Governance
Co-op Structure
Co-ops offer a distinct way of doing business. Like many business models, cooperatives are owned by shareholders; however, unlike most private sector businesses, ownership of a cooperative is distributed equally, and members are actually owners of the business.
The pooling of community resources for the benefit of all is a cornerstone of cooperative philosophy. Members contribute a refundable equity payment that allows the business to run and grow. In exchange, members receive discounts, a patronage refund, and/or other benefits, as well as a voice in the co-op’s decisions.
The support and involvement of members ensures that the co-op remains a strong, consumer-run organization. Anyone is welcome to shop at the Concord Cooperative Market’s stores, but our organizational focus is to meet the needs of our members and their households.
Co-op Board of Directors
Our Co-op is governed by a Board of Directors, which consists of a diverse and multi-talented group of individuals. In 2001, the Co-op’s Board adopted a full set of written governing policies, and it now operates under these policies in accordance with policy governance. Our General Manager provides the Board with monthly monitoring reports on all aspects of operations.
The Board is supported by the focused work of committees in the areas of Member Outreach, Finances, and Governance. These committees are always open to input and involvement of member volunteers. The Board of Directors meets the 3rd Wednesday of every month. The meetings, which are open to all members, start at 6:00 pm in the carriage house. The carriage house is located at 30 S. Main Street, it sits back off the street between the brick building next to the Co-op parking lot and Bartlett Home Studio Design. Bartlett Design is located on the corner of S. Main Street and Fayette, and on the first floor of the carriage house. Take the steps between the two buildings and follow the brick path that leads back to the carriage house. Our entrance has a sign on a purple door. We're on the second floor in the office on the left at the top of the stairs.
Our Current Board
| Nancy Girard, President | Krista Helmboldt |
| Steven Hengen, Vice President | Derek Owen |
| John Warner, Treasurer | Anne Renner |
| Finis Williams, Secretary | |
| Marie Colbath | Melanie Waldvogel (Board Admin.) |
| Patti Dann | Paula Harris (General Manager) |
Meet Our Board
Nancy Girard, President
board@concordfoodcoop.coop
I have been on the Concord Cooperative Board since 2004. I became involved with the Cooperative before its expansion, worked with staff and other Cooperative members to raise funds and complete the store expansion, and chaired the committee that hired our present general manager. The Concord Cooperative has been growing and becoming a vital part of the greater Concord community and a resource for the people in the region. With this growth has come a greater representation of local vendors, more produce, and great variety in products to the benefit of Cooperative members and the general public. As an environmental attorney, I work for better environmental performance from the regulated community and for recognition of ecosystem balance and the sustainability in our community. I direct a group called the Multi-State Working Group which is a compendium of state, national, and international organizations and governmental entities focused on improving environmental requirements through administrative procedures and state and federal statutory changes and encouraging communities, businesses and government departments to meet and exceed environmental standards. My work-colleagues are from all over the United States and in fact, several Asian and European countries. I contribute locally to the Concord Cooperative Market since my family and I live here. The Co-op is one of the best examples of a vibrant outlet that gives the community the advantage of local products and gives back to the community through education and outreach. And doing it all with an eye toward the environment, sustainability and health, which in turn encourages the productive use of land and maintenance of open space within the state. I am proud of what we, as Cooperative member-owners, have done with our store and excited about the potential for the future!
Term Ends 2012
Steven Hengen, Vice President
Our family arrived in Concord in the Summer of 1983 and consisted of my wife Liz, me, and our son Keith, then still very much an infant. Our daughter Taylor was born a year and a half later. We came to New Hampshire for its beauty and recreation, and we moved specifically to Concord because of its size and a sane balance between work… and the rest of life. We have never regretted coming here. Liz works as a preservation planner and has been responsible for saving and the built landscape in Concord around the state. I worked as a lawyer from 1976 to January 1, 2010 and have since then taken up the resolution of disputes through mediation and arbitration. One of the things about the Concord Cooperative Market that I admire most is the diversity of our member owners, as well as its customers. That reflects the panoply of the Co-op’s products. Perhaps you like meat and fish, while other customers have different needs and interests, such as bulk purchasing of grains, nuts, and honey. Every department in the store stocks high-quality goods, some expensive and others that are modest price. I’m enthusiastic about the Co-op’s future. We hope to grow our membership, continue to provide the excellent products in every area of the store, expand educational programs and make new old friends, and accept our different tastes and budgets.
Term Ends 2012
John Warner, Treasurer
I joined the Co-op board because enjoy the high quality and excellent tasting food as well as the focus on local community support and local growers and producers. I am currently retired. I hold a PhD in physics and astronomy, have taught and done research at the University of Minnesota and the Carnegie Institution of Washington. For several years I was Deputy Project Scientist on the Hubble Space Telescope Project and then Program Manager for several other NASA programs. I founded Taunton Technologies, Inc. (later called VISX) in 1986 to design and develop a laser device and procedure to eliminate the need for glasses. This company was successful and that procedure is currently known as LASIK (Laser InSitu Keratomilusis). I enjoy working with small companies with tightly knit goals and an enthusiastic staff. I have been directly involved at the senior executive level with three start-ups during the past 23 years and have supported one other. These experiences have taught me the importance of staying close to the customer, being hands-on and value driven, sticking to the business that the company knows best, and fostering an environment of openness and acceptance of both innovation and the inevitable mistakes.
Term Ends 2013
Finis Williams, Secretary
I joined the Co-op Board because I wanted to be more involved in local organizations. I have lived in Concord for the past 20 years and support the wine tasting evening events and the Co-op's committment to locally grown, organic products. I have served as past President and have been on the Board for over 20 years for the New Hampshire Association for Justice, formerly New Hampshire Trial Lawyers Association. I am on the Board of Governors for the American Association for Justice, formerly Association of Trial Lawyers of America. I have also served as legal counsel to the New Hampshire Democratic Party from 2002 until 2008.
Term Ends 2012
Marie Colbath
I grew up in Concord in the ‘50s and ‘60s. I remember fondly, walking by the Co-op when it was just a buying club on the corner of State and Concord Streets – just a little hole in the wall. I remember going in an seeing all the bulk items – not realizing that one day this little club would eventually blossom into what we have today. As a member of the Co-op, I want to see the Co-op continue to grow as a business. I currently serve on the board of the Lakes Region Tourism Association and Laconia Community College Hospitality Department. I enjoy assisting these organizations to better serve our communities. I have a passion for great local foods. I look forward to the renovation of our store. You need only take a tour of the building, from the top down, to see just how much more we can do for the community in the space that we have.
Term Ends 2013
Patti Dann
I moved to New Hampshire 18 years ago with my husband Paul and our three daughters. During that time my focus was on raising our daughters, helping them to become happy and successful young adults. Family has always been the number one priority for the Danns, followed closely by supporting civic and community concerns. Soon after our youngest daughter left for college, I began a “hobby” that quickly grew into a business now known as Café Indigo, a commercial bakery that distributes vegan desserts to supermarkets throughout the country. My concern for family, community, and healthy living naturally led me to discover the Concord Co-op. Since arriving in the Concord area the Cooperative Co-op has played an important role in supporting our family’s healthy living. As a family, we have always admired the Co-op’s community involvement and I am pleased to now serve in support of the Concord Co-op’s mission as a member of the Board.
Term Ends 2013
Krista Helmboldt
I grew up with a Mom and Oma who belonged to our local co-op in the 1970’s. When I moved to Concord in 1987 as a young adult out of college, one of my first actions was to join the Concord Food Cooperative – I felt that was a fundamental aspect of living in this community. Our household does most of our shopping at the Co-op, and when I travel, I seek out co-ops for healthy food, a sense of the community, and a connection with people and values in which I believe. I served on the Co-op Board for seven years (part of that time as President) as we made the move from State Street to our current location. I am now inspired to serve on the Board again to help guide the Co-op through our current growth opportunities. I measure the health of any community by the vibrance of its food cooperative, and I am proud of our Concord Co-op and its vital role in making Concord such a good community to live in. I am proud of the products we sell, as well as the good people who are involved as staff, volunteers, farmers, producers, members, and shoppers.
Term Ends 2013
Derek Owen
I am a lifelong resident of Hopkinton, a farmer, entrepreneur, environmentalist, and longtime participant in community affairs. My wife Ruth and I have a homestead farm in Hopkinton that regularly provides eggs for the Co-op. We appreciate our connection with the Co-op as we have hosted and led activities for many Co-op events and stop by the store almost daily to pick up kitchen and produce waste to feed our pigs. Our life is dedicated to organic homesteading and education. We hand-milk our dairy cows for a handful of local customers and regularly host WWOOFers and other traveling farm students. We run workshops and classes year round teaching farm crafts like candle-making, soap-making, felting, canning, and pickling. I have been a member of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire for two decades and advocate for environmental and agricultural practices that “first, do no harm.” On the political front, I’ve been a member of the NH House of Representatives for 10 terms and have also served our Hopkinton community as Charmain of the town Conservation Commission as well as a member of both the Recreation and Recycling Committees. I am well-known for building traditional New England stone walls.
Term Ends 2013
Anne Renner
I have been a member-owner of our Co-op for many years. I chaired the Board of Directors for the eight or so years immediately before our most recent expansion in 2005. I helped lead the Co-op through many growing pains and difficult financial times. For me, the challenge and effort was worthwhile because I shared a vision with many others of our Co-op becoming a heart of our Concord community, a vision that is on its way to becoming true. I am truly proud of the leadership role our Co-op is starting to take in our community. Personally, I am a strong advocate for local and organic products, and healthy lifestyles. I am the mother of two great young men and was an environmental attorney. I home-schooled my boys and have served on the Boards and committees of various not-for-profits.
Term Ends 2012
