Board of Directors Nominations Open June 1, 2020!
There have been some changes to the planned election and Membership Meeting in light of COVID-19. Please see here for more information for Member-Owners in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.
LOGIN for June 28 Meeting:
Click this online meeting link after 4pm on June 28th to check in to the Membership Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89794083871
Phone Login info:
Phone number: 1 (646) 558 8656
Meeting ID: 897 9408 3871
Membership Meetings: The April and May RMM dates have been delayed and rescheduled as follows:
We Need You! Run for the Board
Click the link above to submit a nomination form online. You will receive a confirmation email upon submission. Please check your spam and promotions folder if you don't receive info within one hour of submitting.
There are seven open seats for our upcoming Board election, which has been postponed until June 28th at the 2020 Regular Membership Meeting which will also include the Annual Budget vote. You'll find all the details about nominating and running below.
The nomination period will open on June 1st. If you would like your name on the ballot, the deadline for submitting your Nomination Form is June 14th at 8pm. Floor nominations will be also accepted at the Membership Meeting. Paper nomination forms will be accepted after the June 14th deadline but the names of these candidates will not be printed on the ballots-- they will instead be write-in candidates whose applications have been posted as they come in.
2020 Election Important Dates:
June 1st - Nominations Open
June 14th - Online and paper nominations due by 8pm in order to be included on the ballot. Floor nominations will be accepted at the Regular Membership Meeting on June 28th.
June 15th - First Virtual Meet the Candidates Event, 6-7:30. How to participate.
June 28th- Nomination forms must be submitted by 8am to participate in the second and final Meet the Candidates event
June 28th - Second and final Meet the Candidates Event, 1:30 - 2 pm. How to participate.
June 28th - 2020 Membership Meeting and Election - virtual, 6pm How to participate
Submitted 2020 Candidate Applications:
For an overview of the Election process please see the
Honest Weight Nominating & Voting Manual
A letter from the current Honest Weight Food Co-op Board of Directors:
Greetings!
Thank you for considering service on the Board. It is through the commitment of Members to this vital role that the Co-op can continue to thrive as an organization.
The Honest Weight Food Co-op is governed by a nine-member Board of Directors elected by the Membership. The Board’s primary role is in recommending major policy decisions and objectives to the Membership for approval and in facilitating long range planning for the Co-op. It also carries a fiduciary responsibility to protect the Co-op’s assets. The Board does not directly control the store’s daily operations but does determine the Co-op’s management structure and hires and supervises the Chief Cooperative Officer (CCO) of the store.
The Board meets monthly and communicates to the Membership regularly on Board activities and decisions. It hosts at least four Membership meetings a year to facilitate votes on approval of by-laws changes, policy manuals, annual budget, election of Directors and other issues that concern the Membership.
Board Members are motivated by service to owners and the broader community and serving on the Board is an incredible opportunity to help shape how the Co-op fulfills its mission. It also involves legal obligations, demands on your time and other challenges that should be carefully considered before you apply to serve.
There are 7 open seats for this election, which will be held on June 28th, 2020. The nomination period will open June 1st. If you would like your name on the ballot, the deadline for submitting your Nomination Form is June 14th at 8pm.
Floor Nominations
Floor nominations will be also accepted at the Membership Meeting on June 28th. All floor nominees accepting nomination will be required to complete a contact informational application.
Contact Info:
Please review the "What you need to know before applying" section carefully and reach out to us if you have any questions.
- Board of Directors: board.members@honestweight.coop
- Individual Board members can also be contacted, see here.
- Elections and Nominations Committee (ENC) ElectionsComm@honestweight.coop
- Yevette Buddeau, Member-Owner Coordinator: memberservices@honestweight.coop or 518-482-2667
Requirements for Board Nominees:
- To get your name on the ballot, complete, sign and submit your nomination form online or deliver it to the Customer Service desk of the Honest Weight Food Co-op by June 14, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. You will receive an acknowledgement of your application.
- You must be a Co-op Member-Owner whose time investment and ownership interest payments are up to date as of March 31, 2020. If you did not qualify as of March 31, you are still eligible to vote if you qualified as of April 30, 2020 and if you did not qualify as of April 30th, you are still eligible to vote if you qualify as of May 31st. Contact Yevette, our Member-Owner Coordinator, to verify your standing: MemberServices@honestweight.coop
- Board members are required to have a working knowledge of the Co-op Bylaws.
- Members who have submitted a nomination form may participate in “Meet the Candidate” events. The dates of these events will be announced later in May. The last date for submitting a nomination form and participating in the second and final Meet the Candidates event is June 28th at 8 AM. Be expected to answer questions at these events as well as during the Membership meeting on June 28th.
- All Nomination Forms (minus contact information) and photos received by the deadline will be published, made available to all Co-op owners, and posted in the store after the deadline for receiving applications.
- Please note: As a candidate for the Board, you are required to acknowledge any conflicts of interest due to employment, financial obligations or interests that may conflict with the business of the Co-op. This includes conflicts of interest due to the employment, financial obligations or interests of your spouse, significant other or other family members.
Obligations of HWFC Board members:
As a Board Member, you will be required to attend monthly Board meetings and regularly scheduled Board planning sessions. All formal actions of the Board are recorded by vote at Board meetings, which are open to Member-Owners.
Primary Board Meetings are held the first Tuesday of the month at 6:00pm at the Co-op. If elected, an inability to regularly attend Board meetings could result in removal from the Board as outlined in the Bylaws. In addition, you will be required to serve as board liaison to at least one committee (which includes attending that committee’s monthly meetings), and participate in hosting membership meetings. You are STRONGLY encouraged to attend a Board meeting before the election.
Board Members (Directors) have the legal responsibility to represent the Co-op as a whole, to ensure that HWFC conforms to all applicable laws and regulations and, as fiduciaries of the HWFC corporation, to protect the assets and reputation of HWFC. Directors are expected to act in the best interest of all members of our community. They must have a genuine interest in upholding cooperative principles and values. This includes a willingness to take responsibility for Board duties and to work together with understanding, mutual support and respect. In their work, Directors must act within the limits of the Co-op’s Bylaws and in accordance with the New York State Cooperative Corporation Law and the Business Corporation Law.
Being an effective Director requires a deep and consistent commitment. An effective Directors should expect to spend time preparing for Board meetings. Effective decision making is possible only when everyone is knowledgeable about and prepared to discuss the important issues prior to the meeting. Incoming Directors must have daily access to the internet and e-mail communication. You should expect to devote at as many as 35 hours per month to Board related activities including, but not limited to, attending meetings, reading and responding to email communications, and developing knowledge of store operations and finances through discussions with the Chief Cooperative Officer and the Chief Financial Officer.
Please Take Note: If you are elected, there is an additional Requirement!!!
As an elected Director you must be able to pass a background check conducted by the New York State Liquor Authority (NYSLA) in order to maintain the HWFC’s liquor license. This background check must begin shortly after the election.
If there is anything you think may preclude you or your spouse from passing this background check, please contact Erin Martin – our Chief Financial Officer erinm@honestweight.coop. Erin will forward your concerns to our attorney for advice.
THE FOLLOWING FORMS ARE REFERENCED FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. DO NOT COMPLETE ANY FORMS UNLESS ELECTED.
If you are elected, you MUST make arrangements with the CFO – erinm@honestweight.coop – to provide her with the following documents no later than July 6, 2020:
- A completed Personal Questionnaire (Check the title ‘Director’ as your position)
- A signed Applicant's Statement (Check "corporate principal" in the relevant box)
- Proof of citizenship or permanent resident status An original color photo of at least 2" x 2"
- Color copy of government issued photo ID
Record of convictions: The State Liquor Authority scrutinizes all principals and their spouses, and it is essential to disclose to HWFC's SLA attorney, through Erin Martin, any matter that might present a challenge to having you added to the permit. If you or your spouse have pending charges or convictions higher than a violation it is best to ask your attorney to research the specifics before submitting the SLA application.
After the HWFC’s Notice of Corporate Change and the newly elected directors' Personal Questionnaires have been submitted, each new director will be required to be fingerprinted, and will be given instructions on how to do so on the Filing Receipt our SLA attorney will get from the Authority.