Each month, The Merc Co+op Board of Directors shares the decisions and topics discussed at their most recent meeting, promoting transparency and accountability with co-op owners.
Abbey Reinhardt-Healy, Board Vice President
May Board Report
Abbey Reinhardt-Healy, Vice President
Hello from The Merc Co+op Board of Directors. We are wishing you the best this Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage month, and a very happy Mother’s Day last weekend.
Our Board of Directors met together virtually on May 6. We had hoped to meet in person together in Lawrence, but another stormy spring evening in Kansas led us to make a call to meet safely and virtually, instead of risking any treacherous drives.
We recapped and celebrated a very successful Owner Appreciation Month, which took place in April in our co-op. We also chatted a bit about farmer’s market season, which is gearing up in both of our communities. Many directors have favorite items they seek out each spring and summer, and the conversation was also a reminder about the farmers market that takes place right at the KCK location, as well as the CSA offerings available to pick up at each store. If you love taking advantage of the best seasonal produce, this could be a great time to consider a CSA subscription through one of the co-op’s partners.
Another focus of the board this month is our Board policies. As a board, we use a co-op policy register, which we consult together frequently to make sure our actions are in line with the intentions laid out in these policies. After our board’s finance committee took a close look at some financial policies and proposed some edits to make them clearer, we now have plans to work together to evaluate all our board policies in the coming months. These policies have been in place for several years, and often serve our board well. But we feel this will be a great time to spend time reading them closely and making sure they remain relevant to the work we wish to do.
Finally, several board members are presenting at and attending the annual CCMA conference in Portland, Maine later this month. Our board looks forward to participating in this excellent event and hearing about takeaways our representatives will have to share when they return.
If anything here interests you, or if you feel curious about other content of our board meetings, please feel free to join us in a future month’s meeting. All co-op owners are invited to be a part of these meetings each month and we would be very happy to meet you there. Reach out to us for more information.
About the Board
The Merc Co+op's Board of Directors is comprised of nine co-op owners who are elected by the general ownership and serve a three-year term. Any co-op owner can run for a board position.
The board creates a set of policies to govern themselves and the General Manager, who provides the group with regular reports on store operations. The board delegates all operational matters to the General Manager.
Board Meetings
All co-op owners are invited to attend monthly board meetings. Early in the agenda, the board reserves ten minutes of space to hear from owners who wish to address the board.