Greetings member/owners of the Oneota Community Food Co-op. The 2018 Board election is upon us and we need your vote. This year we have two positions to fill on the Oneota Co-op Board of Directors as Maren Beard completes her term and Alicia Trout completes an interim position.
Board candidates for the 2018 election include the following four individuals to fill the two, 3-year term slots on the Co-op Board of Directors: Wes Anderson, Dennis Pottratz, Scott Timm, and Aimee Viniard-Weideman. A candidate statement for each individual can be found in this Scoop publication, as well as a calendar for the remaining election period.
The members/owners of the Oneota Co-op have the responsibility to review the candidate statements and vote for your Co-op Board of Directors during the month of March. The full candidate statements can be found on the Co-op website (www.oneotacoop. com) and are included with electronic voting materials online. Candidate statements are also available at the Co-op Customer Service Desk and posted on the bulletin board in the Oneota Co-op foyer. Plus, join us as we get to know these candidates at an informal reception on Monday, March 12, 2018 at the Co-op from 5:30-6:30 pm. Please thank these candidates for their willingness to serve on the Oneota Co-op Board of Directors.
All members in good standing as of February 15, 2018 will be/were mailed a detailed letter containing election details, announcement of the Annual Meeting of the Membership, and a personal ID and password unique to each member/owner, which will be used by the member/owner to vote electronically in the 2018 election. If the Co-op has record of a valid email address for any member/owner in good standing as of February 15, 2018 they will also receive an election email from Simply Voting. If any member in good standing receives a letter containing their electronic voting materials and wishes to instead submit a paper ballot, there will be paper ballots available for pick-up at the store during business hours. If a paper ballot needs to be mailed, we will be happy to do so by request.
Any member/owner who becomes a member in good standing after February 15, 2018 but before March 1, 2018 will be mailed a letter announcing the election details and date of the upcoming Annual Meeting of the Membership, 2018 Candidate Statements, and a paper version of the 2018 ballot for returning to the Co-op. Any member/owner who becomes a member in good standing after March 1st, 2018, but before the end of business on March, 31, 2018 will be given a letter announcing the election details and date of the upcoming Annual Meeting of the Membership, 2018 Candidate Statements, and a paper version of the 2018 ballot for returning to the Co-op. If you do not receive election materials and believe that you should, please call the Co-op at 563-382-4666 to verify your address and membership status. Completed paper ballots, must be received at the Co-op no later than 7:00 pm on Saturday, March 31, 2018. Completed electronic ballots must be received at the Co-op no later than 8:30 pm on Sunday, April 1, 2018. (The Co-op will be closing early for inventory on Saturday, March 31, 2018 and will be closed Sunday, April 1, 2018 for the Easter holiday.)
The Annual Meeting has been scheduled for Monday, April 16, 2018 at 7:00 pm and will be held at Pulpit Rock Brewing Company, 207 College Drive, Decorah. All member/owners of the Co-op are welcome and encouraged to attend the meeting. The meeting will include a presentation by Oneota Co-op General Manager, David Lester, recapping the previous year and plans for the year ahead. There are always delicious snacks and beverages! The Board of Directors hopes to see you there!
Meet the Candidates!
Wes Anderson
3-year term candidate
What do you enjoy most about the Co-op and what is your vision for its future?
The FOOD! I love the culture that the Co-op promotes. Having delicious food is great but having delicious food that is locally grown which helps area businesses to thrive while promoting sustainable practices is just awesome! I have no major changes I envision for the Co-op’s future as I love what it is and believe the current model is working. I do believe we must continue to look to the future to anticipate change and plan to evolve to remain relevant and continue to prosper.
What kind of leadership or other expereinces could you bring to the Co-op as a Board member?
I’ve spent the last 8+ years working in Civil Service for an Army organization called Installation Management Command (IMCOM). IMCOM manages over 85 Army bases worldwide providing family services, public works, resource management, training and many other services to assist soldiers and their families. As a project manager I collect, research, and analyze a variety of data to evaluate problem areas within Army communities and determine enterprise-wide trends in programs. I champion continuous improvement efforts and act as a change agent recommending necessary changes or modifications in programs and policy guidance. It’s essential that I listen to customers and stakeholders in these communities to ensure their needs are met.
Dennis Pottratz 
3-year term candidate
What do you enjoy most about the Co-op and what is your vision for its future?
I find two important facts about visiting the Co-op. One is confidence in the quality of the food. Two, l enrich my life by communicating with the staff and shoppers on many issues beyond and including the products for sale . The Co-op needs to maintain the lead in supporting local producers and informing members and the public of current issues regarding the health and safety of food products and of the environment.
What kind of leadership or other expereinces could you bring to the Co-op as a Board member?
I have two B.S. degrees; Economics/Accounting and Applied Environmental Technology. Passed the CPA exam. Operated my own business, GoSolar, in Decorah since 1996. Licensed electrician.
Scott Timm
3-year term candidate
What do you enjoy most about the Co-op and what is your vision for its future?
The coffee selection. Kidding! Honestly, one of the key factors in our decision to relocate to Decorah was that there was a great food co-op and a thriving local foods “scene”. We have children with food allergies – and access to healthy, local, organic food is a must for us. We also believe a strong connection with food is important, especially for our children. Prior to moving here, we enjoyed life on a homestead where we grew much of our own food and raised chickens, turkeys and bees. From harvesting fruit to butchering and cooking – our whole family loves food…it’s a part of life! I worked frequently with local producers and farmers in Fairfield, and we enjoy the social aspects of markets and small farms. The atmosphere of the Co-op is welcoming, family friendly, and passionate. I appreciate the community owned aspect of the Co-op and am enthusiastic to participate as a board member. As we are new to the area and the Co-op – I don’t feel comfortable saying I already have a vision for its future – my goal would be to support and help follow through on the planning and growth already in the works.
What kind of leadership or other expereinces could you bring to the Co-op as a Board member?
In my work as Sustainability Coordinator for Fairfield and ISU Extension, it was my charge to bring the community’s sustainability plan to life. What a great job! This meant that, at its core, it was my responsibility to reach out the entire community, make sure everyone felt invited, inspire community members to participate, and get everyone involved. I led many committees, spearheaded initiatives, and more than anything – I like to roll up my sleeves and get work done myself. Two examples of projects: I led and designed a grass-roots energy efficiency campaign for the community that resulted in over $1M in energy savings for Fairfield, for which we won the Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award. I also led our community’s response to Emerald Ash Borer – we planted over a thousand trees, completed an urban forestry plan, planted a community orchard, and held trainings for residents and city staff. I do a lot of grant writing, I teach workshops on many topics in sustainability and the built environment, and I love getting involved in projects that bring diverse groups together.
Aimee Viniard-Weideman 
3-year term candidate
What do you enjoy most about the Co-op and what is your vision for its future?
When I came to Decorah in July 2017 for my interview with Luther College, the Co-op was the first business I visited. After walking the aisles, chatting with some of your staff and making a purchase, I called my husband from outside your store and said, “They have an amazing Co-op, this may actually be a place we want to consider moving to!” After I told my sister that we were considering a move to Decorah, she sent a text a few hours later saying, “Researching Decorah. Looks like great co-op!”
I would like to see the Co-op continue to serve as a hub for the Decorah community, providing quality products and produce, healthy and affordable dine-in and carry-out food selections and interesting educational opportunities. The Co-op serves as a vital source for information and resources that foster individual and community health and well-being. Informing and engaging consumers in sustainable choices that promote local and regional economies and businesses creates value for individual members and the community at large.
What kind of leadership or other experiences could you bring to the Co-op as a Board member?
As a strategic communications and organizational change leader for mission-driven organizations, I have developed, managed and promoted programs that engage multiple stakeholders, create significant societal impact, and successfully increase private donations, public funding and volunteer support.
As assistant dean and director of strategic communications and organizational development for the University of Minnesota Extension, I led the communications and engagement strategies for UM Extension’s many stakeholders, including 800 faculty and staff, 750,000 program participants, 35,000 volunteers, 1,000 board members, and thousands of partners and funders including county commissioners in all 87 counties, legislators, commodity groups, state and federal agencies and private community organizations and foundations.
UM Extension is part of the national land-grant university system charged with engaging communities in the discovery of science-based solutions that address the societal needs of healthy and affordable food, thriving youth, vibrant communities, engaged local leadership, cleaner water, sustainable land use and stronger families.
I led the team of communications and marketing professionals who advanced this work by designing strategic communications plans, development strategies and change management processes that delivered on business goals; bringing internal and external stakeholders along in a shared vision; effectively understanding stakeholder needs; building teams; working across complex organizations and engaging community partners. As a member of the leadership team that successfully redesigned and restructured University of Minnesota Extension, we made Minnesota a national and international model for Extension research and education.
Today, I serve as the vice president of communications and marketing for Luther College. In that role, I am committed to growing and promoting both Luther College and the Decorah community.
