Democracy is at the heart of the co-op’s organizational structure and values. This year’s election is for 3 seats for a three-year term beginning in January 2027. Our candidates are:
Neil Pederson (incumbent)
Elunia Steckelberg (incumbent)
AshleyClare Christenson (incumbent)
Charles Peters
Steven Cuthbert
Don Oberg-Hauser
Tyler Kundel
Scroll down to read their candidate statements.
An election announcement, ballot, and annual meeting invitation will be mailed* by Oct 7, 2026.
Election and meeting announcements will also be sent via email on or before Sept 18, Oct 2, and Oct 16. If you don’t receive our emails, you can sign up on our homepage.
The Co-op’s 50th Annual Meeting is on Wed, Oct 21, from 5-7pm at the North House Folk School’s Blue Building. Our new directors will be announced there, and by email following the meeting.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to our board members directly if you have questions or comments.
*We mail a ballot to all of our U.S. and Canadian owners. If you don’t get yours, please contact us so we can check and update the address we have on file.
Ballot Information
1 ballot per ownership account. New board directors will be announced at our Annual Meeting on Wednesday, October 21.
ballot mailer 2026 (pdf download)
Vote now through Tue, October 20 at 8pm (when the co-op closes) by dropping your ballot:
– by email
– in the mail: PO Box 813, Grand Marais, MN 55604
– at the Co-op
Candidate Statements
Neil Pederson (incumbent)
Hello fellow Cook County Whole Foods Co-op owners! I have served on our co-op board for the past three years in the role of vice-president, secretary, and at-large member. During my tenure, we have taken on many worthwhile challenges: ensuring financial performance during this time of economic uncertainty, working toward price stability while we all see skyrocketing grocery bills; and protecting and building upon staff wages and benefits, because our staff members are crucial to our success and because they deserve dignity and security for themselves and their families.
I can honestly say I have learned A LOT as a board member, and that it has been my honor to work tirelessly for owners through these challenges. Along the way, I have also found true gratitude in building relationships and deeper connections to our co-op and to our community.
In my work as a board member, I bring a passion for sustainable food practices. I shop at the coop, I cultivate a large garden, and I raise animals for food. I seek to eliminate plastic use. I have held many roles throughout my career. I have served as a general manager of a restaurant, been an employee at a small grocer, and worked as a civil rights and public attorney. All of this has helped me to understand how to support the needs of the co-op, its owners, and staff. It also helps me to fulfill a leadership role on the board.
I truly believe that the best is yet to come for the Cook County Whole Foods Co-op! I respectfully ask for your trust in continuing my work for another three years. Thank you and happy 50th year anniversary!
Elunia Steckelberg (incumbent)
Hi, my name is Elunia Steckelberg and I have lived in Grand Marais for 11 years. I have served on the CCWFC Board of Directors since 2023 and would be honored to serve another 3 year term. I am very proud of this co-op grocery and all that it provides: good food, products, and a wonderful atmosphere for shoppers, support for local producers, meaningful and fairly compensated jobs, scholarships for individuals and families in need, and with the help of owners via the round-up program, it provides substantial donations to local non-profit organizations.
I have strong organizational skills, am strategic in how I work and make decisions, and am analytical and detail-oriented, especially when taking in new information. With these skills, I provide well-informed thoughts and opinions on board policies, thoughtfully review GM reports for a solid understanding of the store’s performance, and give meaningful input when planning for the future. During my time on the board, I have dedicated 10-15 hours per month to Director activities and duties and will continue to be able to do so. I consider being a Director as a part-time job, and as I do for my other jobs, I will continue to give as much time and attention as needed in order to perform well.
I think the most important role of the Board, collectively, is to develop and maintain a strong working relationship with the General Manager. In order to do this, the Board must have clear expectations and distinctions of it’s roles and the GM’s roles in order to sustain a healthy cooperative. Clearly written policies that are adhered to by both the BOD and the GM will strongly help to sustain a healthy relationship, no matter which individuals are on the Board at any given time.
The most important role of an individual Board Director is to thoughtfully observe the Principles of Policy Governance, which is essentially to follow a set of ground rules so that the Board and GM can work well together. Of the 10 Principles, I believe the most important is for the Board to speak with one voice or not at all. It is essential that individual Directors share their own views when in a discussion, however when a decision has been reached, it is very essential that the individual Director speak on the Board’s views and decisions as a whole.
In the long term, the Co-op should continue to focus on providing healthy food and products that can be accessed by all people in the community. It should continue growing at a reasonable rate to meet the community’s growing needs, and it should work toward reaching the broader community members by engaging in community events in fun and helpful ways.
Thank you for your consideration to vote me in for another term. I will do my very best to represent you as an owner of this great Co-op!
AshleyClare Christenson (incumbent)
As a relatively new member of Cook County who is integrating into our community and building a permanent home for my family, I am invested in ensuring our community continues to have access to healthy, local, and sustainable food. I admire the Co-op’s commitment to collaborative principles, community connection, and long-term sustainability, and I would be honored to help support that mission.
Professionally, I work in Legal Operations for a multi-billion-dollar company, where I focus on governance, process improvement and efficiency, as well as strategic planning. Over the course of my career, including the past ten years with my current company, I have built strong project management skills by leading complex initiatives, aligning diverse stakeholders, and helping organizations achieve their goals. Additionally, my experience in risk management enables me to assist in identifying challenges, evaluating opportunities, and supporting sound, long-term decisions. I also believe that open, respectful communication is essential to effective decision-making and democratic governance, and that people can accomplish a great deal when they are willing to listen, engage thoughtfully, and work through challenges together. I hope to bring strategic thinking, collaborative leadership, and a commitment to helping the Cook County Whole Foods Co-op continue to thrive for its member-owners and the broader community.
I am able to commit 10-15 hours per month to Board of Directors activities, including meetings, committee work, preparation, and community engagement. When circumstances require additional effort, I am willing to dedicate more time with appropriate planning and scheduling.
Collectively, the Board’s most important role is to represent the interests of the Co-op’s member-owners while ensuring the organization remains financially healthy, mission-focused, and rooted in cooperative principles. Individually, I think a Board Director should come prepared, participate thoughtfully, and contribute their unique skills and perspectives while supporting collaborative, informed decision-making. Together, the Board and its Directors are responsible for helping ensure the Co-op’s long-term success and service to the community.
I do not yet have enough insight into the Co-op’s current strategic planning process to suggest a specific long-term focus area. However, I look forward to learning more and contributing to the Board’s work. I believe one of the Board’s key responsibilities is to support the General Manager and ensure the Co-op remains financially sustainable, mission-driven, and responsive to the needs of its member-owners and community.
Charles Peters
I am interested in serving on the Co-op BoD due to my long term commitment to co-op membership, co-op ideals, and the ability to procure local and organically grown and produced foods. Collectively, my wife and I have maintained co-op membership since the 1960’s, and my wife managed the Grand Rapids, MN co-op for several years and served on the Common Health Warehouse BoD out of Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin when it was in operation.
My business background includes running a business as President and CEO, Vice President, HR adjunct, and Corporate Financial Officer of NetBriefings, Applied Statistics, and ASI DataMyte. I’ve also served as a board member on bi-partisan state commissions for the Minnesota Transportation Alliance and the Light Rail Transit Authority.
My top two business and personal skills involve financial management and quality control related to product and personnel management. I am dedicated to the ideal that a Board of Directors serves the needs of both the customer base and employees.
I am retired and my schedule is flexible. I am available for weekly meetings as needed and additional time as required.
The strength of any company is the employees. The role of the Board, both collectively and individually, is to ensure that the financial strength of the company is upheld and that the needs and voices of the employees are heard, respected, and responded to.
For long term growth, I believe the Co-op needs to focus on continuous community outreach and engagement. This includes strengthening our relationships in the community and maintaining a strong working staff.
Steven Cuthbert
Good morning!
My name is Steve Cuthbert and I am applying for a position on the Cook County Board. I believe my experience at the Coop (several positions including front end and Produce Manager) along with my previous experience in Operations Management (please see my Linked In profile: www.linkedin.com/in/stevecuthbert) make me a good candidate for the role. My skills in strategic planning, communication, and relationship building will be very useful in this role.
I believe the role of the Board should be focused on long term goals, community outreach, and planning for the future growth and stability of the Coop. As I am semi-retired now, I will be able to give this role the attention that it requires.
Thank you for your consideration. If you require any additional information, please feel free to reach out.
Don Oberg-Hauser
Hello,
I’m running for Cook County Coop Board of Directors. Having been a member for nearly 5 years, and having been a full-time resident of the area for 3 years, I feel that I would be able to provide a good sense of the community to the board. Ihave the right leadership skills to help the Board move forward while maintaining the goals of the Coop. The skills havebeen developed over many years of community involvement and professional project management. Now that I am retiring from work, I would have the time and energy to give back to the Coop and the community.
I would like to see the Coop work more to reduce its footprint, especially with plastic. There are opportunities for the Coop to recycle plastic film and food packaging (my wife and I already do this at home). Of course there are other recyclable items with the Coop that could be reviewed and I would like to be part of that planning.
I look forward to meeting with the Board and hopefully will be able to use my skills and energy to engage with the Coop and its community over the next 3 years. Thank you.
Tyler Kundel
I wish to serve on the Co-op Board of Directors as a means of giving back to the community and support a vital hub for the county. Service is nothing new for me; I retired from the US Army (Active Duty) after serving over 20 years as an Infantry Officer. I feel two of the skills I bring are leadership and working on/with strategic planning and operations committees. In that time I held numerous leadership positions, and served on and/or led countless working groups/planning committees as a routine part of my job(s). I am comfortable guiding a team through change and the stress that accompanies change, developing and implementing ideas that foster growth, and seizing opportunity. I strongly believe in fostering a positive environment for the team— respect, sensitivity, and commitment is a ‘two way street.’
I can easily support working the 8-10 hours per month listed in the vacancy announcement.
It is difficult to state which of the key five board responsibilities is most important; priorities must often shift in the face of challenges. In routine matters of operation however, maintaining or refining board values will be key. Values will drive policy, procedure, and strategic planning. Individual board members must work together to accomplish their tasks—in a typical board there will often be much discussion and debate. Individuals on the board must remember they are a part of a larger entity and not lose focus on board objectives.
Long Term Focus of the Co-op. I currently interact with the Co-op as a customer, and thus do not know the ‘behind the scenes’ challenges facing the organization. The Co-op provides a wonderful service to the community, and from an outside perspective, seems to be doing well. Like many other entities in Cook County, I assume maintaining a steady team can be challenging and ought to be a goal for the Co-op, alongside the management of logistical issues that are present during difficult economic times.
Thank you for consideration! Please feel free to contact me with any questions or follow-up.