VOTING OPENS ONLINE APRIL 8 AT 12:01 A.M. PDT AND CLOSES MAY 3 AT 5 P.M. PDT
A core cooperative principle is democratic member control, which means that members can participate in making certain decisions for the co-op. This comes to life for PCC through our Annual Election when members can vote for candidates to serve on the co-op’s Board of Trustees (“Board”).
The Board’s role is to set the financial, social and environmental goals for PCC, and to provide critical oversight and assistance to management to achieve those goals. Examples of this include overseeing annual financial planning and budgeting for a $300+ million business; developing strategic goals with the co-op leadership team; and assuring that the co-op is living its vision, mission and values. The Board also provides direction on topics such as risk management, social and environmental performance, compensation and benefits, and membership programs.
Over the years, the complexity of running the co-op has increased significantly. Since the co-op’s founding in 1953, PCC has grown from one location run by 15 families to 15 stores supporting more than 1,600 incredible team members, and more than 800 local and organic farmers, fishers, producers and ranchers.
When looking for trustee candidates, the Board seeks individuals with a passion for PCC, who bring the experience, skills, expertise, character and diversity to successfully lead the co-op, especially during these challenging social and economic times. Core to this are the experience and judgment to understand the co-op’s current and future business needs.
Equally important is that the Board reflects the communities PCC serves. The co-op has successfully composed a Board with gender balance: It currently is made up of 60 percent women, with a woman chair and three of the four standing committees led by women. But we know we need to do more to improve the racial diversity of the Board. Last year, as a first step, we partnered with a nonprofit that specializes in this work. Through their network and the Board’s continuous recruiting efforts, we identified qualified candidates of diverse racial backgrounds and invited them into the process.
In the 2021 election cycle, there are three open seats on the Board, and five candidates. The Board is recommending three candidates for the three open seats. Two are incumbents and one is a candidate intentionally recruited by the Board to enhance the capabilities and racial diversity of the Board.
Candidates elected in 2021 will serve a term of three years, which will expire at the Annual Members’ Meeting in 2024.
Participating in PCC’s Annual Election is an important opportunity for co-op members to exercise their democratic rights and responsibilities. Thank you in advance for voting in this year’s election.
