The most important task for the council and the Co-op this year is to hire a General Manager (GM) who will meet the Co-op’s current needs. A search committee is working with a recruiting firm to identify the most promising candidates, and the council will make the hiring decision. A nationwide search has been underway since mid-March, and the deadline for applying is today, April 5.  

To protect candidates’ privacy, and to avoid biasing my views on candidates, I am waiting to learn anything about the candidates until the search committee sends finalists to the council. (Except for one council member on the search committee, none of the other council members will see the candidates until the search committee sends us the finalists.) However, the recruiting firm, Gallagher, Flynn & Co., told me earlier this week that they had found eight candidates with diverse backgrounds that they were excited to share with the search committee.  

The committee is about to begin interviewing candidates, and the council is working on its own processes for evaluating candidates and for giving the community a chance to meet the finalists. 

I’ve been talking with GMs and board presidents of other co-ops about their recent hiring processes, and one of the things that has cheered me is the support and admiration that Hunger Mountain Co-op enjoys in the co-op world. One person who works with 65 food co-ops in the eastern US said he thought the Hunger Mountain Co-op GM position is the most desirable one in the country now. He pointed out that we’re financially stable, sales are good, and we’ve had a good year operationally. People also expressed gratitude for the leadership that Hunger Mountain Co-op managers have provided in the co-op world, as well as mentorship for leaders in other co-ops.  

Dinner and Discussion

The council’s annual Dinner and Discussion will take place on May 17. It is a chance to bring people together and celebrate what’s good about our local food community. This year’s theme will tie into all the work on community resiliency being done in central Vermont, and what role the Co-op plays and could play in that work. We are working with members of the Montpelier Commission for Recovery and Resilience, among others, to provide insights into their work and how the Co-op can be part of it. Please mark the evening of May 17 on your calendars for this event at the Montpelier Senior Activities Center and stay tuned for more details.

—Carl Etnier, Council President