By: David Lester, General Manager
It has been a while since I’ve written a piece of communication for our quarterly Scoop publication, which has been on hiatus since March. You will be getting more frequent communication from OCC as we transition to a blog format. I hope you enjoy these future pieces from our staff, board members and member-owners.
A Time of Transition
We are entering a time of transition at the Oneota Community Co-op. You may have seen the recent posting for a General Manager (GM). After a decade of leadership with OCC, I have been in discernment with my role as GM. My tenure has been a period of stabilization and growth for OCC and as we look to the future, I’m excited about what might be next for OCC – and for me. Three years ago, my partner, Amalia, began working on her Master of Divinity in preparation to serve as a Lutheran pastor. My discernment, and the possibilities of upcoming changes in our family life, helped me decide to end my tenure as General Manager. I shared my process and decision with the board earlier this year and together we developed a six-month transition to prepare for new leadership. We plan to have new leadership in place early February 2021.
My ten-year journey began by coming into this role to heal an organization that had been through the struggles and challenges associated with a store relocation. At the time these efforts resulted in some worrisome financial and personnel issues and creating a precarious time in our history. The challenge at the time was to get all of the important partners in the organization aligned – Members, Board and Staff. Once aligned, we then worked together to develop and implement two strategic plans and a major store remodel which will benefit our Co-op for at least another decade. My feelings about leaving, especially now, are definitely mixed, however I hope our 5,600+ members of our organization are comforted knowing that great leadership will continue at our store. The future looks bright. On a personal level, I am looking forward to time to reflect on what I’ve learned about leading and growing a large organization and consider what’s next in my professional and personal life. Additionally, I am coaching the women’s golf team again at Luther College and our Spring season will hopefully be an active one.
Our search for a new General Manager began in July. It is a national search and the Board has done a diligent job of laying out a process for this new hire. We are the largest retailer on Water Street and our Board Members understand the importance of hiring the right leader to continue the success we’ve built together the past decade. For this incredibly important hire, the board is using a hiring process that will involve the board, staff and membership.
Operating During a Pandemic
On March 16, 2020, our world changed. This was the day we physically closed our doors to our customers and began the next day with our online and phone ordering system with curbside pickup. Many of us were uncertain what our future would look like. But our team came together and continued to provide groceries to the community in a safe manner. Our first priority was to protect our most precious resource, our staff. Early on, we made the decision to make it policy for all staff to wear a mask while in the store. This, along with stringent sanitization procedures, created a very safe work environment. This helped our staff feel secure and ready to serve our customers.
On June 1, we re-opened our doors and with a policy for everyone in our store to wear a mask. This, along with educating customers at the door, limiting shoppers, and providing a handwashing station and hand sanitizer throughout the store was well received the first couple of weeks after re-opening. The overwhelming majority of our customers walking through our doors have been supportive of these measures and express their gratitude for creating and maintaining the safest shopping environment possible. Presently, our store is operating successfully, even with necessary reduced hours and services. Those who prefer to shop in person can do so from 9am-7pm, seven days/week and those who still prefer online ordering with curbside pickup, continue to have that option as well. We are meeting the needs of our customers while creating the safest, most normal shopping experience possible.
Competition and Our Commitment to Community
I’ve always said competition makes us better. React, make a plan and execute. This is what the Leadership Team and I have been doing for the past two years to prepare for more competition in our market. As you know, more competition in the grocery world has been happening in communities around us in the last couple of months, and, soon Decorah will have its fourth grocery retailer opening its doors. In the coming weeks, we will be highlighting what our store has meant for the Decorah community for over 45 years. Almost 25% of what we sell comes from farmers and producers who live and work within 100 miles of our store. Nearly 50% of our sales stay here in the local community. Our profits are reinvested directly to members and our community. In contrast, we know competitors send these same resources out to a corporate headquarters someplace else.
We honor the diverse views of our staff and value the convictions and resources behind our organic and sustainable products. In contrast, competitors may showcase an organic shelf in their store but also support national partisan groups known to push for efforts that do not support small farmers, water quality nor the expansion of organic farming practices. Oneota Community Co-op donates directly to nonprofits and organizations in our own community and surrounding communities who actively work to expand small farms and sustainable farming practices. Right now, our Round Up at the Register campaign is raising funds for Feed Iowa First, a Cedar Rapids based organization addressing food insecurity for those devastated by the recent Derecho storm.
Our staff work hard to give our members and customers the best selection, prices and unique items to make our lives and our planet happier and healthier. The more we can expand our business model, the happier and healthier our community will be. Creating new opportunities with our downtown partners like The Landing Market is one way to expand our business model and meet the needs of our community. Our partnership with Vesterheim Museum is another way to utilize resources and expand our commitment to education. We look forward to re-engaging these and other classes as soon as it is safe to do so.
In closing, these past ten years could not have been possible without the committed and compassionate staff I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside. When I reflect over the last decade and consider all of the things we have endured and the successes that we have achieved, it makes me think about the relationships and the trust that has grown out of this work together. There is nothing that can stop this commitment to providing our community with the most authentic, healthy foods that nourish us all, especially during these trying times. In the store I’ve noticed we are all smiling more with our eyes, being more gentle with our words and making our workplace an even better place to do good, meaningful work. I am lucky to have served as the trusted leader of this staff and of this store and I look forward to what lies ahead – both for me and for our beloved Oneota Community Co-op.
