In November, Hunger Mountain Co-op members will vote on five of the nine member-elected seats on our board, known as the council. As highlighted in the recent article in The Bridge, this election is crucial for our co-op. Members have until September 3 to file papers to run.

Hunger Mountain Co-op is a community-owned grocery store, owned by 10,000 members and open to everyone. We offer a wide range of delicious and affordable food, and many visitors make a point of stopping by when they’re near Montpelier.

Unlike corporate models, where controlling shares can be bought, each co-op member has one vote in council elections and other major decisions. And the profits remain in the community, rather than being sent to distant shareholders. Our co-op reinvests its profits into the store, supports our employees, strengthens the local food system (39% of our $29 million in sales are local), and returns patronage refunds to our members.

Council meetings are open to all members, and for nearly a decade, we’ve been recording these meetings and publicly sharing the recordings. Our council committees provide another avenue for involvement, allowing members to engage in co-op governance without the full commitment of serving on the council, which is an estimated eight to twelve hours each month.

The council is dedicated to continuously improving governance. Two years ago, members voted to approve comprehensive bylaw reforms, enhancing member control with a range of new measures. This year, the Co-op will be organizing a forum for council candidates, so members have ample opportunity to quiz them.

And recently, we completed a search for a new General Manager (GM) that was almost unparalleled in how transparent and inclusive it was, even in the world of co-ops. Members and staff were surveyed about the desired qualities in a new GM. A search committee, including members, staff, and council representatives, worked with a recruitment firm to evaluate candidates. Finalists were interviewed by staff and members, whose feedback was crucial in the decision-making process. In June, we proudly announced we had hired Mary Mullally, a 20-year veteran of the store who started out as a cashier, as our new GM.

It’s important to understand the role of the council, which is responsible for setting policies and long-term goals for our co-op. The council oversees the GM and delegates all operational responsibilities to her. The GM reports to the council, keeping it updated on operational performance with monthly reports. Under the GM’s direction, staff members implement Co-op policy, handle the day-to-day operations of the store, and serve our customers.

The council relies heavily on the Co-op’s talented staff for insight on how to best steer the co-op; we also look for outside support in doing our job better. We receive valuable guidance on a range of topics from colleagues at other grocery co-ops and national co-ops with relevant expertise, like Columinate and National Co+op Grocers. The council makes its own decisions, with the idea that the best decisions can be made when one is humble enough to listen to others and learn.

Democracy and local control require commitment and hard work. They entail showing up for meetings, studying governance rules and procedures, listening respectfully to people you disagree with, respecting the rules that are set up to facilitate local control, focusing on the good of the organization as a whole, and agreeing to disagree without being disagreeable. The ideal council member can do all that and is willing to put in the work and time to engage in fact-based discussions about how to steer the business of a grocery store.

A recent shopper remarked, “The selection of gluten-free prepared foods is the best in the area, and oftentimes is the only option for on-the-go meals. The vitamin selection is also probably the best option in the area.” Most members simply rely on the Co-op to provide options like this. For those who want to help with local control at the Co-op, we welcome those who show up asking, “How can I help?”

—Carl Etnier, Council President