Staff
Supervisory Team
The co-op's management team is in charge of the store's day to day operations and it is their job to drive the co-op to fulfill our Ends. Virtually every initiative that management pursues in the course of a year is guided by an element of these policies. Click on the images below to email a particular director or manager, or contact us at 785-843-8544 in Lawrence and 913-320-0404 in Kansas City.
Director Team
Our team of directors oversee co-op wide policies, planning, financials, operations and managers across all store locations.
General Manager, she/her
Rita has over two decades of experience in the food and hospitality industry. She is the longest-standing GM in the co-op's history and continues to be a champion for the cooperative business model as a way to meet people's economic, cultural and social needs while adding wealth to communities. Under her leadership, the co-op has taken great strides to become more inclusive through product selection, price, customer service and work culture. Rita led the co-op's 2015 rebrand and renovation, piloting National Cooperative Grocers' (NCG) cobranding program. She spearheaded the co-op joining Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG), a purchasing cooperative, that provides competitively-priced mainstream and private label grocery products. Serving as the Designated Representative to NCG, Rita collaborates regularly with her peers to share best practices and support the sector. Rita is a graduate of University of Missouri at Kansas City where she earned a bachelor's degree in hospitality studies.
Finance Director, he/him
Jason has over 20 years of experience in corporate finance and accounting in both cooperative grocery and global financial services industries. He has presented at multiple industry conferences and has consulted on several expansion and acquisition projects for other cooperatively owned grocery stores.
Jason is a graduate of the Washburn University School of Business with a bachelor's degree in Finance and a minor in Accounting.
Operations Director, he/him
Seth has over 15 years of grocery retail leadership experience. Working for the nation's largest grocery retailer, he has been a district coordinator over produce, front-end, grocery and general merchandise.
After accepting a position in a Lawrence store in 2011, he quickly fell in love with the community and has recently become a first-time homeowner. His professional accolades include leading his store team to divert 92% of waste from the local landfill, deeming it the first “zero waste” establishment out of 91 stores in his division.
Marketing Director, she/her
A native South Dakotan, Laura served as the co-op’s Outreach Manager for 5 years before accepting the role of Marketing Director — overseeing programming for both the Lawrence and Kansas City stores, classes, in- and out-of-store experiences, owner services, and board of director coordination and communications. A graduate of Northern State University with a degree in art, Laura has a diverse collection of experience, including community organizing, event and travel planning, administration, photography, farming and local food production.
Human Resources Director, he/him
A Topeka native, Brent has 12 years of HR experience. His career has taken him from Kansas to North Carolina to Colorado. Now back in Kansas, his family’s focus is on achieving an ideal work-life balance and strengthening ties with friends and family. Beyond the professional sphere, Brent is a closet nerd with a penchant for Marvel, DC, and Star Wars movies (whether good or bad). A two-time San Diego Comic-Con alumni, he’s proud of his selfies with a few Impractical Jokers. Armed with a grill and smoker, Brent is a culinary explorer, always eager to try new recipes. Yet, his greatest joy lies in spending quality time with his family — his wife, 5-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter.
Management Team
Our team of managers oversees individual departments and employees at our Lawrence and Kansas City stores. They are listed alphabetically below.
Retail Systems Manager, she/her
Grocery Manager — Lawrence
Produce Manager — Lawrence
Assistant Store Manager, KCK
Dakota Devall is a young professional with 4 years of retail leadership experience He has worked with some of the largest grocery chains in the U.S. and managed several departments including bakery, dairy, deli and has served as an interim store manager.
His professional accolades include achieving and exceeding shrink goals, realizing sales increases through dynamic merchandising and boosting efficiency through process improvements.
Deli Manager — Lawrence
Bobby Joe has over a decade of experience in grocery retail and restaurant leadership. Most recently, he held the position of Specialty Foods Team Lead at Whole Foods in Overland Park. Previously he was the General Manager/Partner at Taos Brewing Co. in New Mexico.
In 2022, Bobby Joe moved to Lawrence with his family. He has a passion for fine cheese and made-from-scratch baked goods. He recently received an educational grant that sent him to Switzerland and France to study cheese. In his free time, Bobby Joe studies jiu jitsu and enjoys cycling and fishing.
Bakery Manager — Lawrence
Josiah started his first bakery job as a teenager. Since then he has experienced a number of different kinds of work–running rides at the carnival, managing a garden center, and chasing owls around the forests of the Pacific Northwest… to name just a few. But, he has always been a baker at heart and has repeatedly returned to the bakery life. Josiah has over a decade of experience in commercial baking and many years in bakery management and leadership roles, including production manager at Flour Garden Bakery in Grass Valley, CA, and—most recently—Bakery Specialist here at the co-op.
Outside of work, Josiah is a lover of country drives, thrift stores, books, music, old radios and birds.
Meat & Seafood Manager, Lawrence
Kyle is a third-generation member of the grocery industry. He has worked in a variety of departments and positions over his 10-year career including meat market, seafood, and natural foods.
He has experience with locally-grown meat processing and is excited to bring this expertise to a community-focused market. He, along with his wife and two sons, currently reside in Ottawa with their two dogs, five cats, and three goats.