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Seward Community Co-op Board of Directors Election

At-Large Directors

Karah Barr
Communication Consultant

My motivation to run for Seward Co-op's Board of Directors stems from a passion for cooperatives and a desire to leverage my marketing and communications expertise to enhance owner engagement, strategic growth, and organizational impact.

Seward Co-op is a reliable place I know I can go to see a friendly face, find nourishing food, and feel safe. I want to be part of a grassroots effort to stimulate positive change in the local community, especially as democracy continues to face challenges in this country. Cooperatives ensure that decisions reflect the will of the community, helping to sustain democratic values and resilience.

As a marketing and communications professional I can help the co-op achieve equitable outcomes by engaging diverse and underrepresented groups through inclusive language and ensuring transparent board communication. By prioritizing feedback and addressing the needs of all owners, we can create strategies that reflect the Co-op’s commitment to equity and ensure that all voices are considered and valued in decision-making processes.

This work is collaborative. That means actively listening to diverse perspectives, openly sharing ideas, and building consensus to achieve common goals. It involves respecting each other’s contributions, fostering an inclusive culture, and harnessing collective strengths to drive success. Effective collaboration ensures that all voices are heard and valued, leading to more innovative and impactful outcomes.

I envision Seward Co-op will continue to evolve as a leader of inclusivity, expand community impact and ownership while enhancing local partnerships, and financial stability over the next 10 years. I imagine Seward Co-op to foster innovation, deepen owner engagement, and continue to serve as a catalyst for positive change. My hope is that our co-op can remain a place where everyone feels safe, can shop, and see a friendly face.

I would contribute to the board by being a co-op ambassador that employs strategies to highlight and promote Seward Co-op's initiatives in equity, sustainability, and food access. By ensuring clear, consistent communication and engaging community voices, I would amplify the co-op’s efforts to achieve its mission, fostering greater awareness, owner participation, and alignment with goals for a healthy, equitable, and environmentally-conscious community.

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Corey Lahm
Self-employed

I’m motivated to run for Seward Co-op’s Board of Directors because I think that the Co-op is and can be a great part of the supportive network that supports the community. I have owned and operated several companies as well as serving on the board of a day shelter for unhoused people in St Paul. To me, working collaboratively means being able to listen carefully and respectfully to come to mutual conclusions for the betterment of the Co-op. I would work to achieve equitable outcomes that consider all the stakeholders that comprise Seward Co-op by listening carefully and collaborating on ideas with other board members and by being aware of trends and changes within the food industry. My vision for the co-op’s next 10 years is that we react to the ongoing changes within the community and be inclusive in the implementation of programming for the community.

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Cassandra Meyer
Engineer

A lifelong frequenter of Minneapolis co-ops, I’m a regular shopper at the Franklin store. I support our co-op over alternatives because of Seward’s Ends Statement and the social and environmental values the co-op promotes. I’m grateful for my years serving on the board. I’d love to continue for another term.

As an undergraduate, I double-majored in civil engineering with an environmental focus and American Indian studies with a Dakota language focus; attended graduate school for sustainable design and currently work as an engineer. I’ve worked in immersion settings with preschoolers to grandparents learning different topics while immersed in Dakota. Whether discussing gardening, eating, or composting, food is always a great unifier.

In all my experiences, transparency increased both accountability and credibility. The board's normalized having more open dialog during meetings, and taken steps to increase connections with owners. As a board we’ve made progress in ways that increases accountability with owners, and there’s always room for improvement.

As a director, I served as treasurer for several years and board president this past year. I pushed for and helped start board listening sessions with owners; helped establish standing comment periods during board meetings; and developed the elections candidate guide based on owners’ requests. I’ve helped work on increasing equity in board policies, specifically how the board conducts business and treatment of staff. I’m on the recently formed Financials Committee. I’ve helped guide us through difficult conversations and decisions, as well as exciting and rejuvenating discussions. The co-op continues to face many challenges and I’m ready to support in every way I can.

Many issues the co-op is grappling with are difficult. Equity, racism, challenging economic markets, continuing impacts from the pandemic. Tackling these things and more, while providing constructive feedback and productive asks of management is not easy. I do my best to bring everything I have to board work, to fully engage in difficult conversations, and keep working towards the vision for Seward.

There’s much we’ve started as a board and so much farther we can go. I’d love to continue being part of that process.

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Tabitha Montgomery
Nonprofit Executive Director

I am well when I serve. Service brings me in contact with new people, places, and ideas. Just the other day, a previous board member of an organization where I serve hung out their car window as I was outside my office and yelled my name to say hello. That moment, that type of connection brings me waves of joy, some of which I feel as I share this reflection.

I tend to smile deeply and laugh fully when I spend time with folks who desire to move the needle on what can increase our individual and collective wellness. I am pursuing board service at the Seward Co-op with the goal of having another opportunity to partner with others actively contributing to various aspects of community health.

Over the past nine years, my understanding of community health has been enlivened because of my time with the Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association (PPNA). I have seen how the power of belief and will can mobilize thousands of folks to care for one another in a variety of ways.

My time with PPNA has also afforded me opportunities to think creatively and courageously in moments that require space to be held for differing opinions and voices. Regardless of alignment or disagreement, I have grown to understand the power that both bring to support community wellbeing. I am confident these skills can assist in how I support advancement of the organization’s mission in partnership with staff and fellow board members.

At times, it has felt that a path to a healthy community for all is beyond our reach. And although the broad ranging inequities within our communities can often feel unmovable, I am often encouraged by every person, institution and co-op that is willing to declare the importance of furthering community wellbeing by taking steps to animate various forms of equity, access, and inclusion.

Recognizing that I require more insight into the co-op to develop a vision for the next ten years, I believe the vision that serves the organization best will be rooted in its foundational principles of people and collaboration.

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Elizabeth Liddiard Wozniak
Self-employed

What brought me to co-ops is simple; clean, sustainable food. I am an owner and member, and have spent the majority of my food budget at Seward for more than 30 years. I’ve previously served the Co-op as an employee, and I’m prepared to serve in a new capacity.

Money spent at Seward Co-op remains in our communities, paying farmers, employees and small vendors. I will serve to benefit the Co-op and our local food system. The grants that Seward provides to organizations contribute to the health, wealth, creativity and life of our communities. Small producers are given space on our shelves to grow their businesses. For these reasons I am stepping forward to serve. Seward Co-op is integral to my life and health.

I worked as a cooperative manager for 22 years. I bring communication skills, and coaching and mentoring experience. I manage small businesses as a self-employed practitioner. I have experience in diversity, inclusion and equity initiatives.

To me, collaboration means listening first, encouraging and allowing each participant to speak from their experience and perspective. Having the ability to shift perspectives based on information that emerges in evolving discussions. Maintaining integrity when making decisions, and considering the impact decisions have on the people we serve. The goal is to bring the group to a consensus decision that everyone supports.

By working through decisions and shaping the co-op’s direction with all stakeholders in mind, including owners, shoppers, partners, vendors and employees we can work to ensure the board reflects the communities we serve.

Success includes farmers, small producers, and provides sustainable/organic food for the people. Continued partnership with communities we serve and the greater co-op community locally and nationally. It’s about health; individual, family and community. Every participant in Seward, including shoppers, employees, owners and board members are crucial to its success.

The board has a responsibility to steward and oversee the overall health of Seward Co-op. Effective Board leadership is crucial in ensuring that our shoppers, farmers, and communities trust the Co-op to provide sustainable food and products.

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