2023 Annual Meeting Notice

2023 Annual Meeting Notice

WHAT: Potsdam Food Co-op 2023 Annual Meeting

WHEN: Tuesday, February 7th. The meeting starts at 7 pm after the potluck dinner at 6 pm.

WHERE: Trinity Church, 8 Maple St., Potsdam, NY
If you can’t make it you may join live us on Zoom: https://tinyurl.com/PotsdamCoopMeeting2023

YOUR VOTE IS NEEDED!

To vote, choose one of the following options:

1. Drop completed proxy authorization into the ballot box at the Co-op by 12pm on February 7, 2023;
2. Mail it to be received at the Co-op no later than February 6, 2023;
3. Reply to the email you received from the Co-op, completing the proxy authorization. Emails must be received by 6pm on February 7, 2023;
4. Bring it to the Annual Meeting on February 7, 2023, at Trinity Church, 8 Maple St., Potsdam, NY. The meeting is set to begin at 7pm, after the potluck dinner at 6pm.
   If you do not wish to give a proxy, you may vote in person at the Annual Meeting (see #4 above). Details on virtual meeting participation (including an option for online voting) will be available a week before the Annual Meeting.

The 2023 Annual Meeting of the Shareholders of the POTSDAM CONSUMER COOPERATIVE, INC. will be held on Tuesday, February 7, 2023, at 7:00 pm at Trinity Church 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 2023 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 7, 2023 (or completing one in the Co-op no later than 12 pm February 7, 2023).

2023 Annual Meeting Board candidate bios are available below, and in-store.

Potsdam Food Co-op 2023 Annual Meeting Board Member Candidate Bios

• Aviva Gold (3-year term)
• Kristen Avery (3-year term)
• Brian Reece (3-year term)
• Rob Forrester (3-year term)
• Kim Jukic (1-year term)

Aviva Gold

As many prospective board member bios begin, I joined the Co-op on one of my very first days in the North Country, about twelve years ago. I’m a big fan of the cooperative business model, and really appreciate the opportunity to make my most important purchases someplace that so consciously positively impacts our local economy. Aside from spending around 74 percent of our family’s grocery budget at the Co-op, I have done a fair amount of committee work, serving on a couple of different iterations of the outreach/marketing committees, the newsletter committee, two hiring committees for general managers, and the governance committee. I was very involved in the process of creating an ends policy, and just completed my first term as a board member.
As a board member I helped write the proposal that resulted in our $1.659 million dollar DRI award, and hope to help see the expansion of our Co-op come to fruition. I am looking forward to seeing how that ends policy continues to serve the Co-op.
I hope my belief in the strength of the cooperative model to drive a business forward in difficult times, as well as my interest in what makes a sustainable rural economy, can help shape the discussions as the Co-op moves through the challenges ahead.

Kristen Avery

When I first moved to Potsdam in January 2019, it took me a while to get my bearings and be comfortable with businesses in the area and where to find different resources. I drove past the Co-op nearly every day and wondered what it was all about. The building itself is inviting and one day I decided to pop in and see what was inside. I hadn’t had experience with a co-op before and was so excited to see the different local products and names of the different farms and other retailers. After a few months of seeing information about becoming a member in the Co-op, I decided to become a member and have been a weekly or bi-weekly shopper in the Co-op ever since.
I work at Clarkson University as the Director of Student Life so I have a unique experience working with students, families and faculty and staff at the university in the areas of orientation, family weekend, clubs and organizations and oversight of service opportunities for students in the local community. I would love the opportunity to expose more students to the things that make the North Country special, including the array of products and foods that are produced here and shared through the Potsdam Co-op.

Brian Reece

I have been a Co-op member with my family since moving back to the North Country in March 2020. I’m looking to be involved at this critical and pivotal time for the Co-op as I hope my experience in the retail and food industries will be value-added and help the board make the best decisions they can to carry the Co-op through the next 50-100 years of its life as a critical part of the North Country food ecosystem.
What I appreciate about the Co-op is its position within the community as a convenient hub for healthy/specialty/local food options. This is truly critical as, without the Co-op, eating well and local at home would be a very difficult task.
As far as opportunity for the Co-op to improve, there are many constraints within the current operation/store footprint. I’m excited to dig in and understand the specific challenges with pricing, providing prepared foods, and additional variety/selection within the product assortment.
I envision a future-state where the Co-op continuously improves its position as a critical link in the food system, connecting people with local providers and quality foods that are otherwise unavailable or difficult to find in the North Country. This will benefit the community by growing the market for a larger variety of high quality producers as well as encouraging a more diverse and (hopefully) healthy eating lifestyle for the population, improving community health and wellbeing.
I am the Co-founder of Service Physics – a consulting firm for service industry transformation. If you’ve ever ordered a Starbucks coffee from your phone, you are familiar with our work. Today, I am putting engineering and product development backgrounds together to think holistically about service businesses – designing operations that exceed customers’ expectations and deliver profitable results.

Rob Forrester

My wife, Carmen, and I have been members of the Coop for about a year, which is the length of time we have been in Potsdam. I retired earlier this year from a career as a financial analyst. I also spent a decade or so working for a bank on the commercial lending side. Carmen currently is employed by the Co-op in the bakery. She started as a volunteer and then was quickly hired on part-time.
My work as a financial analyst was split 75/25 between a seniors housing company and a non-profit dedicated to post-9/11 veterans. I have extensive experience in operations, cash flow, financial modeling, and budgeting. Concurrent with my corporate work, Carmen and I operated a bed & breakfast in North Carolina for 9.5 years. We offered lodging, of course, along with special events such as weddings, corporate retreats, family and school reunions, etc. We were both involved in all aspects of the business from marketing and sales through to employee relations and operations. The largest event we hosted was for 238 guests; the smallest, 2.
I am interested in serving on the Co-op’s Board of Directors as we both appreciate the quality and variety of items available at the Co-op. It fills a necessary niche in Potsdam. The focus should be on its ‘special’ nature. It can be both mission and margin – serve the community and be self-sustaining. Building on the strengths of the Co-op is key for the future.

Kim Jukic

My family and I moved to Potsdam during the summer of 2004 and became members of the Co-op in September of that same year. The Co-op became a quick favorite of everyone in our household. Being able to walk to the Co-op and shop for local food while enjoying its friendly atmosphere, the benefits of helpful staff, and a comforting mix of music played throughout the store is one of the best aspects of living in this community.
I served on the Board of the Co-op from 2005–2008 and found that experience to be tremendously educational and rewarding, so much so that I hoped to be able to serve a second term once the opportunity presented itself. During my first two years on the Board, I became involved with the Finance Committee which oversaw the implementation of a new point of sale system, participated in a reset and renovation of the store, and worked to ensure the successful completion of a five-year financial audit. During my last year on the Board, I served as president. To have worked and planned with such an incredible group of individuals who care deeply about the continued success of the Co-op was truly an honor.
In addition to serving on the Board, I have been involved in the hiring process of two managers, volunteered and participated in the annual holiday baking fests and annual open houses, and have written for the newsletter. Each experience was enriching and fueled growth and learning. This is an exciting time to be a part of the planning of the future direction of the Co-op. I believe that expansion is paramount to continued success and long-term stability for the Co-op. I am looking forward to helping move the Co-op in that direction while ensuring that the Co-op maintains its unique charm and dedication to treating all of its customers like family.

View the minutes from the 2022 Annual Meeting here: