Board

The MNFC Board of Directors
The Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op is governed by an eleven-member Board of Directors that is elected by its member-owners. The Board is directly accountable to member-owners for all of the activities and accomplishments of the Co-op, including the store. However, the Board does not "micro-manage" the Co-op or its General Manager, but sets policies by which the Co-op (and the Board) are run. This system of governing is called Policy Governance. In effect, it is a system whereby the Board creates policies that allow the General Manager and Staff the greatest possible operational freedom while still guiding the fundamental direction of the Co-op. The General Manager is directly accountable to the Board for all of these policies, which are monitored year round according to a schedule.

A concise description of Policy Governance, as it appears on the CDS Consulting Co-op website, reads as follows:

Policy Governance® is a model of board leadership that allows boards to be effective. Policy Governance gives boards the capacity and role clarity to truly be trustees for the member-owners.

Policy Governance addresses the fundamental challenges of governing boards:

How can representatives of member-owners responsibly exercise control over activities they will never completely see, toward goals they cannot fully measure, through jobs and skills they themselves will not master?

How can boards remain accountable, without needlessly constraining the creativity and responsibility of management?

How can boards lead when Board members disagree, when time is limited, and current issues demand attention?

Policy Governance provides benefits including:

Clarity of Group Values. The authority of the board is not as individuals but as a group. Policies are the explicitly stated “voice” of the board as a whole.
Clarity of Board & Management Roles. A board adds unique value to the cooperative. Governing by policy clarifies the board’s job and focuses the board on leadership. Clear guidance through policies effectively uses the expertise of the manager and the board.
Leverage and Efficiency. By handling the most fundamental issues through agreed upon policies, the board can affect many decisions with less effort. Boards that use time well are more effective.

The MNFC 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 all of the Co-op's member-owners.

Board members hold their positions for three-year terms, and elections are held every Spring. If you are interested in becoming a Board member, please contact the Board at board@middleburycoop.com or call the office at 802-388-7276.

 

  1. Middlebury Co-op Ends

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

    Healthy Foods

  3. Vibrant Local Economy

    Environmentally Sustainable and Energy-Efficient Practices

  4. Cooperative Democratic Ownership

  5. Learning about these Values

  6.  

  7.  

Current Board Members

Jay Leshinsky
President		 Tam Stewart
Vice-President		 Louise Vojtisek
Secretary		 Ross Conrad
Treasurer

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ilaria Brancoli Busdraghi Francisca Drexel Mary Gill Kevin Lehman

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Sheila McGrory-Klyza Steve Getz Daryl Benoit  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contact the Board board@middleburycoop.com

   Click here to download a PDF of our Governance Policies (GPs)

  Click here to download a PDF of the By-Laws.

   Click here to download a PDF of "Board - General Manager Relationship."

  Click here to download a PDF of "Executive Limitations."

  Click here to download a PDF of the Annual Report 2012

Click here to download a PDF of the Annual Report 2011

Click here to download a PDF of the Annual Report 2010

 

 

 

The MNFC Board of Directors Wants YOU!
Run for the Co-op Board of Directors

Each year Middlebury Natural Food Co-operative (MNFC) member-owners have an opportunity to select representatives to serve on the Board of Directors. The Board is accountable to member-owners for fiduciary oversight, monitoring cooperative principals, and guiding the future growth of the Co-op. If you love the Co-op and are committed to the work it does in our community, please consider running for the Board of Directors.

The MNFC Board of Directors is made up of 11 members, each serving a 3-year term. Directors have a strong commitment to the success and future of the co-op and time to participate in the work of the board. Profiles of all candidates will appear in the Co-op, on our website & in the May newsletter.

Board of Directors Applications are available at the Co-op or HERE:

For more information feel free to contact Mary Gill, Board Development Committee, at mgill@addisoncentralsu.org or 388-6027.

PARTICIPATING ON THE CO-OP BOARD
    •    Board members attend two-hour Board meetings one Wednesday a month, with the General Manager and staff representatives.
    •    The Board uses the model of Policy Governance, which frees the Board to shape policy rather than manage operations. (For more information, go to: http://www.policygovernance.com/model.htm)
    •    Each Board member serves on at least one committee that works on policy issues that will be brought to the whole Board for discussion and action.
    •    Board members attend an annual retreat to devote a day to a particular issue affecting the future of the Co-op.  
    •    Board terms are three years and start in June of each year.
    •    
OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
    •    Education. Board members can attend workshops that provide education regarding serving on food co-op boards most effectively. They also have access to free online workshops about the workings of Co-operatives and information about the tools and skills that help their Boards function productively and responsibly.
    •    Collaboration. Board members have the opportunity to collaborate with other Co-op Boards and General Managers at regional meetings in northern New England.
    •    Service. Serving on the Board provides an opportunity for you to combine your unique insights and talents with other Board members to help shape the future of the Co-op.
    •    
BENEFITS
You can be part of all this and receive:
    •    a $20 stipend for each monthly meeting attended.
    •    a 10% discount on all purchases.