• Columinate library

Mining the Library: “What Resources Do Our Clients Need?”

By |March 22nd, 2023|

Shared challenges in board governance have perennially driven co-ops to establish shared resources and services. Consultants and collaboration around governance and leadership development have been key to building cooperative identity and local community impact. From the early days of the Cooperative Board Leadership Development (CBLD) program, consultants serving co-op boards and other mission-driven organizations have been asking the question, “What resources do our clients need?”

  • Dolma making classes with Hether Jonna Frayer

Fresh Food is Fun!

By |March 22nd, 2023|

While an aide in her children’s school years ago, Frayer observed young eaters’ behaviors in the lunchroom. Many were opting not to bite into fresh-looking vegetables and fruits, and much was wasted. Indeed, it is one thing for whole, unprocessed food to get onto the tray; it is quite another for it to reach the mouth. Hether’s inspiration to make fresh foods fun is rooted in those lunch hours. Eaters of all ages have propensities, and perhaps biases, around food. Eaters of all ages can benefit from reminders to appreciate the bright colors, flavors and textures that fruits and vegetables provide. Frayer says, “As a Fresh Food Fairy, I encourage good nutrition by making fresh food fun with high-energy, joyful experiences to begin or deepen one’s relationship to fresh food. And anyone who has fun with food is a fresh food fairy!” This inclusive and enthusiastic ethos led her to design classes around food preparation and cooking.

  • learning about race: reflections and resources

Learning about Race: Reflections and Resources

By |March 1st, 2023|

Not long after I became board president of my local food co-op, I began a more focused study of racism. I say “more focused” because, like many of us, I started learning about racism the day I was born. When I stepped into the board presidency, right away I noticed that I was being treated with less respect by some of my colleagues than I had been before I changed roles.

  • Thoughts on Excellent Facilitation and Love

Thoughts on Excellent Facilitation and Love

By |February 22nd, 2023|

More and more often, it seems like I am the messy person in the meeting: you know, the one who has something (or more often some feeling) that feels so important to express that I can’t read the room. I especially can’t see that the discussion is winding to a close, or that others in the meeting are beyond tired; or, worst of all, that my point was actually made by someone else fifteen minutes ago. This is where good facilitation comes in. I have always been aware that excellent facilitation requires a degree of intuition and compassion, and I realized recently that it also requires love. Messy contributions can be made valuable with the help of skilled and, yes, loving facilitation.

  • Resetting Board Systems and Culture: A Quick Guide

Resetting Board Systems and Culture: A Quick Guide

By |February 22nd, 2023|

Board work can sometimes seem like a big challenge. I often open a workshop with a newly forming group with an activity in which the goal is to set a tent pole on the ground together, while the participants have also been told to keep their fingers in contact with the pole. It sounds simple, but in practice it can be very difficult. What’s more important? The goal of the individual or the goal of the group? If the group doesn’t focus on its shared objective, it will not be able to set the tent pole on the ground.

  • Cooperative Board Leadership Development (CBLD) Program

Board Trainings Tackle Trust and Conflict: January webinars build leadership skills

By |January 9th, 2023|

Welcome to 2023! As your co-op board of directors reflects on the past year and refreshes for the upcoming one, don’t forget that Columinate’s Cooperative Board Leadership Development program (CBLD) is here to support your work. For nineteen years, this award-winning program has been a resource to co-op boards across the country, providing monthly consulting, facilitated board retreats, and a robust lineup of engaging, relevant webinars. In January, CBLD is kicking off its fresh slate of webinars with sessions focused on building trust and navigating conflict.

  • Chris Dilley

Chris Dilley’s Path from Kalamazoo to Columinate: “There is always more to learn”

By |January 4th, 2023|

For the general manager of a food co-op, every day brings new challenges and new opportunities. Each and every day. That’s probably why Chris Dilley, who recently retired from People’s Food Co-op (PFC) in Kalamazoo, Michigan, knows exactly how long he was in that role. “Nineteen years,” said Dilley, before quickly adding: “and one month.”

  • Jen Christopher

Jen Christopher Profile: Strengthening General Manager Development

By |December 29th, 2022|

No new food co-op manager (GM) walks into the position fully formed, knowing everything they need to know to make their co-op successful. Even experienced retailers can have a hard time navigating the intricacies of leading a cooperative enterprise. Luckily, Columinate has a large pool of professionals willing to offer the benefits of their experience in order to make leaders within the co-op sector stronger. One such professional is Jen Christopher, a point-of-sale (POS) and IT systems consultant working within Columinate’s GM Development Program.

  • Moscow Food Co-op

Board Self-Monitoring: Replacing Surveys with Discussion

By |December 29th, 2022|

At the Moscow Food Co-op, all C policies (Board Process) and D policies (Board-Management Relationship) are currently monitored using categorical surveys sent out to each board member with either a “How much do you agree with the following statement?” scale or, “With this sub-policy, is the board in compliance or not in compliance?” For each global policy and sub-policy, there is a comment option where a board member can express their thoughts and can explain why they answered as they did.