By Barb Griggs, Board Treasurer, Co-op Owner
GreenTree’s Board of Directors is responsible for overseeing the General Manager (GM) and assists in making big picture, long term, and financial decisions about the Co-op’s future. The Board normally meets monthly. But, as you likely noticed, 2024 and especially during the last eight months or so, things have not been ‘normal’ at the Co-op! There have been lots of positive changes and opportunities within the store. Many of these changes required additional Board action; such as numerous special Board meetings and weekly meetings by several committees.
When the longtime GM resigned, the Board kicked into high gear late last year and hired an Interim GM while we searched to find the right long-term candidate. The Board’s choice to hire the Interim GM was difficult, but it was the right decision. You started to see Luke running all over the store! He brought experience, expertise and new insights to managing the Co-op through this time of transition. You certainly noticed all the resets, new shelving, and new products to optimize use of space; not to mention boost sales and customer experience. The Board formed a GM Search Committee and began their work in earnest in December, making the decision to hire a consultant to assist in our search. We worked diligently with the consultant from December through March. During this period we created a new GM job description, job postings, sorted through applicants, and interviewed potential candidates. Finally, in March, we made the offer to Megan, then the Grocery & Merchandising Manager, and we are very pleased with the way she has taken the reigns and moved forward with positive changes on several levels to benefit the future of the Co-op.
Once the hiring process was complete, there was another very important project on the horizon. Recognizing that it was time to revisit our Capital Campaign, originally launched in September of 2019, the Board formed a Capital Campaign Committee. The original goal was to raise $1 million in Preferred Shares to facilitate the big move and expansion to our current location. The fundraising was paused after approximately $750,000 was raised to allow staff to focus on the monumental move and expansion. The committee has been working behind the scenes all summer with the amazing staff at GreenTree in preparation for officially launching the final phase of the fundraising campaign. Now we’re ready to achieve our goal of $1million. This final phase of the Capital Campaign launched on August 5th, with a goal to complete our fundraising by October 31st, 2024. Some of your Board Members have volunteered to do some heavy lifting in working toward this goal – don’t be surprised if you receive a call from one of us some day soon!
You may also see some of your Board Members in the store over the next few weeks. We’ll have a table set up to assist in distributing the Preferred Share Program information and answering any questions you may have. We are looking forward to meeting our shoppers and long-time Owners, and communicating with our new Owners who have joined the Co-op since our big move in 2021.
If you are interested in investing in GreenTree’s Capital Campaign, you can also reach out to the staff directly:
General Manager, Megan Fisher: gm@greentree.coop
Marketing & Owner Services Manager, Laura Coffee: laura@greentree.coop