Board of Directors

Welcome to our newly elected board members Kevin Lehman and Karen Miller-Lane who bring us a wealth of new experience. And welcome back to re-elected Board member Kristin Bolton. Many thanks to Ashar Nelson for nine years of dedicated work on behalf of the Board, as a member and then as President. Many thanks as well to Johanna Nichols who has worked tirelessly on behalf of many people, institutions and the Co-op Board -- and best wishes for her retirement!

A board of directors elected by the members governs the MNFC. The 11-member Board is directly accountable to the membership for the activities and accomplishments of the store. The Board does not micromanage the Co-op or the General Manager, but sets policies by which the store and the Board are run. Specifically, the Board is responsible for:

  • Developing, monitoring, and revising policies that guide the store to achieve outcomes that are consistent with the members’ values and vision.
  • Ensuring through consistent monitoring that management achieves goals set by the Board and that the Board operates according to its established processes.
  • Acting as a representative for the members.

Contact the Board board@middleburycoop.com


Board of Directors' Committees

Below is list of all present MNFC Board committees. At the June board meeting board members have the opportunity to join or retire from committees.

The MNFC has four standing committees: the Executive Committee, the Board Development Committee, the Buying Criteria Committee, and the Long-Range Planning Committee. All other committees are created to address a specific need and are terminated when the need is met.



Executive Committee

The Executive Committee exists to provide Board leadership, and to be available to support the GM and President. The Executive Committee is responsible for carrying out the GM evaluation.



Board Development Committee

The BDC exists to support the continuing improvement and perpetuation of the MNFC Board of Directors. The committee is responsible for recruiting and training new board members, organizing and running the annual election, aiding in the development of the present board, implementing and collating an annual board assessment, and planning for executive member succession.



Linkage Committee

- The purpose of the Linkage Committee is

  • to inform member-owners about participating in the democratic control of the Co-op, and about issues important to their participation
  • to promote, invite and engage in conversation with member-owners about the Ends, in order to mutually shape those Ends
  • to learn from member-owners about their needs and values regarding the Co-op, as well as their knowledge and wisdom, regarding the Ends. Hence, MNFC members would benefit from
  • better representation of their needs and values and a better understanding of how the Co-op is already meeting their needs and values
  • increased awareness of how to get their needs met through the Co-op
  • greater understanding of how to participate in this organization as a model of democracy and what benefits come from that participation
    • a heightened sense of belonging and connection to the MNFC.
  • The Linkage Committee is responsible for organizing MNFC’s Annual Meeting.


MNFC Ends

MNFC member owners, customers, and the community benefit from:

  • Healthy foods
  • Vibrant local economy
  • Environmentally sustainable and energy-efficient practices
  • Cooperative democratic ownership


Board of Directiors' Meetings

Co-op members are welcome to attend Board of Directors’ meetings, scheduled to begin at 6:30pm on one Wednesday a month in the MNFC meeting room on the second floor of 1 Washington Street. The yearly calendar of board meetings is posted below. Time is set aside at the beginning of each meeting for members to express concerns or suggestions.



Board of Directors’ Meeting Calendar