by Ike Ross, Board Member

Thank you to all of the members who were able to make it to this year’s Annual Meeting held in October at the Willy Street Co-op’s newest community space, Aubergine. As part of the Annual Meeting, and in order to celebrate the Co-op’s 50th year, we offered commemorative cups to those in attendance, took a look back in time with historical Reader articles, great staff photos, and former Willy Street Co-op T-shirts that were crafted into a lovely quilt. In honor of 50 years, the Co-op is also offering a range of events, discounts, and giveaways, and we encourage members to continue to keep an eye out for them in Reader articles and posts in the stores. In addition, we were honored to host some of the founding members and staff who graced us with a wonderful Q&A panel session. If you missed it, you can view it online at willystreet.coop/2024-annual-meeting.

The panel regaled those in attendance with great stories from the early days of the Co-op, detailing the challenges overcome, and looking forward to the challenges ahead for the next 50 years. As a newer member of the board, I gained so much value from hearing about the Co-op’s humble roots, its early hurdles, and the successful navigation from early days to becoming a foundation in our community.

October was also election month for Board candidates, and we were happy to welcome new candidates and grateful to hear their pitches to the Owners. Thank you to all of those who cast their votes this election cycle, and we are so pleased to announce the newest members to the board, Dan Streit and Debra Shapiro.

Thank you again to all who were able to attend, and thank you to all of the Owners that make Willy Street Co-op possible. It’s through your ownership and participation that Willy Street Co-op is able to celebrate 50 successful years in Madison, and it’s through you that we are excited to embark on the next 50 years.


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