Kootenay Co-op exterior in the summer time.

May Board Update

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May Board Update

  • written by Maggie Jones, Board Member

Thank you for reading our Board Update, a synopsis of our most recent board meeting and other board-related information.

Your board is responsible for overseeing our General Manager (GM), ensuring financial viability, providing governance that is in line with the BC Coops Act and making strategic decisions that benefit our Co-op. We have five board committees that meet monthly and then share reports and recommendations to the board as a whole. These committees are: HR/Hiring, Governance, Finance, Member Engagement, and Nominations. We also hear reports monthly from our GM and one department manager.

May 2023

Your board met on May 18th, 2023.

Business Arising

  • The board was happy to welcome three Co-op members to observe our May meeting. Click here to  learn more about attending a board meeting.
  • The board has appointed Cathy-Ann Glockner to fill the vacant seat on our board until the AGM. Cathy-Ann intends to run for election this year.
  • With the onboarding of a new board member some of the committees were reorganized.
  • Your board will be meeting in August to work on strategic planning for our Co-op. This is an important responsibility of the board that helps clarify the direction our Co-op will take in the future.

We heard and discussed reports from board committees:

  • Our Member Engagement Committee met with our Outreach Coordinator to plan times for Directors to sit outside the Co-op and speak to members on May 26th , June 2nd and June 9th. We were also reminded that the Co-op celebrates our 48th birthday this year, please join us at the store for celebrations on Friday June 23rd.
  • Our Governance Committee reported that they had discussed records management and the board assistant will be taking a course on this topic in May. The committee discussed the Employee Director’s orientation and small changes to the Employee Director election procedure.
  • The Nominations Committee reported that the call for nominations is open and will run until June 12th. The board has received several nominations and are hoping that more members will nominate themselves.
  • In-Camera, the Finance Committee presented the Fiscal Year 2024 Budget, which the board approved unanimously.

Our IGMs made their report to the board:

  • Ashley shared that the HR department has provided our staff with their annual wage increases, effective May 28th.
  • Our IGMs have also expanded our staff discount to include more items to help staff deal with rising food costs. A survey in fall 2022 showed that the staff discount is the most important benefit aside from base wages.

Our observing members asked the following questions:

  • “Please provide more details about what finances the board reviews.” The board reviews comparative sales, expenses, cash flow for both year-over-year and year-to-day compared to the budget.
  • “How was Cathy-Ann Glockner appointed to the board?” Our rules allow the board to fill a board vacancy with an eligible candidate until the next AGM. Cathy-Ann was approached because of her previous experience with Co-op as a vendor, employee and director, and her intention to seek election this year.
  • “Why do strategic planning before the election when three seats are up for election?” Strategic planning is an ongoing process and the August session is a continuation of a February 2023 session. Two of the directors who are leaving the board have valuable experience and insights to contribute to strategic planning.

See you next time!

 

Maggie Jones
Vice President