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2022 Annual Meeting Notice

WHAT: Potsdam Food Co-op 2022 Annual Meeting

WHEN: Tuesday, February 15th. The meeting starts at 6 pm

WHERE: ZOOM, virtual. HERE: https://tinyurl.com/CoopAnnualMeeting2022

YOUR VOTE IS NEEDED!

Vote by:

  1. Copying the Proxy Authorization below, pasting the Proxy Authorization in to the new e-mail, filling in your information, and emailing it to “elections@potsdamcoop.com“; or,
  2. Going to the Co-op to fill out a Proxy Authorization in person; or,
  3. Printing and mailing the completed Proxy Authorization to be received at the Co-op no later than February 14, 2022.

The 2022 Annual Meeting of the Shareholders of the POTSDAM CONSUMER COOPERATIVE, INC. will be held on Tuesday, February 15, 2022, at 6:00 pm on Zoom (an online meeting platform) in order to:

  1. Provide the annual report to the Member-Owners and answer questions.
  2. Elect Board members.

To elect our new Board members, our Bylaws require a quorum of 100 memberships or 10 percent of the total current memberships, whichever is smaller. Your participation matters! We hope you will attend the 2022 Annual Meeting to hear the annual report and ask questions. If you are unable to attend, you can authorize a proxy to vote in your place, by completing the form below by no later than 6 pm on February 15, 2022 (or completing one in the Co-op no later than 12 pm February 15, 2022).

2022 annual meeting

2022 Annual Meeting Board candidate bios are available below, and in-store.

Potsdam Consumer Cooperative, Inc. Proxy-Authorization – February 2022.

I hereby authorize my proxy, Vanessa Bittner (alternate: Katie McLaughlin), to vote in my place at the Potsdam Consumer Cooperative, Inc. Annual Meeting. I direct my proxy to vote as follows:

Select six (6) directors from the slate of candidates (bios available on the website and in-store; terms of less than three years are to complete the remainder of unexpired terms):

(or you may write in another Co-op member-owner’s name): No more than six (6) total, including write-in.

__ David Bradford (3-year term) __ Lauren Smith (3-year term)
__ Karen Bage (3-year term) __ Camille Frazier (2-year term)
__ Jim Fryer (3-year term) __ Erica Leigh (1-year term)

(write-in) _____________________________ (with their permission)

OR

___ I direct my proxy to vote for the candidate or candidates of their choosing.

YOU MUST FILL OUT THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION FOR YOUR PROXY AUTHORIZATION TO BE OFFICIAL — PLEASE PRINT NEATLY!

Date: ______________________________
Member-Owner Number (if known): __________________
Print Head of Household Member-Owner’s Name: _____________________________________________
Your Signature: __________________________________
Print Your Name:_________________________________

Potsdam Food Co-op 2022 Annual Meeting Board Member Candidate Bios

  • Karen Bage (3-year term)
  • David Bradford (3-year term)
  • Camille Frazier (2-year term) 
  • Jim Fryer (3-year term) 
  • Erica Leigh (1-year term)
  • Lauren Smith (3-year term)

Camille Frazier

My name is Camille Frazier and I am an assistant professor of anthropology at Clarkson  University who studies and teaches about food. I moved to Potsdam with my family after finishing my Ph.D. at UCLA in 2018. I grew up in a small rural town in the central California foothills, so although  Potsdam is very different (especially in terms of weather!), it also feels like home. I feel privileged to raise my two daughters (1 and 4 years old) in this community.  
Food has always played a central role in my life. My mother is an avid organic gardener and has been active in the gardening, co-op, and farmers’ markets communities in my hometown for decades. I  grew up appreciating food that came straight from our garden and from local producers. Food was always how we cared for our family and friends, and that’s likely why I’ve chosen to devote my professional life to the study of food. I’m currently finishing my book manuscript on urbanization and shifting food supply systems and agro-ecologies in Bangalore, India. A major component of this research considers “alternative” retail networks that connect urban residents with nearby farmers, so I’m familiar with the challenges and opportunities of this process across cultural contexts. I’m currently developing a  future research project that examines efforts to attract city residents to move to the North Country in the age of remote work, and food will be a big part of this project.  
I can honestly say that the Potsdam Food Co-op was one of the reasons why I decided to uproot my family and move from L.A. to Potsdam. I visited the store during my campus visit, and it convinced me that I would have enough to make a nice life in this small town. I’ve been a Co-op member (with my husband, Zac Miller) since we moved here in August 2018, and I truly think that we have better access to local foods here than in L.A. There’s nowhere like California in terms of the range of produce grown and the length of the growing season, but there is such an energy here around local food networks and an appreciation for thoughtful and sustainable production, from meat to apples. This energy is what makes me want to run for a seat on the Board of Directors. The Co-op has made a big difference in my experience of this region, and I want to make sure that others see the value that the Co-op provides the community, as it currently stands and as it might evolve in the future.  
Due to my research, I am well aware of the challenges of making small-scale agriculture economically viable for producers and retailers, and accessible to a range of consumers. While I am not a specialist in marketing, I like to think that I have creative ideas for how to engage with a variety of stakeholders, as well as the ability to think outside the box in terms of imagining different contexts and solutions. My work on the GardenShare Outreach and Education Committee since 2019 means that I am familiar with many of the local groups and events relevant to our regional food system. Also, I teach courses at Clarkson about food and therefore try to stay current on issues relevant to our area (we read an entire book about the environmental history of the dairy industry in New York state, for instance, in which Heuvelton makes an important appearance!).  
To my mind, the Co-op’s biggest strength is its commitment to supporting local producers and serving our community by providing access to foods that otherwise would be almost impossible to find,  but I think there is room to grow in terms of the Co-op’s audience and outreach. I imagine the store becoming more of a destination that brings in a wider range of community members, mainly by using the new space to create room for community events, expanding seating and prepared foods offerings,  and, in general, becoming a place for the community to come together.  
Thank you for considering me for a position on the Potsdam Food Co-op Board of Directors. I  hope to have the opportunity to serve the community in this capacity.

Erica Leigh

I moved to Potsdam in the summer of 2021, and I am thrilled to be a new member of the Potsdam community and Co-op! I am originally from the Syracuse area and lived there for the bulk of my life, but have since spent a number of years living in Georgia, Minnesota, Ohio, and Utah –All places with exciting local food scenes and an equal number of challenges surrounding food access. 
I am especially interested in community outreach and education. I am an Assistant Professor of Professional Communication at Clarkson University, and my teaching and research have largely explored food, gender, and social justice education. I also have an extensive background in Food Studies and have taught food-themed classes geared toward civic engagement as well as building sustainable relationships with food (with a focus on gender and body acceptance). 
My passion for food predates the classroom as my grandmother Vivi (of Central Square, NY) embodied cooking as an expression of love and taught me how to cook and bake. So much of my work is indebted to her memory and I hope to inspire the same love for wholesome, nourishing foods that she helped me cultivate. Being back in New York State is a homecoming I am relieved to experience, and joining the Co-op has made my transition that much more seamless. The Co-op has given me access to the same types of produce and consistency with other food items that have allowed me to thrive and establish a sense of normalcy no matter where I’ve lived. 
I am interested in joining the board because I believe active outreach is essential toward maximizing the Co-op’s impact in the community and sustaining its membership and longevity. And my experiences with civic engagement through food have given me the tools to create new outreach initiatives for the Co-op. 
I am a dedicated home cook, an adventurous baker, a trained charcutier, and a cat mom. And I want to bring all of these dimensions of myself into my work for the Co-op.

David Bradford

I’m pretty sure my family joined the Co-op in the first year of arrival in Potsdam in 2000. I was an academic (physics) that first was on faculty at SUNY Potsdam. I had been part of a co-op and buying clubs before. I’ve been a working member for most of this time; repackaging, bakery cleanup, and a number of years now the guy you see collecting up the cardboard to take to Casella every Saturday. I’ve thought of running for the board before, but try not to get myself overcommitted. I’m currently on the North Country Library System (NCLS) board and rolling off the Potsdam Public Library (PPL) board at the end of June due to term limits. I’m part of my second search committee as NCLS is looking for a new executive director, and the whole board served in this capacity when PPL hired our current director. I am a co-author of the Green House Gas inventory for the Town of Potsdam as a member of our joint village/town Climate Smart Community committee.

I most appreciate being able to buy in bulk and buy local produce. It pains me to see how COVID 19 protocols have necessitated more plastic packaging. Most weaknesses of the Co-op trace back to space limitations of the old residential building. I generally will argue for up-front investment that pays for itself in the long term; be that by improvements in the physical plant to reduce energy bills and our carbon footprint, or offering the best possible employment package to our paid staff that should reduce turnover. These are exciting times as the future Co-op will soon become a reality. There are so many possibilities with expanded product lines to a deli. I would work to maintain a balance between a sustainable bottom line along with serving the largest cross-section of our community as possible, consistent with cooperative principles.

Lauren Smith

I have been an official Co-op member for a few years, but my history goes back to my childhood when my mother would come to wash the milk bottles as part of her membership dues.  The Co-op is where my grandmother and I would go to get special ingredients for her recipes, where I got to pick up fruit leather after dance rehearsal in my teens, and where I continue to go to try new recipes and unique wholesome foods.  While my personal membership has only been a few years, I am grateful for my history with the Co-op.

As a Registered Dietitian and Ultrarunner, I love being able to find whole foods, high quality, and sustainable ingredients, and trying new foods!  I am grateful that our community has a place to find such unique gifts and ingredients that you can feel good about.  I enjoy heading to the Co-op before a big running event to stock up on various bars, drinks, and snacks.  The Co-op is one of the local businesses I encourage any traveling staff or family coming to the area.  There are many things that work well at the Co-op.  The environment is friendly, relaxed, and welcoming.  Everyone is so helpful and makes you feel comfortable.  I also am always incredibly impressed with the variety available in the space.

Aside from being a customer and member, I have not been too involved in the Co-op in the past.  I have not really known how to be more involved in past years.  However, I truly appreciate the opportunity for consideration to be part of this community and support such an amazing part of our community.

I have been looking for different ways to become more involved in our community.  The Co-op is something I would feel proud to stand behind and support.  Growing up with the Co-op I was introduced to new foods, recipes, and community.  Having the opportunity to bring those same aspects to someone else is very rewarding.  As a dietitian, it is important to me to have healthy food options, sustainable food, and access in our community.

I believe my background as a dietitian, ultra runner, and through my occupation as the SLH Director of Nutrition services, I would bring business level and personal skills to the Board of Directors.  I have a great understanding of the financial side of food and nutrition as well as the clinical aspects of nutritious foods.  More importantly, I have strong ties to this community and want to help it succeed.  I am creative, outgoing, and always willing to lend a hand.  I enjoy community outreach and events, discussing nutrition and sustainability, and am always looking for how I can support those movements.

Karen Bage

I moved to the North Country in the summer of 1997 – my first winter was the ice storm of 1998! I’ve been a member of the Co-op ever since. For the past three years, I have served as a Board Member. I am seeking a second term.

I like that the Co-op is more than just a place to purchase healthful groceries – it feels like a sanctuary in this chaotic time. I really like being able to buy spices in any quantity as they’re much cheaper and fresher that way; and, the bulk food items – any way we can help reduce packaging, especially plastics, is really important to me. I also appreciate the Co-op provides local farmers and growers a retail outlet for their products.

I have been serving on the Board for the past three years, and have been a co-lead on the Co-op’s Relocation and Expansion project. As one of a team of three (now four!), our project proposal has won $1.659 million from New York State’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative toward our $3 million project! As Chair of the Fundraising Committee, I’m dedicated to raising our share of the project cost through member loans and donations, writing grant proposals, and working with lenders to secure financing. It’s an exciting, yet nail-biting, time for the Co-op as we move forward into this next chapter of the Co-op’s history.

Well, being a co-author of a winning DRI proposal seems like a good skill! Co-op members should know I am committed to making the relocation and expansion project a reality. Despite the many challenges this project has and will continue to put in front of us, I am dedicated to making the dream happen. I look forward to the ribbon-cutting opening day party!

View the minutes from the 2021 Annual Meeting here:

2021-Annual-Meeting-minutes

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