2024 PCC Election FAQs
Q: WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO VOTE?
A: You are eligible to vote if you were an active member of PCC Community Markets (PCC) on March 4, 2024, the record date set by the Board of Trustees. Only those in whose name the membership is issued may vote.
Q: HOW DO I KNOW IF I’M AN “ACTIVE” MEMBER?
A: You are an active member of PCC if you have paid your membership fee in full and you have used your membership at least once between March 5, 2023 and March 4, 2024. To find out if you are an active member, log into your online account at pccmarkets.com/my-account.
Q: HOW CAN I VOTE?
A: You can vote online. Eligible members who have given PCC a valid email address by April 3, 2024 will receive an email on April 10, 2024 directing them to their unique online ballot. Once you mark and submit your ballot, you will receive an email confirmation that you have voted.
If you are unable to vote online due to disability or otherwise, please email membership@pccmarkets.com or call 206-965-1514 for a paper ballot. Paper ballots must be received at the co-op office by 5 p.m. PDT on April 23, 2024 to be counted.
Online voting starts April 10, 2024 at 12:01 a.m. PDT and ends April 23, 2024 at 5 p.m. PDT.
Q: WHY DON’T WE HAVE MORE CHOICES — THERE ARE 4 OPEN SEATS AND ONLY 4 CANDIDATES?
A: Each year the PCC leadership team considers what skills on the Board of Trustees would be most valuable to them in navigating PCC’s short- and long-term strategic goals. The leadership team provides this evaluation to the Governance and Membership Committee (GMC) of the Board to use in soliciting applicants for the upcoming election. In 2023, informed by the co-op’s current strategic priorities, the PCC leadership team determined that a trustee with executive-level experience in grocery merchandising, operations or supply chain management would be the most valuable addition to the Board.
In December 2023, PCC commenced the 2024 Board of Trustees application process. In the current election cycle, there are four seats on the Board up for election, and three of four Board incumbents (Donna Rasmussen, Laurae McIntyre and Rodney Hines) submitted applications to be considered to serve another term on the Board.
The Board determined (with the three incumbents abstaining from the vote) that there was great value in the continued Board service by the qualified and knowledgeable incumbents, and that they should be placed on the ballot. Ms. Rasmussen and Ms. McIntyre are staff members who provide valuable perspective from the standpoint of store staff and members to the Board of Trustees. Mr. Hines, a long-standing business leader in the Seattle area and strong voice in corporate social responsibility and community relations, provides a balanced voice on matters of profit, people and planet. For the remaining fourth open trustee position, in addition to a communication to members and readers of PCC’s Sound Consumer publication, each member of the Board of Trustees was tasked with reaching out to their networks of professional colleagues to seek candidates with the identified skillsets.
From this effort, PCC received more than 30 requests for a Board application package, and 11 of those individuals submitted applications for consideration. The GMC, after matching all the received applications to the identified desired grocery skills, selected six applicants for personal interviews by groups of Board members, including PCC’s CEO. While all the interviewed applicants had impressive skills and varying levels of relevant experience, only two candidates possessed the requisite grocery experience and skills. The GMC further determined that only Joe Rogoff possessed all the identified grocery skills, a passion for natural and organic foods and mission-driven organizations, and familiarity with co-ops through his advisory work. Based on this assessment, the GMC recommended that Mr. Rogoff be placed on the ballot along with the three incumbents. The Board chose not to place more candidates on the ballot than available seats because of the immense value that the three incumbent candidates would continue to bring to the Board, and because Mr. Rogoff’s grocery expertise, combined with his passion for natural and organic foods, is a remarkably rare combination of qualifications that makes him the most compelling candidate for the fourth open trustee position.
Q: WERE THERE ANY OTHER POSSIBLE CANDIDATES?
A:The Board received 11 applications for consideration as candidates to the Board, but after review of the skills and experience of the various applicants and interviews with six applicants, only two applicants had grocery skills, which were identified as critical additions to the Board to address the co-op’s future challenges, and only one applicant had all the requisite grocery skills as well as a passion for natural and organic foods and familiarity with cooperatives.
Q: ARE THE CANDIDATES COMPETING WITH ANYONE, OR IS IT AN APPROVAL VOTE TALLY?
A: There are four open seats, and PCC members can vote FOR or AGAINST each candidate. Candidates are only elected and able to secure a seat on the Board if they receive more FOR votes than AGAINST votes.