment. I’d envision it to be a cornerstone of its diverse communities for each of their stores, where people have access to fresh/local foods and staff is inspired and empowered to grow with the co-op.

6. The co-op is currently facing many new challenges due to the pandemic and an ever-increasingly competitive grocery industry. What opportunities do you see for innovation and growth for the co-op to overcome these and other challenges?

Competition has always been hard and is only going to get harder. The advantage co-ops had of being in a niche sector of organic and local had been cannibalized by larger national competitors. But food co-ops can make a stronger connection and enhance their relationships with the community. I enjoy going to a store and having the feeling that I belong. I like finding local products I can’t find in other big chain stores.

Now I realize the pandemic has put a damper on the in-store experience, with some of the sales going online. The East 7th program for curbside pickup has been a great idea for customers trying to get groceries. Additionally, having a clear strategic and communication plan is pivotal for the co-op.

7. Tell us about your favorite co-op food, and how you like to enjoy or share it.

I haven’t had the chance to try a lot of products made at the co-op, but I have purchased the vegan chocolate cupcake every time it’s available. I also make mandatory trips to purchase La Perla tortillas.

Daniel holds a Master of Science in Computing Science and an MBA and works as the controller for National Co-op Grocers. Daniel lives in St. Paul and shops at the West 7th location.