PCC Board of Trustees report, July 2013

This article was originally published in July 2013

PCC Board of Trustees election results

Tempest, Hietter and Lamsek

2012-2013 nominating committee members: (l-r) Tempest, Hietter and Lamsek.

PCC’s 2013 annual election began on Tuesday, April 23 and ended Tuesday, May 21. The ballots were counted at a public meeting on Monday, May 27. John Sheller was elected to his second term. Taso Lagos and Karen May were elected to their first terms. Complete election results are shown below.

“On behalf of the board and nominating committee, we thank all the members who voted and all the staff in the stores and office who helped manage the election,” says Carol Binder, board chair. “The election is a major part of what sets PCC apart. Our co-op is owned by our members and they choose our leadership. The board also appreciates the work of the nominating committee in selecting the candidates.”

“Thank you to all of our members who voted in our 2013 election,” says newly re-elected trustee John Sheller. “I am looking forward to continuing to serve as a trustee as PCC leads efforts to require GMO labeling, and as our coop moves forward with new store openings.”

New trustee Taso Lagos says, “Thank you to all the members who voted in this year’s election and for the trust placed in me to represent you as a trustee. It’s both a privilege and a duty to continue the PCC tradition of healthy food for a healthy life and to continue its reservoir of goodwill in the community.”

John Sheller

John Sheller
Taso Lagos

Taso Lagos
Karen May

Karen May

Karen May says, “I am sure I will learn a lot and in return I look forward to wholeheartedly supporting this great organization.”

Nominating committee acting chair Janet Hietter adds, “We very much appreciate the efforts of all our candidates and all who applied. The election process requires an investment of time and energy. It was clear that each of our candidates is committed to PCC. The committee believes that the co-op will be well-served by the new trustees.” The other members of the 2012-2013 nominating committee are Julianne Lamsek, Tom Monahan, Mary Simon and Julie Tempest.

Board of Trustees
John Sheller, 1,601 votes
Taso Lagos, 1,489 votes
Karen May, 1,448 votes

Nominating Committee
Julie Tempest, 1,600 votes
Tom Monahan, 1,597 votes
Mary Simon, 1,586 votes
Janet Hietter, 1,540 votes
Don Nordness, 1,523 votes

Quorum required for board election is 3 percent of active membership.

Total valid ballots cast: 2,100 (4.175 percent of 50,301 active members)

Board meeting report

PCC board members

The board’s tour of Jubilee Farm in Carnation was a rich learning opportunity.

Shown above are all that attended. From left to right, John Sheller, Becky Passarella, Art Scheunemann, Randy Lee, Stephen Tan, Erick Haakensen, Rebecca Sadinsky, Wendy Haakensen, Julianne Lamsek, Sandy Voit and Maggie Lucas. Sheller, Tan, Lamsek, Lucas and Voit are PCC trustees.

The board met on May 28 and heard reports from the board development, finance, member relations and CEO evaluation committees.

  • The board heard the election results and feedback from campaigning. They thanked the nominating committee for its work this year.
  • The board approved the auditor for the 2013 tax and finance audits.
  • The board self-evaluation survey was approved for distribution.
  • Updates to the board’s online information portal were approved.
  • The nominating committee protocols were approved.
  • The May 11 board learning tour of Jubilee Farm in Carnation was discussed. The tour was part of the board’s long-term study of our regional food system. Jubilee is one of PCC Farmland Trust‘s farms.
  • The annual meeting was discussed. We had another record attendance and members rated the evening a success in the evaluations.

Passarella is annual fund manager for PCC Farmland Trust, Scheunemann was a PCC board candidate, Erick and Wendy Haakensen are owners/managers of Jubilee, Lee is PCC CFO and president of the Trust board, and Sadinsky is executive director of the Trust.

The next board meeting is July 30 at 5 p.m. at the co-op business office.

Also in this issue

Monarch Butterflies: Where have they gone?

Millions of orange and black Monarch butterflies across the United States and southern Canada take off to fly south every year. But this great migration is in trouble. Monarch populations have dropped 59 percent in 2012 from the previous year.

GE labeling updates

Host a Kitchen Conversation to support I-522. Also: Connecticut passes a GE labeling bill, Ben & Jerry's scoops free ice cream to support labeling, and Asia suspends Northwest wheat after GE wheat was found in Oregon.

Biodynamic: Sustainable farming in principle and practice

Much as we think of our own bodies as comprised of essential organs, the biodynamic approach to farming also views farms as "organisms," with various "organs" working in harmony. Biodynamic farmers create biodiverse farms that rely little on outside inputs.