Bill Gessner, Co-op Development Consultant CDS Consulting Co-op Minneapolis, MN Widely known throughout the food co-op community, Mr. Gessner has travelled the country helping grow co-ops and start new ones. His experience gives him a unique insight into the strengths and the potential of the cooperative movement.
By Todd Wallace 161 July - August - 2012 Our co-op boards are groups elected and charged with a common purpose: fulfilling the legal and moral obligations of their co-op, on behalf of a diverse set of member-owners. Their fiduciary responsibilities demand high-quality deliberation and decision-making to ensure both the cooperative's fiscal prosperity (its health as an enterprise) and the continued relevance and achievement [...]
Brett Fairbairn, Fellow in Cooperative Thought & Ideas [bio] Centre for the Study of Cooperatives at University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon, SK, Canada "Change is the new normal", says Professor Fairbairn. And it's up to us and our imaginations to stay on top of all this change. By considering cooperative ventures as both enterprises and associations, we can think about adapting nimbly to both [...]
Tom Webb, Manager Masters of Cooperatives and Credit Unions at St. Mary's University Halifax, NS, Canada Professor Webb has unique perspectives which he brings to the topic of the Cooperative Difference [chapter 1]. He shares with us his compelling vision for a truly Cooperative Economy [chapter 2]. And poses a challenge to help spread the cooperative model across all sectors [chapter 3]. [...]
Michelle Schry, General Manager People's Food Co-op, LaCrosse, WI
By Nina Johnson 160 May - June - 2012 You know the feeling: you walk into your first meeting, you don’t know anyone, you’re not sure what to say or do, and everyone but you seems to know what’s going on. That’s how it can feel for a newly elected board director who has had no orientation, and this feeling can last for months. [...]
Dame Pauline Green, President International Cooperative Alliance, United Kingdom Dame Green takes us through the key components of the Cooperative Decade, as laid out in the ICA's Blueprint For a Cooperative Decade and challenges cooperators to take action to make the vision for 2020 a success.
Erbin Crowell, Executive Director Neighboring Food Co-op Association Erbin describes a shift in perspective from "My Co-op" to "Our Co-ops," and helps us see the cooperative landscape and the cooperative economy. He shows the density of co-ops in New England and New York (almost 9.000!), and addresses the potential of cross-sector collaboration. A cooperative decade? Where do we start?
By Wendy Fanigan
Charles Gould, Director-General International Cooperative Alliance Geneva, Switzerland Mr. Gould is looking a little further out than 2012. He sees IYC as a springboard into growing the cooperative business model for decades to come.
