2024 Owner Election
We’re excited to introduce our outstanding candidates on this year’s ballot!
Cast your vote between October 19 – November 9
Board Resources
Meet Our Election Board Candidates
Mindy Nobles – Incumbent
I grew up in diverse social and geographic environments that shaped me to seek a kind, just world. My career in adult literacy and higher education has reflected those values, as have my community activities over time. Fighting the increasing corporatization of our food supply became a personal mission for me. I joined my first food coop in the early 1990s. When I first walked into Wheatsville Coop in the mid1990s while visiting Austin, it was a revelation. When I moved to Austin in 2013, I joined the Coop as one of my first commitments to the city. I regard Wheatsville as bastion of food justice. It has been my privilege to serve on the Wheatsville Coop Board of Directors for the past year. As the Coop seeks to pivot its format now to align with 21st century Austin for the future, I hope to contribute to Wheatsville’s continuing impact. The Board operates using the Policy Governance TM model, maintaining policies that express its expectations for ends to be achieved and the means by which to achieve the ends. The Seven Cooperative Principles and Values is what Wheatsville is all about.
Nicole Seltman
My name is Nicole Seltman and I have lived in Austin for the past 14 years. I am an active member of the community and am passionate about our community’s well-being, especially our youth. I am heavily involved in the education landscape (having been a teacher, principal, and non-profit director since moving here in 2010). I am also a fitness enthusiast playing in a local soccer league and attending a locally owned gym. Health and wellness are vitally important to me, and Wheatsville plays a critical role in supporting our community’s health. Wheatsville has been my go-to grocer since I first arrived in Austin. The availability of healthy, sustainable foods and plentiful plant-based products make each shopping trip enjoyable. I introduced my husband to the store several years ago and it has become essential part of our lives. In fact, we even had Wheatsville donuts at our wedding reception! I want to serve as a board member so I can ensure others have the same amazing experience with Wheatsville that I have had.
Julie Gomez
I believe my background as a grocer coupled with my current experience supporting my company via people-focused initiatives and program management makes me a great candidate for the Wheatsville Board. Like many of us, Wheatsville holds a place in my heart as a beacon of Austin culture. When I was new to Austin, it served as an orientation hub to learn about local businesses, events, and civic engagement opportunities. Over the years, the patio of Wheatsville Guadalupe has served as a refuge for me. During life’s growth moments, you’d find me with a Chronicle open, a CLEAN, and something fresh from the hot bar, enjoying watching the community come and go. As Austin continues to grow and evolve, it’s exciting to see Wheatsville grow alongside it. I hope to serve the Wheastville Community in cultivating the next generation by enabling the community to help build the best path forward, together.
Community Action Nominees
We have 31 community non-profit organizations on the ballot. The eleven non-profits receiving the most votes will be assigned a fundraising month in 2025. One month is reserved for the Wheatsville Cooperative Community Fund.
- Jack Jack’s Pack Street Dog Rescue
Annual Budget: $72,000
Jack Jack’s Pack is a non profit that saves lost, stray, and street dogs from dire situations and gives them safe homes. - Louder Than Silence
Annual Budget: $95,000
Louder Than Silence provides long-term care, community, and resources for survivors of sexual violence, all at no cost to participants. Funds will be used to support the survivors in our community through trauma-specific therapy, community connection points, and retreats. - Change 1
Annual Budget: $100,000
Change 1 helps former foster youth achieve their goals, including education, housing, transportation, and entering the workforce. The funding will go toward helping youth who are transitioning out of foster care establish independent, flourishing lives - David Phillips Foundation
Annual Budget: $103,571
The David Phillips Foundation supports and uplifts children and their families in low-income communities by funding free after-school sports and recreation enrichment programs, and providing opportunities to “PLAY” for kids who wouldn’t otherwise have access. Funds will be used to expand our free programs to include more youth sports vendors, and increase our outreach to serve more AISD Title-I schools. - Capital City Village
Annual Budget: $123,594
CCV creates a supportive community to address isolation and loneliness among older adults who wish to remain independent in their homes. The allocated funds will support programs and initiatives centered around social connections, safety, health and wellness, and aging gracefully. - Our Shared Kitchen, Inc
Annual Budget: $155,000
Our Shared Kitchen prepares and hand delivers hot, nutritious meals to individuals experiencing homelessness and food insecurity in Austin. Funds will be used for ingredients for our meals so that we can continue to feed more of our unhoused neighbors with quality, consistent meal support. - .Ecology Action of Texas
Annual Budget: $155,000
Ecology Action is one of Austin’s oldest grassroots environmental non profits. We own and operate the Circle Acres Nature Preserve in Montopolis and have developed a nature center to demonstrate the power of community coming together to combat environmental degradation. We lead several hundred volunteers a year to help maintain and improve the preserve and surrounding Guerrero Park, demonstrating an effective strategy to combat climate change, build community, and enhance biodiversity. - Austin Mutual Aid
Annual Budget: $200,000
Austin Mutual Aid provides direct aid to those within Austin who are unhoused, in danger of losing housing, or need support affording food. - DAWA (Diversity Awareness and Wellness in Action)
Annual Budget: $449,801
DAWA honors, celebrates, and empowers the essential work of community frontliners and creatives of color through direct financial support, and culturally relevant health-centered programming. The funds will support the various programming DAWA runs including the DAWA Fund, which provides direct financial assistance to individuals and families facing hardship and crisis; DAWA Studios, which creates space for BIPOC podcasters, creatives and grassroots organizations to produce high-quality media content; and the Black Live Music Fund, which directly supports and promotes Black music in Austin. - Museum of Human Achievement (MoHA)
Annual Budget: $563,120
The Museum of Human Achievement (MoHA) of East Austin is an arts organization and community space founded on principles of affordability, equity, and access. Donations collected through the Wheatsville Community Action Program would be used to cover expenses for our monthly community Potlucks as well as our Grant Assistance Hangouts. Funds will be used to purchase food and refreshments for these events, an essential part of ensuring a welcoming environment so the community can comfortably connect with each other and MoHA staff, share ideas, and work collaboratively. - Thank You Life
Annual Budget: $723,000
Thank You Life is committed to making psychedelic therapy accessible. Your donations directly contribute to providing healing opportunities through psychedelic therapy, supporting our mission to enhance mental well-being in our community. - Shoal Creek Conservancy
Annual Budget: $776,440
Shoal Creek Conservancy is the champion of the 11-mile-long Shoal Creek and Austin’s oldest hike and bike trail, the Shoal Creek Trail. Funds support our efforts to make the trail more accessible for all ages and abilities and make Shoal Creek fishable and swimmable. - Colorado River Alliance
Annual Budget: $831,500
The mission of Colorado River Alliance is to champion the long-term vitality of the Texas Colorado River through education and engagement. Funds raised will support river stewardship education and activities that empower Texans with knowledge and tools to protect and preserve the Texas Colorado River. - Keep Austin Beautiful
Annual Budget: $1,132,000
Keep Austin Beautiful relies on the support of partners like Wheatsville to provide over 12,000 volunteer opportunities and educate 11,000 youth annually. These funds are essential for sustaining our organizational infrastructure, including personnel, office space, databases, and web operations, as well as for procuring necessary supplies such as tools, plants, beautification resources, and educational materials. - The Refugee Collective (formerly Multicultural Refugee Coalition)
Annual Budget: $1,163,287
The Refugee Collective offers livelihood opportunities for refugees through two social enterprises: a certified organic farm and a sustainable textile studio. Funds from the Community Action program will be used to support refugee farmer training, culturally desired food access in the refugee community, and public workshops at our on-farm natural dye lab - Farmshare Austin
Annual Budget: $1,701,885
Farmshare Austin supports food access through its Fresh for Less Mobile Markets and Home Delivery, ensuring underserved communities access to fresh and affordable produce. Funds raised will also help cultivate the next generation of farmers through the Farmer Starter and Cultivator education programs. - Urban Roots
Annual Budget: $1,703,244
Funding from Wheatsville Co-Op would be used to support our work using regenerative agriculture practices to grow and harvest over 30,000 pounds of produce annually on our two urban farms. Additionally, it will support our youth programming by funding necessary equipment and stipends for each youth leader who participates. - Casa Marianella
Annual Budget: $2,000,000
Casa Marianella welcomes displaced immigrants and promotes self-sufficiency by providing shelter and support services. These funds will be used to support our new family shelter program, Abri Lumiere, which supports asylum seeking families experiencing homelessness in Austin. - The Sobering Center
Annual Budget: $2,300,000
The Sobering Center has served over 10,000 people since opening in 2018. The center provides a safe place for publicly intoxicated people to sober up outside of jails and hospital, and get connected to treatment resources as needed. - TreeFolks
Annual Budget: $2,600,000
TreeFolks’ mission is to empower Central Texans to build stronger communities through planting and caring for trees and since 1989, we have planted 3 million trees, distributed 175,000 trees to local neighborhoods, engaged over 23,000 volunteers, and educated both children and adults about planting, protecting, and sustaining trees. Support from Wheatsville will go toward general programming by helping cover the cost of trees, mulch, tools, and water. - Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center
Annual Budget: $2,637,490
Since 2015, Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center is the largest provider of homeless services in Travis County! Funds will help offer pathways to housing for people experiencing homelessness through low-barrier access to wraparound services by providing innovative, trauma-informed, and person-centered programming that engages our communities and leads system-wide transformation. - Austin Humane Society
Annual Budget: $4,782,421
Funds raised will be used to save the lives of more than 11,000 animals at the Austin Humane Society in 2025. - Sustainable Food Center
Annual Budget: $6,212,189
Sustainable Food Center (SFC) transforms the food system to nourish our health, land and livelihood. Funds raised will support SFC’s work toward an equitable food system which includes supporting small farmers, ranchers and producers across Texas as well as increasing food security and nutrition access for those who need it most. - Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Travis County
Annual Budget: $7,415,000
CASA of Travis County promotes and protects the best interest of children who have experienced abuse or neglect by empowering volunteers to advocate for their safety, well-being, and for opportunities to thrive. Funds will be used to support advocacy and assistance for children with open cases of abuse or neglect in Travis County - The Settlement Home for Children (The Home)
Annual Budget: $8,436,629
A majority of the youth we serve are in foster care and are referred to us by Child Protective Services, including survivors of neglect, physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, sexual assault, sex trafficking, forced drug use, drug endangerment, domestic and family violence and attempted homicide. - Austin Parks Foundation
Annual Budget: $10,230,000
Austin Parks Foundation partners with our community to enhance people’s lives by making our public parks, trails and green spaces better through volunteerism, innovative programming, advocacy and financial support. Wheatsville’s financial support will be used to offset the cost of our volunteer program and allow us to reach more civic groups that wish to engage with their local green space. - Austin Habitat for Humanity, Inc.
Annual Budget: $18,700,000
Austin Habitat for Humanity requests support for our general operations, which empower low-income families who would otherwise be unable to afford their own home in Central Texas to achieve homeownership; help older adults and people with disabilities stay independent at home through critical repairs; and increase the community’s financial capability and ability to reach life goals through expert housing counseling or homebuyer education. - Hospice Austin
Annual Budget: $24,207,598
Funds from the Wheatsville Community Action Program will support hospice services for families facing the final months of a serious illness, including Charity Care, as well as grief support programs available to the community at-large - Central Texas Food Bank
Annual Budget: $36,213,695
On front lines of hunger relief with over 240 partner agencies in 21 counties across Central Texas, Central Texas Food Bank served more than 5400,000 neighbors in need last year which closed the meal gap by 75%. Over 60 million pounds of food was distributed (28 million pounds of produce) of which 17.2% is purchased by these generous donations. - Peoples Community Clinic
Annual Budget: $38,915,369
Thousands of patients call People’s Community Clinic their medical home. The clinic is a unique and tested model for medical care, a true safety net for Central Texas’ uninsured and medically underserved - Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas
Annual Budget: $41,085,702
Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas (PPGT) provides trusted, evidence-based sexual healthcare and education while advocating for reproductive justice, care without judgment, and access to healthcare for all. Funding will support the organization’s on-going efforts to provide quality and affordable healthcare service, science- based sexual education, and further strengthen partnerships in the greater Austin community. This will ensure that Austin’s four healthcare centers remain a trusted resource for the community.