Co-op Board Elections

There are two positions open on the Board of Trustees. Two incumbent Board members are running for the two open board seats. The information about the candidates and a ballot are included in this issue and are also available online. Candidates were asked to express why they'd like to serve our Co-op on the Board of Trustees, and which skills and experience they'd bring to the position should they be elected.

CANDIDATES

Tom Theisen

Incumbent Candidate

Skills/Knowledge

• Financial

• Co-op

• Facilitation

• General Management

• Architectural programming, design, management, & analysis

Board Experience

I have served on the Board of Skagit Valley Food Co-op for 23 years, and as Board President for over 10. This Board moved to Policy Governance in 2020. I also serve on the Board of Skagit Council Housing, a non-profit organization focusing on housing the very low-income elderly. This Board manages 106 low income apartments and is working on a project which would expand that by 40 units. I have served on this Board for over 20 years; currently as Vice President, with previous terms as Secretary. In the distant past I served as a “special projects administrator” on the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Board, Spokane Chapter.

Existing Community Relationships

As an owner of a small local architectural firm I have worked with Planning and Building officials of every major town in Skagit County as well as Skagit County Governance. As noted above I currently serve on the Boards of Skagit Valley Food Co-op and Skagit Council Housing (SCH). The SCH Board’s mission is to provide housing for the very low-income elderly. I have also been actively involved over many years with various and numerous committees lobbying for more resources and brainstorming creative ways for housing the homeless. I have also worked with numerous local and regional school districts in identifying appropriate locations on school sites for edible garden programs.

Candidate Statement

I respectfully ask for your continued confidence in my abilities to serve the Skagit Valley Food Co-op with another term on the Board. I believe I bring to the table passion, history, commitment, and professional qualifications.

Arriving in Mount Vernon in 1989 I soon discovered the Co-op, and it immediately became my “third place”. If I wasn’t at home or my newly opened architectural firm, I was at the Co-op. I witnessed the move from Pine Square to the current building and numerous remodeling and expansions, contributing my architectural experience as needed.

I began serving on the Board in 2000. In those early years, I helped establish the 4% Friday program which has recently surpassed $500,000 in donations to non-profit organizations. I served on the Board when we decided it was time to buy the building and then proceeded to pay it off far before the “note was due.” In my tenure, we have gone from doing $7 million a year with 70 staff to nearly $25 million with nearly 200 staff. We have made staff compensation a priority, hired an incredibly competent General Manager, moved to Policy Governance, strengthened relationships with our agricultural community, and continue to keep the store a well-grounded and welcoming anchor in Downtown Mount Vernon. I have attended “continuing education” opportunities for Board members and National Co-op events.

For my wife and me, this is our grocery store and has been since our arrival. It is our go-to for reliably good and nutritious food. Whether grown locally or not, our food products are researched by caring and intelligent staff which are hard to find outside the Co-op world. That confidence helps alleviate the pressure to consistently do our own research for products we consume daily. Being a cog in the wheel of Co-op stewardship has been a privilege and an honor.

Brad Claypool

Incumbent Candidate

Skills/Knowledge

• Financial

• Co-op

• General Management

Board Experience

• Skagit Valley Food Co-op - Board Member –10 yrs, Treasurer– 6 yrs, Secretary– 2 yrs

• Seattle Artist Trust Non-profit Board of Directors - 6+ yrs President– 2 years

• Middle Way Acupuncture Institute - Advisory Board– 3+ yrs

• Artech Inc. - Corporate Governance– 12 yrs, President– 12 yrs

• Various residential co-op & condo association boards

Existing Community Relationships

Volunteer for Meals on Wheels

Candidate Statement

I have been honored to serve on the Skagit Valley Food Co-op board since 2014. My focus during this time has been mostly on finance, metrics, and policy. I served several terms as treasurer and continue to serve on the Finance Committee. I have also worked to define and refine the underlying policies that provide the Board with the means to clearly state our expectations for our Co-op and give us an efficient, comprehensive mechanism for maintaining visibility into management’s performance towards those ends. These policies are maintained by the Board Development Committee which, as Secretary, I have chaired for the last two years.

My background is well suited to this role. After a successful 20+ year career in technology, I decided to change my focus and left my position as a corporate senior manager. I was subsequently recruited to lead a 30-year-old art services company back to financial stability. I served as CEO and managed all accounting (but was still the “IT Guy”) of this 60-person corporation for 12 years.

I am a lifelong believer in the cooperative model, and I truly appreciate the people and the work of this Co-op. In addition to being a great place to shop(!), as members we can all be proud of Skagit Food Co-op’s impact on the entire community through direct support of local producers, regional non-profits, and educational programs. I have the skills, knowledge, experience, and desire to help the Co-op continue to thrive, grow, and positively impact our owner-members, our employees, and the broader community as we embark on our next 50 years!

We Need Your Votes!

You may have noticed we have two incumbent candidates running for two spots in this year’s board election. That might feel like you don’t need to vote, but your vote is important! There is a minimum number of votes needed in order for the election results to be confirmed. So, if you’re happy with how your Co-op has been running, please take the time to vote. Thank you!