Time Topic Action/Outcome Leader - Since€¦ · Annualized turnover for June was 13% (2 employees out of 193. Last year the rate was 27%. Year to date, annualized turnover has been

Time Topic Action/Outcome Leader 5:30-6pm Board Dinner/ Informal Discussion 6:00pm Introductions

Open Comment Period/ Questions Review Tasks from Previous Board Meeting (p.4) Agenda Review Announcements

• Owner Survey

Share/ Listen Listen/ Respond Review Review

Joel Joel Admin Joel/Steve

Steve Review and accept July Meeting Minutes GM Monthly Reports

• B1, B10Review Committee Reports

• Finance Committee Reports• GM Task Force

Review/ Decide Steve

Paul

Chris Chris

Board Decisions • Board Annual Budget• Committee Appointments

Review Nominate/ Vote

Chris Mike

Self Monitoring • D2 & D3 Review/ Discuss Joel

Board Education No education this month Closings Review Decisions, Tasks, Assignments Next Meeting Topics Open Comment

Review/ Edit

Listen/ Answer

Admin

Joel

Attachments:

A. July Meeting Minutes (unapproved) – p.2B. GM Monthly Report – p.5C. GM Monitoring: B1 – Financial Conditions and Activities – p.14D. GM Monitoring: B10 – Endorsements of Public Policy – p.17E. Relocation Report – p.19F. Board Calendar – p.28G. Committee Reports – p.29

Board of Directors Meeting Date: August 2, 2016 Time: 6:00 pm

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7/5/2016 Convened: 6:04pm Adjourned: 7:40pm

Directors Present: Joel Erb, Chris Tucker, Mike Phillips, Ann Richardson, Michelle Mussuto

Director(s) Absent: Steven Maviglio, Ellen McCormick

Staff, Members and Guests Present: See attached sign-in sheet.

Notetaker: Stacie Larkin Meeting Chair: Joel Erb

PRELIMINARIES

Introductions took place.

Agenda Review

Motion to approve agenda: Chris

Second: Michelle/ Ann

Discussion/Amendments: Add discussion of Bylaw change language under Committee

Reports

Vote: All in Favor

Board Announcements

Michelle reported on CCMA.

Approve Minutes of Prior Meeting

Motion to approve minutes as amended:

Second:

Discussion/Amendments: Typo, one of the Board Candidates represented incorrectly

(Christopher Clay is Correct Board Candidate). Bylaw language (proposed) is reported as

part of the meeting minutes (clarification).

Vote: All in Favor

General Manager’s Financial and Monitoring Reports

Please see written reports.

GM Monthly Report.

Relocation Report. Paul answered some questions about the relocation report.

Preferred Shares. Paul answered some questions from the board about Preferred Shares

report.

Strategic Positioning (presentation): Terese Esperas

Board of Directors Meeting

Unapproved Minutes

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Outreach Focus

o Urban development/ Welcome to the Neighborhood campaign

o Partnering with healthcare centers to offer nutrition, cooking and focusing on

alternative foods/ eating

Upgrades to our website

o New website platform

o Brown Paper Tickets is our new Class registration system

Pricing Strategy

o New Program - Essentials

Reduced price (margin reduced) on cooking essentials, with supporting

programming - recipes, shopping lists

o New Program - Co-op Everyday

Low priced pantry and household goods.

Review Committee Reports

GM Task Force

Task force is reviewing applications, and conducting interviews.

Policy Committee

Ann has clarifying language for 10.02

Committee reports included in Board Packet: ECOS, BEST,

BOARD DECISIONS

Preferred Shares Resolution

o Discussion

o Motion to approve Resolution: Ann

o Second: Chris

o Vote: All I Favor

Motion to accept Barbara Mendenhall, Ann McCandless, Maggie O’Mara and Scott

Lay to the Election Committee: Mike

o Vote: all in favor

Motion to accept Barbara Mendenhall and Ann McCandless as Co-chairs of the

election Committee

o Vote: all in favor

SELF-MONITORING

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Discussion on Board Support.

BOARD EDUCATION

-Burly Beverages- Craft Soda maker. What it’s like to run a small food business in Sacramento.

(hard!)

-Morgan Wolf: Turtle House soft shelled almonds. Fresh almonds that you open out of the shell

yourself.

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CLOSINGS: Review Decisions, Tasks, Assignments

Tasks/Assignments

1. Email Board Candidates about CBL 101 Training on September 25 (Mike)

2. Provide report on electronic engagement rate (Paul)

3. Email Terese Tuttle to Verify Corporations Code (Ann)

4. Add Board Orientation & Board to Member Communication to list of potential

topics for Board Retreat (Admin)

Decisions

1. Board votes to pass Preferred Shares Resolution

2. Board affirmed members of the Election Committee

OPEN COMMENTS

Several comments.

-Education Committee discussed providing training for GM evaluation

-Bylaw measures – referencing the Corporations Code

ADJOURN MEETING

Respectfully submitted by,

Stacie Traylor

Board Administrator

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July 23, 2016TO: Board of Directors FROM: Paul Cultrera

MONTHLY GENERAL MANAGER’S REPORT

Ownership The following chart shows owner discounts, owner equity and the return on that equity represented by the discounts:

Month Discounts Current Equity Monthly Annual

September 15 $25,290 $2,325,989 14.13% 20.11% October 15 $33,381 $2,337,991 14.85% 14.85% November 15 $71,708 $2,348,431 39.69% 25.85% December 15 $26,675 $2,347,763 14.77% 22.45% January 16 $35,423 $2,367,495 15.56% 20.40% February 16 $24,107 $2,382,375 13.15% 18.98% March 16 $110,723 $2,393,716 60.13% 25.23% April 16 $58,983 $2,412,519 25.43% 25.10% May 16 $59,666 $2,425,175 31.98% 25.77% June 16 $34,837 $2,428,758 18.65% 25.01%

The end of the month owner statistics were: 11,524 total owners 8,830 current owners

Through the end of June thirty one friends of owners joined through our Benefits With Friends program.

During May the annual escheatment letter was sent to 709 owners who had not made an investment in three years.

Personnel Annualized turnover for June was 13% (2 employees out of 193. Last year the rate was 27%. Year to date, annualized turnover has been 21%. Last year annualized year to date turnover through the same period was 22%. Year to date, 82% of the employees who left did so voluntarily, while 18% were terminated involuntarily. Last year the rates were 73% and 27% respectively.

During June the number of employees attending the following trainings was: California Food Handler Card: 1 NEO: 11

Directions 2000 Goal # 2: Provide excellent customer service and consumer education. 398 people attended 22 classes and events in the Community Learning Center during June. Class fees totaled $16,758 resulting in a profit of 8,714. Owners earned $971 in discounts. Classes with the highest attendance were Cooking with Elaine Corn (36); Strengthening Digestion (29); and Sensational Sushi (27).

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Goal # 5: Model sustainable environmental practices in our business. In April, the City of Sacramento’s plastic shopping bag went into effect and we began charging 10 cents for each paper or recycled plastic bag that customers used. Based on those fees collected it appears that customers are now using less than 450 bags per day as opposed to over 1,700 per day before the ban went into effect.

Goal # 7: Honor the earth and cultivate the Co-op’s relationships with the communities we serve and with the broader network of farmers, suppliers, manufacturers, and cooperatives. We continue to raise funds for the One Farm at a Time program. In June, $580 was collected at our registers and through the piggy banks and we sold $74 worth of OFaaT merchandise. Through June we have contributed $193,321 to the proposed purchase of an agricultural easement for Good Humus Produce. When amounts raised by Davis Food Co-op and Good Humus Farm are included, a total of $317,338 has been raised. We have been informed by Equity Trust (one of the potential holders of the easement) that its Board has agreed in principle to holding the GHP easement and has given its permission to move ahead to try to complete the project. Equity Trust has in the meantime agreed to serve as the programs fiscal sponsor until May of 2017. In the meantime, OFaaT members have voted to make up to $300,000 avaible to whatever trust ends up holding the easement. This will allow OFaaT to begin to move on to decide on its next farm preservation project while Good Humus handles the finalization of the easement.

June 2014 Project Update Education and Communications/Design Departments

Outreach: Sacramento Sustainability Forum - June 18 The Co-op provided healthy snacks at the Sacramento Sustainability Forum, which was held in the Clunie Community Center at McKinley Park. The forum is a monthly platform for the community to explore our region's sustainable development activity, while collaborating on ways to create a more sustainable society. The topic of the June forum was exploring our city's Shared Vision as the Emerald Valley. 100 attendees

Co-op Day - June 25 Co-op Day is an annual event at the State Capitol to educate legislators about the importance of cooperatives to California's economy and show how co-ops build healthy communities. 150+ attendees

Track & Field Championships Farm-to-Fork Marketplace - June 28 The Co-op hosted a vendor booth selling local, organic produce and healthy snacks at the Farm-to-Fork marketplace held during the Track & Field Championships at Sac State. This marks the sixth time since 1968 that Sacramento has played the host to the U.S. Championships.

Co-op Events & Education: BOD & Quarterly Owner Meeting - June 3 Co-op awards ceremony honoring owner workers for outstanding service and Sacramento Cooperative Community Fund micro-grant winners - 40 attendees

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Bee Love Urban Beekeeping Bike Tour – June 8 Co-op sponsored this ride around Sac visiting neighborhood and small farm beekeepers – 24 attendees (on the hottest day of the year!)

Kitchen Safety Class & Store Tour for Girls Scouts - June 13 13 Girl Scouts from David Lubin Elementary School participated in a preparing to cook and kitchen safety class

Meet the Grower luncheon with Preservation & Co. – June 25

Nutrition Education Updates: During June, the CCK program expanded to being provided at 5 sites, Mercy 7th & H St Mercy Boulevard Court, River City Food Bank, Wellspring Women’s Center and Birth & Beyond. It was our first session of courses where all classes were taught by volunteer educators, 10 total with oversight and support by Co-op staff. The dedication and passion of these volunteer educators was impressive with one coming from as far as the city of Cool, another using her vacation time from work to be able to teach and one fitting in teaching between teaching her classes at our CLC and going to school. Their efforts paid off as we received numerous positive comments from students and our partner sites about what the students learned and the impact it was having on their health and eating & shopping behaviors.

With the expansion of the program to more sites, we worked with each of our partner organizations on a more practical logistical plan for getting food & materials to each site every week. Based on requests from students for information on how to freeze cooked bulk items like beans and fresh foods to extend their life, a new guide was created to provide this complementary information as well as a Back to Basics Pantry List that highlighted bulk food items sold at the Co-op. With increases in certain food items like Quinoa and limes, new recipes were researched and added highlighting lower cost food like Freekah and dill. Additionally information on programs serving low income populations at other Cooperatives was compiled to support the development of a Back to Basics program, a list of food items commonly used in low-cost meals that would consistently be sold at a lower price margin further support in low-income populations in being able to budget and shop at he Coop. Information and pictures for a new brochure on the program for seeking sponsorship and donations was compiled highlighting not only what the program offers but the need for this type of education in relationship to the continued high rate of poverty and food insecurity in Sacramento County.

Demos: Total Demos: 60 Vendor Demos: 19: Blender Girl, Wayfare (2x), Coconut Bliss, Weleda, Epic Bars (2x), Vega, Sea Bake, Vicolo (2x), OV, Nancy’s, Runa Tea, Chameleon Coffee, Garlic Gold, California Lavash, Green Vibrance, Alaffia. Paid Demos: 6: Wonderfully Raw (2x), Mr. Dewie’s, Farmhouse Culture (2x), New Primal. Value Procured: $450 for paid demos. $1890 for billed product. Demo Event Focus: Blender Girl Book Demo, Dairy Month, Owner Drives, Track & Field Event, Senior Day, ADF.

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Donations: UC Davis Cancer Research Fund - jute bag filled with gourmet natural foods for Charity Golf Tournament Ubuntu Green - Lundberg rice chips and Watershed for Building Healthy Communities event Sacramento Tree Foundation - gift card and jute bag for Tree Hero Awards Celebration Met High School - produce and healthy snacks for senior field trip Leonardo da Vinci School - class passes for silent auction fundraiser Del Paso Blvd. Partnership - event sponsorship for Sac Veg Fest American Cancer Society - class passes for silent auction fundraiser Girl Scouts Heart of Central California - free kitchen safety class and store tour Sacramento Zoo - jute bag filled with gourmet natural foods for King of Feasts silent auction Sacramento LGBT Community Center - gift card and Chico bag for Pride Awards raffle Women's Empowerment - class passes for Gala silent auction River City Food Bank - 300 large grocery bags for food distribution Wondertree Homeschool Collective - food for nutrition luncheon Western Service Workers Association - food for dinner celebration

New Owners: Owner Drives: 3 Total New Owners this Month: 60 FY 2014 Target: 1,000 Year to Date: 758

Media: Sac Bee – mention of the Mastering the Art of Green Juices and Smoothies (was such a successful promotion that we added an additional class to handle the demand) Sac Bee – 6/18 – mention of the Wild Fermentation class Sac Bee – 6/13 – mention that Bleating Heart cheese, winner at the State Fair cheese competition, is available at the Co-op (we featured this cheese in the summer Reporter) Sacramento Magazine – mentioned the Co-op’s pasta making class as a “Great Date” idea

TV: 6/14 Good Day Sacramento filmed a segment in our Cooking School during our Homemade Mixers and Shrubs class with Janet McDonald

Press Releases: Kids Summer Cooking Classes at the Co-op – June 4

Ads: Co-op Deals Inside Publications

CLC & Cooking School: Attendance: 471 Shop After Class Sales: $8,597.36/220 coupons Private Classes: 2 – Leavitt Insurance and Sutter Physicians

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Class Highlights: We had many full classes, with 156 Groupon guests. Popular Classes included: Sushi 32, Lightened up Thai 36, Asian Grilling 32, and Summer Soiree 33. We brought back our free cooking class, called Taste and Enjoy! on June 30th. It gave new students a chance to learn more about the classes. We sold over $1600 in tuition towards summer classes.

E-Marketing:Number of Subscribers:6,324New Sign Ups Over Month -100Unsubscribes – 37

Eblasts: Fresh Deals at the Co-op 6/1/01 10:02:48 Recipients – 6,391 Open Rate - 22.4% Click Rate - 0.1%

Price Change: Fresh Deals at the Co-op 6/1/16 11:49:14 Recipients – 6,395 Open Rate - 24.8% Click Rate - 0.1%

You're invited to the Co-op Quarterly Owner Meeting! 6/3/16 12:01:04 Recipients – 6,387 Open Rate - 22.8% Click Rate - N/A

You're invited to the Co-op Quarterly Owner Meeting! 6/6/16 12:02:48 Recipients – 6,382 Open Rate - 22.8% click Rate - N/A

Product Recalls from Clif Bar, MaraNatha and REBBL 6/6/16 17:13:40 Recipients – 6,380 Open Rate - 28.7% click Rate - 0.1%

Fresh Deals from the Co-op 6/16/16 10:02:30 Recipients – 6,375 Open Rate - 20.1% Click Rate - 0.1%

Looking for an investment that you can watch grow? 6/16/16 12:00:14 Recipients – 6,369 Open Rate - 23.5% Click Rate - 0.3%

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Desert Farms Camel Milk Impound 6/27/16 13:30:11 Recipients – 6,378 Open Rate - 28.4% Click Rate - 1.5%

Desert Farms Camel Milk Impound 6/27/16 19:20:09 Recipients - ,6378 Open Rate - 25.1% click Rate - 0.0%

Social Media: Facebook:15,844 likes - 7,781 visits Twitter: 2,794 followers - 607 likes Instagram: 2,531 followers

Website: daily hits - approximately 598 (based on 17,940 sessions throughout the month divided by 30 days)

Yelp Reviews: 6/2/16 Chris E. Sacramento, CA 4 out of 5 stars Pros: The variety of food, the wonderful people, great soaps, selection of bulk teas/herbs and lotions. I came in looking for pure shea butter, coconut oil and essential oils. They have great sales that really are better than any other store. Cons: Parking is a NIGHTMARE. I have two children who are disabled and trying to get in and out of the disabled parking spots is terrifying. It would helpful for the parking attendants to stop foot traffic and the cars from going thru so you can get out. I actually asked them one time to guide me out once and they were so nice they did.

6/7/16 kate m. Sacramento, CA 1 out of 5 stars A terrible experience, rotten food and management who turned a blind eye to their customers being mistreated and theft because 'he is a regular' I went with my family today to get a healthy lunch, instead I was treated to a dollop of abuse, complacent staff and rotten food. A 'regular' to this store today intimidated and threatened people at the lunch counter after he pushed his way to the front of the line displacing and then insulting a woman shopping alone ahead of us before threatening my husband who attempted to help the lady. Shocked and concerned I approached management who essentially told me that he was a regular. They asked me what I wanted them to do (I had told them security should speak to him agree very

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least about his intimidating behavior.) Instead of approach him, they gave me the third degree about what I wanted, while the person in question proceeded through the checkout line as if he had done nothing at all. Despite the fact that e didn't even bother to pay for the food he took from the self serve counter.

I told the manager it was a hostile situation that made me and those involved very uncomfortable and feel unsafe but apparently that is not important because I am not a regular.

Frustrated that they apparently seem to think their non regular customers should be abused while shopping in the store I left. Only to find the organic strawberries I had purchased were moldy and rotten.

6/7/16 DK N. Sacramento, CA 3 out of 5 stars The best part about Sac Natural Foods Co-Op is the friendly staff! They definitely make you feel valued!

The selection is typical of natural foods stores like Whole Foods, Fresh Market, Sprouts, etc. Except that they definitely have a variety of brands unlike Trader Joe's. They say there's a huge selection of local businesses, but maybe I wasn't looking hard enough. I was looking for lunch, and some natural cosmetics. The cosmetics selection is standard, same brands you'll find at other high end grocery stores and for the same high price.

I was able to grab a freshly made smoothie, hummus, and pasta salad for lunch. The "hot foods" area was a bit small & gets congested. The smoothie was tasty!!

Other than that, if I'm in the area I'd stop in if I'm free, but on a regular basis not really...

6/11/16 Chinwe N. Sacramento, CA 5 out of 5 stars They have tiffins, castile soap by the gallon, a large bulk food, herb, coffee section and locally sourced goods. The prices for a few items beat Whole Foods heartily not to mention the extensive calendar of cooking classes. This will definitely be my 1st stop for all my health food needs and it feels good to support a locally owned business.

They also had a great wall of community postings so it definitely feels like an all-around great gathering spot for those looking to connect with like-minded folks. I'll definitely be back here!

6/13/16 Laser B. Carmichael, CA 2 out of 5 stars The place has a decent variety of fresh produce, but everything is very expensive, often more

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expensive than Whole Foods! I've been there several times, and can confirm that the food selection is small, the food counter selection is limited. Overall, I would not go there again, because the price/quality ratio is too low, and I can't afford their prices. If you're looking for value, go to Trader Joe's. And, btw, the management's defense of a threatening customer to another non-regular customer is quite disturbing and makes me not want to go there for one more reason!

6/21/16 Kathleen K West Sacramento, CA 5 out of 5 stars I love this place so much u want to work here. The sense of peace that comes over me when I walk in the front doors is like nothing else I've ever experienced. The food is always well displayed and fresh. The staff is always smiling and helpful. The variety of organic products always blows my mind. I have dietary restrictions and shopping here feels easy and fun (unlike big box stores) I feel at ease when i bring my grandson here that all the choices here are good for him and i don't have to say no. Also having kid carts is Awesome too!!! Makes it fun for him to shop so he only picks off the shelf what he wants in his basket. Yay!!! SNFC

NEXT MONTH’s Events: Board of Directors Meeting - July 1 Owner Worker Orientation - July 2 Anti-Depression Friday - July 11 Senior Day - July 16 Owner Drives - July 11, 16, 23, 26 & 29 Kids Cooking Camp - July 14-18 Oak Park Farmers Market - July 19 Sutter Healing Journeys Cooking Class - July 22 Outreach Demo at McClaskey Adult Center - July 24 Wellness Day in store event - July 26 Cheesemonger – special event in the CLC – July 26 Fun on the Farm – July 26 Walk, Talk & Taste - July 30

Co-op Community Kitchen Classes: Upcoming Classes:

Wellspring Women's Center July 17, 24, 31 and August 7 August 14, 21, 28th (3 week session

River City Food Bank July 17, 24, 31 and August 7 August 14, 21, 28th

Mercy Housing Kennedy Estates July 22, 29 and August 5 August 12, 19, 26th

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Birth & Beyond- August TBD

Mercy 7th & H. - August TBD

Cares Community Clinic- Sept. TBD

Upcoming Events (Next 3 Months): Anti-Depression Friday - August 1 Peach Party at Good Humus Farm - August 2 Kids Cooking Camp - August 4-8 BOD & Meet the Candidates Night - August 5 Cooking Class for UC Davis Bariatric Patients - August 6 WIC Breastfeeding Event - August 8 Oak Park Farmers Market demo - August 9 Farmer & the Chef – August 14 Senior Day - August 20 Outreach Demo at Martin Luther King's Children Center - August 20 Paws to Party Dinner Fundraiser for Front Street Animal Shelter - August 22 August Owner Drives - Dates/Times TBD Meet the Grower Luncheon (guest TBD) – August 27 Little Buckaroos Day at Crocker Art Museum - September 1 Board of Directors Meeting - September 2 California Dept. of State Hospitals Employee Health Fair - September 3 Anti-Depression Friday - September 5 Pizza cooking class at Good Humus – September 6 Beauty Day - September 13 Cycle the Food Cycle Bike tour of West Sac farms, etc. – September 14 Senior Day - September 17 Autumn Equinox Celebration at Soil Born Farms - September 20 Farm to Fork Festival - September 27 September Owner Drives - Dates/Times TBD Cooking Class for UC Davis Bariatric Patients - October 1 Anti-Depression Friday - October 3 Hoes Down Harvest Fest – October 4 Board of Directors Meeting - October 7 Outreach Demo at Midtown Farmers Market - October 11 Owner Worker Orientation - October 11 Senior Day - October 15 Food Day Outreach Demo at Sac State - October 24 Meet the Grower Lunch (Guest TBD) – October 29 October is Co-op Month Owner Drives - Dates/Times TBD

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Board of Directors Calendar (remainder) 2016

July 2016 August 2016 Sept. 2016 Oct. 2016 Nov. 2016 Dec. 2016

Board

Education

Mike Phillips No Education Chris Tucker Joel Erb No Education Ann

Richardson

Board->

Member

Engagement

Board

Perspective

FORK – Chris.

Due August 7

Board

Perspective

FORK – Joel Due

Nov. 7

Board ->

Community

Engagement

Election Cycle

starts July 9

Quarterly Owner

Meeting

“Meet the

Candidates”

Co-op

Election Day

Sept.

Quarterly Owner

Gathering

Saturday

Nov. 5

Board

Development

Opportunities

Product

Knowledge

Training

July 13 & 27

Product

Knowledge

Training

Aug. 10 & 24

CBL 101 &

Leadership

Training

(Sept. 26)

Grower’s Lunch

w/ Diestel Turkey

Oct. 26

Director

Orientation

Admin

Agenda Items

Board

Budget

(Complete by

August 31)

Seat New Board

Members

2017 Calendar

Review

Schedule Board

Retreat

Executive

Limitations

No report B1, B10 B9 B7, B8 B1, B2 No report

Board Process

Monitoring

C8 –

Governance

Investment

D2 & D3-

Delegation to

the GM

D- Global Board

Management

Connection, D1-

Unity of Control

C, C1 &

C2- The Boards

Job

No report C6- Officers

Roles, C7- Board

Committee

Principles

Co-op.

Community

Happenings

Farm To Fork

Festival

Soil Born Farms

Autumn Equinox

Grand Opening

Oct. 7-9

Hoes Down

Oct. 1

Owner

Appreciation

Month

Proposed 2017 Calendar (Jan – June)

January 2017 February 2017 March 2017 April 2017 May 2017 June 2017

Board

Education

Board->

Member

Engagement

FORK Article

Due Feb. 6

FORK article

Due May 8

Board ->

Community

Engagement

Quarterly Owner

Meeting

Quarterly Owner

Meeting

Board

Development

Opportunities

Board Retreat

Admin

Agenda Items

Board Retreat

Agenda

Executive

Limitations

No report Ends Monitoring

& B1 (including

External Audit

No report B3

Assets Protection

B1 & B6 B4 & B5

Board Process

Monitoring

No Report C5 No report D4 C3 & C4 No report

Co-op.

Community

Happenings

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Committee Reports ECOS-Michael O’Sullivan

• Next meeting Sept 19, 2016 • At our last meeting, Councilmember Steve Hansen and new Regional Transit Director Henry Li

gave an informal talk on Measure B and the current state of RT. ECOS has not taken a position on Measure B. Joe Romero of Imprenta Communications Group gave an update on the statewide Plastic Bag ban. Marty Maskall of Fair Oaks Ecohousing gave a talk on the inclusive, earth-friendly community they are building. She stressed their commitment to smart growth, green design and community.

• ECOS wants to thank the Sacramento Natural Foods Coop for their continued support of Sacramento Earth Day.

• Our member organizations: o California Native Plant Society has Friday Walks, variable times and locations.

• Upcoming dates: o ECOS Environmentalist of the Year Awards, Nov 16 o Wild and Scenic Film Festival on tour in Sacramento, TBA o SacramentoEarthDay, April 23, 2017, looking at Southside Park.

Check our website calendar for committee meetings. Board Effectiveness Support Team (BEST) – Paige Lettington

• The Board Effectiveness Support Team (BEST) has decided to go on hiatus for the summer and regroup in the fall to decide whether to continue its activities. The BEST has been producing the LEADer quarterly since 2008, with issue, #31, "Building Alignment for Change," released just this spring.

o Each issue of the LEADer focuses on a specific topic area pertinent to co-op boards, and offers two or three short articles on aspects of that topic. We also offer suggested additional resources and a study guide on the topic consisting of a series of questions or activities in the topic area for the board or a group of directors to use in adapting and making improvements in the topic area.

• The group has run the gamut of topics and most of the issues and articles retain their relevance even now and would be an excellent learning resource for new board members. All issues are available on line at http://www.grocer.coop/lead-program. The team's next meeting is scheduled for mid-September, when we will decide whether to resume producing the LEADer.

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