Our community owners elect a Board of Directors to oversee our grocery store. An election occurred at our Annual Meeting September 14, 2016. Here’s a photo of all the board members and staff we could wrangle for a photo. To see more photos from the meeting go to the album on our Facebook page.
Each candidate was elected unanimously. They are as following:
Allie Evans/ Current Board President
Q: What is your familiarity with Astoria Co-op Grocery?
A: My life has been largely centered around co-ops since college. I have lived in housing co-ops, worked at food co-ops, and shopped at co-ops. What draws me to the cooperative model is working together toward something we all believe in and reaping the benefits (in this case good food) while forming a sense of family and inter-connectedness. Naturally, I joined our Co-op when I moved to the coast in 2004. I joined our Board of Directors in 2010 and have served as President of the board since 2013.
Q: How does your education, professional background, and skills make you a good candidate for the Co-op board?
A: Professionally, I am a Naturopathic Physician (family medicine) but hold a very important other title as a mom. I graduated from University of Michigan and came out west to study medicine in Portland. There is an overlap in looking at the way the body works as a whole integrated unit and looking at the way our Co-op works much in the same way. A successful cooperative business and a vital and healthy body flow much in the same way and of course you cannot have a healthy body without a place to buy nourishing food.
Q: Why have you chosen to run for re-election to the Co-op board?
A: I am running for re-election to the Board because I am so excited and proud to be a part of the process of evolving and growing our store and our impact on the local economy and creating community and health. We are at such an exciting time as we enter into expansion. I would like to continue being a part of this process.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish during your term if re-elected?
A: During this term on the board I am committed to providing board oversight and guidance through the process of creating a new store that serves the community. I am also committed to continually improving board structure and process to ensure that we are able to meet changing demands of governing a larger store.
Dan Reef
Dan joined the Board in spring of this year. He is up for his first election and is looking forward to continuing his work with the Board.
Q: What is your familiarity with Astoria Co-op Grocery?
A: My wife actually discovered the Co-op in 2001. We became members (owners) and have been doing all our healthy choice/organic shopping ever since. The friendly and knowledgeable staff is always such fun and willing to help or follow up on any product questions.
Q: How does your education, professional background, and skills make you a good candidate for the Co-op board?
A: I was born and raised in Astoria and graduated from Astoria High School in 1982. After high school I traveled five western states building retail stores. In 1988 I started work for a commercial contractor from 1995 until 2014. My job was the on-site superintendent. I performed all the duties to build all sorts of commercial buildings including grocery stores, banks, schools, colleges, medical/dental, warehousing, condos, apartments, police stations, fire stations, and more. In 2014 I hung up my commercial construction hat and took a job with the City of Astoria’s public works department.
Q: Why have you chosen to run for election to the Co-op board?
A: I am running for the board because I feel I bring diversity and professionalism to an already very talented board.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish during your term if elected?
A: During my time on the board I hope to be a part in the planning and construction of our new store and take part in the decision-making to make the Co-op the best store on the North Oregon Coast.
Todd Holm
Todd has served on the Co-op Board since fall 2015. He is up for his first election and is looking forward to serving a full term.
Q: What is your familiarity with Astoria Co-op Grocery?
A: When my wife and I moved here over seven years ago we quickly discovered the Co-op and have been using the store as our primary food source since. I have always known that if you want to make good food you need to have good food to make and our Co-op has that and a whole lot more.
Q: How does your education, professional background, and skills make you a good candidate for the Co-op board?
A: I graduated from Hudson’s Bay High School in 1979 and went to work, raised a family, 4 daughters and 1 son. I worked for the same company, Wicks Airfreight Inc. for 15 years. I stepped into banking in 2001, working with West Coast Bank as an Account Executive and accepted a regional position with US Bank in 2008 where I am still currently employed as a Marketing Manager for the Columbia Pacific region. I work exclusively with businesses, providing credit products, payment solutions and services that help our bank clients maintain positive growth.
Q: Why have you chosen to run for election to the Co-op board?
A: Being a member of our Board of Directors is a great honor and I am running for election because I feel that my past experiences as well as my banking background will be a great asset as we move forward with our expansion. I am looking forward to continue being a part of the decision-making process with this dynamic group of like-minded individuals.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish during your term if elected?
A: During my term I want to help accomplish: continued positive growth, decisions that make the Co-op a great place to work, creating the best place to shop in Clatsop County and beyond, building a shiny new store in a great location that we will all be proud of, opportunities that benefit our community through the strength of our Co-op, and increasing membership.