State of the Board
The Wheatsville community has been through quite a bit over the past couple of years with the pandemic, ice storms, disrupted supply chains, and all the social turmoil in response to racial injustice. As a community grocer in a highly competitive market, things have been tough. Beyond selling groceries, Wheatsville has a mission focused on transforming society and building thriving a community. Wheatsville’s commitment to the community is the reason why I have made Wheatsville my primary grocery store for the past 30 years and why I initially decided to run for the board. Having a healthy co-op puts us in the best position to do all the great things we aspire to do. I am happy to say that through the hard work of everyone at Wheatsville and all the support from owners and shoppers, the co-op has established a new foundation of financial stability. While there is still much work to do, we believe that we have the foundation upon which we can grow over the coming years.
I am proud to be stepping in for outgoing board president, Rose Marie Klee. Rose Marie has been a true champion of Wheatsville for many years—bringing a wealth of knowledge and working tirelessly in support of the cooperative mission. I have had the opportunity to work with and learn from Rose Marie as well as so many other talented people on the board. The board is in an overall good position to raise our sights from the pressing needs of the day and focus our attention on the future.
It is an exciting time to be on the board. In many ways, like Wheatsville, the board is firming up our foundation. We have a slate of new officers, a growing level of owner engagement and exciting ideas for the years ahead. Our primary responsibility on the board is to oversee the health of the coop. While overall sales have been down year over year, Wheatsville staff and management have made adjustments to adapt to the changing circumstances. Their work has led to modest but consistent profitability. Being in a stable financial position frees our attention to focus on other priorities such as growth and owner engagement. In 2021, the board organized a Community Connect virtual event that featured a panel of local food experts and facilitated some engaging conversations among owners. This was a great opportunity to learn more about local food production and understand how we, as individuals within the community, shape important issues such as food quality and food access. We are looking to host a similar event again this year where we explore a different topic pertinent to Wheatsville. We are also exploring other ideas for strengthening the co-op and bringing the community together.
While board work is work, it is rewarding work. Austin is a special community. And for the past 46 years, Wheatsville has contributed to the fabric of the Austin community in immeasurable ways. Through our celebration of the 45th anniversary I got to learn much about our history—seeing photos, listening to recordings and talking with people who were there when it all started. I do
not know if the folks who started Wheatsville envisioned that their efforts would have such a lasting impact on the community. What I do know is that the work we do on the board today is both in honor of what we have been gifted in Wheatsville from everybody who has worked so hard up to the present, and in an effort to realize the full potential of what Wheatsville can be for
the next 46 years.
Let us know if you are interested in getting
more engaged. There are many opportunities to participate on board committees, join discussions at the next Community Connect, run for the board, or even by shopping at Wheatsville more often knowing that you are playing a crucial part in keeping our community and your co-op strong.