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Carolee Colter Wins TWIG Award
Top Women in Grocery (TWIG) is an award sponsored by Progressive Grocer as part of its annual Grocery Impact Conference, to be held this year on November 7. The 2025 TWIG Awards, announced in June, include Columinate’s Carolee Colter, after she was nominated by Joel Brock.
Chris Morris: Interim General Manager Leadership in Ann Arbor
Columinate’s Interim General Manager (IGM) services have yielded very positive results at People’s Food Co-op (PFC) in Ann Arbor, Michigan. While under contract as IGM, Chris Morris has exercised a wide range of skills to work with the existing team and turn around a wavering operation. Morris was hired in early January and ends his contract with PFC on May 30.
Columinate’s Presence at CCMA May 29-31
Columinate members will be among the many presenters and trainers at the 2025 CCMA conference, to be held in Duluth, Minnesota, on May 29-31. They will join a few hundred co-op directors, managers, and key staff from a network of food co-ops and national allies. The CCMA conference, sponsored by UWCC, is a spirited and busy three days of challenging speakers, workshops, local tours, networking, award presentations, and a bang-up closing party.
Scot Destasio Leaves Lasting Impact During IGM Engagement at The Old Creamery Co-op
During times of transition, Columinate's interim General Managers (IGMs) have helped co-ops stabilize and implement lasting change. IGM and Columinate consultant Scot Destasio had a transformative impact at the Old Creamery Cooperative, located in a traditional "Hilltown" in Western Massachusetts.
Return on Investment of Columinate’s Management on Contract Services
When co-ops enter a time of transition, they can turn to Columinate's group of experts available for contract management services. These folks step in as Interim General Managers (IGMs) to work fast and smart, implementing lasting change for their clients. Ranging from a few months to a few years, IGM engagements are meant to bridge a co-op from Point A to Point B.
Nurturing Inclusion and Diversity on Staff
The Takoma Park Silver Spring Co-op (TPSS) in Takoma Park, Maryland is a cooperative that is known for its diversity and inclusion among staff and customers. Currently, 48 employees from 20 countries work at the food co-op. Creating an atmosphere of welcome and exchange is something that they continually work on.
Caring and Connection: Examples from history show the heart of cooperatives
The feeling of safety and belonging are also common needs and aspirations. It is why solidarity is a core cooperative value. A cooperative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and/or cultural needs and/or aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise. —International Cooperative Alliance Statement of the Cooperative Identity
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The NEW Compensation Database Includes:
GM plus department, and manager roles
trans and non-binary people
and can report BIPOC equity issues and progress
Manager Compensation Examination: Gender Equity Gaps Persist
Three years ago, I presented a webinar with data showing that female food co-op general managers (GMs) were paid significantly less than male GMs. Since then, Columinate has rolled out a new version of the database I drew on for my data, with the ability to collect more detailed and nuanced information. Along with updated data and charts, with help from Mike Houston we have testimonials from co-op managers on the high value of what is shared through the Columinate Compensation Database.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: DEI Teams Can Set a Foundation for Success
Columinate Intercultural Facilitator Darin Short has worked with a range of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) committees, task forces, and teams across many sectors. Darin recently led a workshop, “Why Some Diversity Teams Succeed While Others Do Not” at the Thought Leadership conference in Elkhart, Indiana, in May. “No matter what setting you’re in, DEI is an emotional topic,” says Short. “We need to create safe spaces where people can express their emotions and can say exactly what they need to say with respect for the collective goal.”
Why Are Female General Managers Paid Less Than Men?
Our examination of the compensation database revealed that grocery co-op General Managers who identify as female are paid significantly less than their male counterparts. Here's what the data says.
Chris Morris: Interim General Manager Leadership in Ann Arbor
Columinate’s Interim General Manager (IGM) services have yielded very positive results at People’s Food Co-op (PFC) in Ann Arbor, Michigan. While under contract as IGM, Chris Morris has exercised a wide range of skills to work with the existing team and turn around a wavering operation. Morris was hired in early January and ends his contract with PFC on May 30.
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Manager Compensation Examination: Gender Equity Gaps Persist
Three years ago, I presented a webinar with data showing that female food co-op general managers (GMs) were paid significantly less than male GMs. Since then, Columinate has rolled out a new version of the database I drew on for my data, with the ability to collect more detailed and nuanced information. Along with updated data and charts, with help from Mike Houston we have testimonials from co-op managers on the high value of what is shared through the Columinate Compensation Database.
Caring and Connection: Examples from history show the heart of cooperatives
The feeling of safety and belonging are also common needs and aspirations. It is why solidarity is a core cooperative value. A cooperative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and/or cultural needs and/or aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise. —International Cooperative Alliance Statement of the Cooperative Identity
A Long Road of Cooperation: Revisiting Vernon Oakes
I enjoyed interviewing Vernon Oakes and asked him a few questions about his remarkable career. Vernon, tell us a few things to help Columinate readers know you better: people and places that are most important to you. My parents, Odell Oakes Sr. and Florrie Smith Oakes, met while serving in the US Army during World War II and married in New York City, where I was born. We later moved to Bluefield, West Virginia. I attended public schools, and due to a speech impediment, I was put in a “special ed” class in the 4th, 5th, and 6th grades. Words and reading didn't come naturally to me, and reading still isn’t my favorite thing. But math made sense and would later help me to make sense of life and the business pursuits I had. School was tough due to the added factor of racism and integration in 1955, when I was entering the 3rd grade.
Three Retailer Challenges Addressed by Mighty Community Markets Grocery Bootcamp
Independent grocery stores—mom-and-pop shops, food co-ops, and nonprofit-run markets—face unique and persistent challenges. From thin profit margins to limited formal training, retail leaders often find themselves navigating complex work with little support. Mighty Community Markets Grocery Bootcamp, presented by nationally recognized consultant and former general manager Jeanie Wells, was created to directly address key challenges faced by community-minded grocers across North America.
Patrick Shabram Brings Market Research Expertise to Columinate
Columinate is proud to welcome Patrick Shabram as a new consultant. Patrick comes to Columinate after working with location research expert Debbie Suassuna of G2G Research Group since 1998 (specifically, with G2G Research since 2017), bringing more than 30 years of experience in location research, market research, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to the Columinate network.
Molly Phipps Offers Grant Writing Services
We all want to do more with our co-ops: make a bigger impact, pay better wages, support our local non-profits. Sometimes the money to make that impact can come from operational profits, but at other times co-ops can turn to grants. Columinate consultant Molly Phipps has been grant writing since graduate school and has helped co-ops and other organizations write successful grant applications.
Nurturing and Cultivating Retail Leadership with GM Development
In the ever-evolving landscape of retail grocery, effective leadership is paramount. Effective leadership doesn't just happen—it must be nurtured and cultivated, equipping emerging talent with the right tools, training, mentoring, and support. Cooperatives as well as other independent grocery stores face unique challenges in a post-covid world, and new challenges emerge frequently. Retailers must remain courageous and steadfast in making the necessary changes to prepare, build, and sustain a strong future.
