Dear Prospective Board Candidate,

Thank you for your interest in serving on the Wheatsville Co-op Board of Directors!  Please read the information in the links below before applying. Questions about your application should be sent to nominations2018@wheatsville.com

Policy Governance

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. The principles and values Wheatsville is all about.

Procedures for Co-op Vote

Information about candidate eligibility, application requirements, and election procedures. Bylaws

Board Governing Policy

The Board operates using the Policy Governance TM model, which was developed to allow Boards to maintain accountability for organizational performance while focusing on providing visionary leadership around our ‘big-picture’ mission. Delegation is a significant component of our accountability, and the Board maintains written documentation of expectations for our organization, our Chief Executive Grocer, and ourselves. Our policies are the primary vehicle for recording these expectations, and they are monitored on a regular basis.

Number of Open Seats and Term Durations

The Owners of Wheatsville elect Board members during an annual Fall election (see Bylaws, Article 5.4). This election will fill three (3) seats. Per the Bylaws, those seats will serve three-year terms. The number of candidates on the ballot will be limited to two candidates per vacancy, plus one additional candidate, with an overall cap of nine total candidates (see Section III of Procedures for Co-op Vote ). For example, if there are three board places up for election, then up to seven candidates will be placed on the ballot. If there are four or more board places up for election, then up to nine candidates will be placed on the ballot. If the number of applications exceeds the cap, the Nominations Committee will select the most qualified candidates by evaluating each potential candidate against criteria in the Procedures for Co-op Vote.

Candidate Criteria to Qualify for the Ballot and Self-Nomination

The Board has established the following criteria to screen candidates for their eligibility, preparation, and
commitment to serve on the Board. Each candidate must:

  1. Be a fully invested Owner of the Co-op in his or her own name and be in good standing;
  2. Attend and participate in a Board Orientation Session for prospective candidates;
  3. Submit a current resume and recent photo with the application;
  4. Submit two references (personal or professional; name and contact information only) with the application;
  5. Attend a regularly scheduled board meeting between May and the end of July;
  6. Confirm your ability to abide by the Directors Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct, if elected;
  7. Participate in an informal interview, if requested;
  8. Agree to abide by any rules for candidates seeking election to the board;
  9. Commit to attend Cooperative Board Leadership (CBLD) 101 training, which will likely require travel out of town over a weekend; and
  10. 10. Have access to a computer and email service to perform board work.

An Owner that has not qualified for the ballot through the Procedures for Co-op Vote may nominate him or herself for a seat on the Board by submitting a petition as outlined in Bylaws, Article 5.2. A petitioner must be a fully invested Owner of the Co-op in the Owner’s own name and in good standing. A petition must include the petitioner’s Owner number, the petitioner’s signature, and be submitted by August 13, 2018, at 5 p.m. to be eligible. The petition may be submitted electronically to nominations2018@wheatsville.com

Download Application

This application gives voters information about your background and expertise, what you can offer to the Wheatsville Co-op, and what interests you about serving on the Board. A Nominations Committee member may call you for further information, but generally these answers will be your way of communicating to other Wheatsville Owners why you should be a Board member. Feel free to contact the nominations committee if any questions arise at nominations2018@wheatsville.com

All materials MUST be submitted electronically to nominations@wheatsville.coop and be received by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, July 1, 2018. Incomplete materials may disqualify you. You MUST be a fully invested Owner of Wheatsville in your own name by this deadline as well .

A complete application will include:

Your application will be included in the Election Issue of the Wheatsville Breeze , on the Wheatsville website, and in various other communications encouraging Owners to vote in the election.

Opportunities to Meet with Owner-Voters

Candidates, including petitioners, will have the opportunity to present themselves to their fellow Owners at the Annual Fall Owner Gathering, typically held in October. Additionally, candidates may participate in tabling activities at either store location, at which time they encourage Owners to vote in the election and provide general election information. Other opportunities to address the Owners might be scheduled as well.

Optional Candidate Video

You will have the opportunity to record a one-minute candidate video. The videos will be available to Owners on the website and other online media throughout the election. This is optional, but strongly encouraged. Wheatsville staff will coordinate with you about your video statement.

Board Meeting Dates

As noted in the Criteria section above, each candidate must attend a regularly scheduled Board Meeting between May and August. The following is the anticipated Board meeting schedule. Please email nominations2018@wheatsville.com to indicate when you plan to attend so that we can alert you to any changes in the schedule or times. Join us in the meeting room of the indicated store’s executive offices

Orientation Sessions Dates

In addition to attending a Board Meeting, candidates must attend one of the following orientation sessions:

Note: orientation sessions will be cancelled if no prospective candidate has arrived within 15 minutes of start time.

Cooperatively Yours,
The Nominations Committee