Hendersonville Community Coop Board of Directors Meeting

715 S. Grove Street, Hendersonville, NC

April 22, 2014, 6:00pm

Board Present:Thomas Beckett, Steve Breckheimer,Miriam Farris,Joan Kennedy, Laura Miklowitz, Susan O’Brien,Michael Reim, Laura Smith Williams, Carolyn Widener

Board Absent:none

Staff Present: Damian Tody, GM

Other: Padma Dyvine and Vera Beckett (owners); Liz Malloy, administrative assistant

Moment of Silence

Announcements

  • Several upcoming events: March Against Monsanto is May 24 in Asheville; a scholarship event will be held Saturday, May 3, at Immaculate Conception Church in Hendersonville. Recently held events include the Highland Park Greenway ribbon cutting in Flat Rock and the French Broad Co-op’s Homesteading Fair.
  • Prior HCC board member Kristen Harkey’s recent accomplishments were recognized (doubling membership and donations) at the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy.
  • Birthday wishes were extended to Miriam Farris.
  • Michael will act as the scribe during the meeting.

Approval of Agenda

  • By consensus, the Board approved the meeting agenda with the one change: Under Governance, a discussion about committees and their work was added.

Owner Comments – None

Study & Engagement

  • Miriam Farris led a “safe conversation” on what the Board has learned and what it can do to help local farmers.

Consent Agenda

  • By consensus, the Board accepted the Operations/Financial Reports, Board and the March minutes.

GM Report

  • Capital Campaign/Expansion Report – The Capital Campaign Committee will plan a 2014-15 Preferred Share drive, to raise an additional $50k in equity at the request of the equipment lender.
  • Building Committee–Damian is working on loan closing details. The settlement could be as early as next week. Demolition and site preparation has begun.

Policy Governance Review

  • BP1. Global Governance Commitment: In compliance. No policy revisions needed.
  • BP2.Governing StyleIn compliance. Will need to revisit after discussion of the “four pillars” governance discussion at the May board meeting.
  • GL8.Emergency GM Succession: In compliance on 1 of 1. No policy revisions needed.

HCC Board Minutes/April 2014

Page 2

Governance:

  • Committee Reports – The Board Development Committee has placed board recruitment brochuresin the store and is working on logistics and study topics for the Board Annual Retreat. The Owner Engagement Committee announced that the summer picnic will be held at Camp Tekoa in Hendersonville on August 16th. HCC staff will plan the picnic and board members will help as needed. The Board Operations Commmittee continues work on a review/revision of Board Policies and the GM Evaluation/Compensation process.
  • Retreat Planning–Carolyn Widener led the Board in a discussion of possible topics for the Board Retreat at Treska’s Porch in Flat Rock on May 31st.
  • Board Member Recruitment - the Board discussed criteria for a good board member including: passion for and active support of the co-op; openminded and flexible; able to devote the time, organized; adequate technical literacy (connectedness), and networked with and representative of the our communities. The Board will submit names of potential candidates to the Board Development Committee for followup. Joan Kennedy reviewed the general process for Board Recruitment. A written draft process for filling board vacancies distributed before the meeting will be addressed later. Michael Reim will run for a second term and both Carolyn Widener and Laura Smith Williams are undecided. Thomas is leaving the area and will resign from the Board after the June meeting, leaving the remainder of a three-year term to fill.
  • Committee Work - The Board discussed the challenges of working within the new committees structure, particularly avoiding overlaps and redundancies. Damian encouraged the Owner Engagement Committee to develop their own plans, coordinating as needed with staff.

Executive Session: 8:20 pm – 8:35pm to discuss personnel matters.

Meeting adjourned at 8:35 pm.

The next monthly board meeting will be May 27,2014.

Respectfully submitted by Liz Malloy on April 29, 2014

Edits by S. Breckheimer, L. Miklowitz, LSmith Williams, S. O’Brien

Board approved as edited May 27, 2014