by Nancy Ranum, Board Member
Happy New Year Willy Street Co-op Owners! I am writing to introduce myself as your newest Board member. Following the election this past October, I attended a Board orientation with key Co-op Directors and staff members, and then participated in my first Board meeting in November. I am on a learning curve and am becoming familiar with the policies by which the Board of Directors governs our Co-op.
My candidate statement summarized my interest in being becoming one of the Board members:
“Willy Street Co-op is my go-to for quality food and products that align with a consumer ethic I connect with. I hope to utilize my experiences and skills to support the Co-op’s vital commitment to sustainability, accessibility, and its mission to empower owners, employees and community while remaining fiscally stable.”
My answers to the “get to know me” questions below offer more personal and informal information on my relationship with the Co-op over the years.
What was your first memory of Willy Street Co-op?
My husband Gordon and I first shopped at the Co-op shortly after I finished an associate degree in nursing in 1977 and moved to Madison. Actually, he was not my husband at the time, but the Co-op recognized us as a household which was “progressive” back then. Our Owner number is in the four digits. The Co-op was then located at its second location at 1014 Williamson. It was small (900 square feet of retail space) and “neighborhoody,” with a limited selection of bulk items, baked goods and fresh produce. It was committed to organic and local products which appealed to us. We were excited in the fall of that year when the Co-op moved to 1202 Williamson (where the Social Justice Center is now) and almost doubled their retail area.
What do you rely on Willy Street Co-op for?
While I appreciate the variety of bulk items there are a few that I rely on. When the weather turns cold, I love the thick rolled oats mixed with steel ground oats cooked in equal parts water and milk with some type of dried fruit (cherries—yum) and nuts added at the end, then topped with a bit of brown sugar.
I am an avid organic gardener. I can a variety of tomato products and freeze beans, broccoli, corn, peppers, and roasted tomatoes and eggplant. I rely on the Co-op for the rest of my veggies and fruits, especially in the off-season. There is no grocery store in Madison with more local produce. The closer the source, the better the flavor! I also appreciate the sourcing of quality non-local produce.
I am not a huge carnivore but when I do eat meat, I prioritize organic and local, and the Co-op is an excellent source for variety and quality.
What are your top three favorite Willy Street Co-op foods?
My faves? I fluctuate with season and whim. But here are a few I currently love—the awesome bulk carrots, Farmer John’s smoked gouda, any of the meat counter fresh sausages, Troubadour English muffins, Salad Girl dressings, the olive bar, and of course the chocolate options… oops, that is more than three.
Do you have any favorite food traditions?
My food traditions tend to revolve around season and holidays. Asparagus anything in the spring, eggplant Parmesan and grilled veggies in the summer, pesto and soups in the fall, hearty stews and Bolognese in the winter. Salads of infinite variety year-round! Paella is a Christmas Eve tradition that started vegetarian and evolved to include shrimp, sausage and chicken. We had many breakfast specialties when our sons were home, and their friends appeared with huge appetites at the breakfast table. The winner was a baked French toast that I have not made in a while. Now that our sons have homes of their own, we are enjoying the traditions they are evolving. We also enjoy special dishes friends have invited us to share. Good food unites!
Besides being a Willy Street Co-op Board member, what else do you like to do with your time?
While I no longer have the demands of a career as a nurse practitioner and my children are grown, I am astounded at how “busy” I am. Currently, I enjoy yoga at the Yoga Co-op, a strength class at Wil-Mar, and swimming. I garden and like to cook. I have way more knitting ambition than time to actualize planned projects. I am fortunate to have dear friends I enjoy spending time with including a book club of several decades. Gordy and I are blessed with our six-year-old granddaughter, Annabelle, who keeps us young and imaginative. And, although we like the adventure of travel, I look forward to the hibernation and snowy walks that January brings to Wisconsin.
What are you most excited about in being a new Board member, and what do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges the Co-op will face over the next few years?
I enjoy project work, problem-solving, and consensus driven decision-making. My personal values are congruent with those of the Co-op. I understand the principles of cooperative ownership and policy governance. I will be dedicated to reviewing and generating policies that align with the needs of owners, employees, and the community. Specifically, I want to endorse and support the three strategic priorities identified earlier this year via two strategic planning retreats and feedback from Owners, surveys, and listening sessions. Those priorities include:
- Ensure the future success of Willy North,
- Become an employer of choice in Dane County, and
- Empower our Owners and shoppers on their wellness journey.
I am particularly interested in how the Co-op will measure progress in achieving these goals.
Is there anything else you’d like our Owners to know.
I appreciate the uniqueness of each of the Co-op stores. They reflect the needs and culture of the neighborhoods they are in. The Co-op is not a rubber stamp like so many chain grocery stores. I am committed to empowering each location to be what it needs to be to serve the communities they reside in.
I approach this role humbly recognizing I have a lot to learn. To that end, I will be a good listener and will read available documents, policy, and past meeting minutes. I value the input from Owners as they are the reason the Co-op exists. I value the input from employees as they know what it takes to keep the Co-op functioning day to day and minute to minute. I will whole-heartedly support the Co-op’s commitment to equity, inclusion, and diversity in all ways necessary to welcome and respect all persons.
If you would like to know more about my past work and life experiences, you can find my candidate statement in the October 2023 newsletter: www.willystreet.coop/october-2023/your-board-candidates.