Democracy is at the heart of the co-op’s organizational structure and values. This year’s election is for one seat for a three-year term beginning in January 2025. Our candidates are:
Holly Lamond
Liv Sulerud
All owners will receive an election announcement postcard by mail by Sept 30, 2024 at the latest. Election notices will also be sent via email throughout Sept and early Oct.
Please scroll down for candidate statements and don’t hesitate to reach out to our board members directly if you have questions or comments.
download co-op board ballot (pdf ) >
Vote by dropping your ballot (1 ballot per household):
– at the Co-op
– by email
– in the mail (PO Box 813, Grand Marais, MN 55604)
There is one open board seats this year and 2 candidates. Each owner household gets to cast one ballot.
Vote now through October 14 at 7pm (when the co-op closes). New board members will be announced at our Annual Meeting + Owner party on October 15.
We will mail this ballot to all of our U.S. and Canadian owners. If you don’t get yours, please let us know so we can check the address we have on file.
Holly Lamond – Candidate
Thank you for your consideration of me to join the Board of Directors for the Cook County Co-Op. As a local resident since 2021, Co-Op owner and frequent customer, I would be honored to serve.
My Interest in the Co-Op Board
Since retiring in March of this year, I have focused a lot of time on wellness and eating healthier foods. This quest to improve my diet has led me to the Co-Op, almost daily. I love the Co-Op and embrace your values, vision and role in the community. This is why I wish to serve and support the Co-Op’s goals today and into the future.
Valuable Skills to Enhance the Board
I would bring a values-based, servant leader mindset to my role as board member. This approach was foundational to my career as an IT executive and my team’s success. My career also afforded me the opportunity to hone functional and technical skills in the areas of food supply chain, grocery procurement and inventory management. This experience will allow me to meet board oversight responsibilities and offer insights and support to the talented Co-Op General Manager and his staff.
Full Commitment to a High-functioning Board
I am prepared and excited to meet all the board term and time commitment expectations. As a board member, I believe it is critical to listen to and actively engage with fellow owners. I feel similarly about supporting the staff and General Manager who are vital to ensuring the collective success of the Co-Op.
A Long-Term Focus on Experiential Programs
As someone still learning how to cook healthier meals with more vegetables and grains, I would love to see the Co-Op offer various educational opportunities, shared recipes and perhaps cooking classes utilizing the bulk and produce sections as an example. With a focus on our values of sustainability, minimizing food waste, preparing cost-effective and healthy meals, I believe a focus on education would be of benefit to our community of owners.
Respectfully Submitted, August 30, 2024
Liv Sulerud – Candidate
I’m excited to be a candidate for the Cook County Co-op Board of Directors!
Food co-ops have been a part of my life since a young age. Some of my earliest memories are of the bulk aisle in the small community co-op where my mom volunteered, and where I watched her fill up bins with oats and rice and beans.
Now, here in Cook County, I’d love to give back to a community resource that I’ve also benefited from for 20+ years. Since becoming a full time resident of Grand Marias a few years ago, the co-op has become an integral part of my life and community. Every time I arrive, I enjoy connecting with staff, neighbors and friends, and appreciate the nourishment I find in every aisle that aligns with my values and hopes for a more healthy, sustainable world.
My experience working on organic farms, at food co-ops and organic garden centers, as well as a lifelong love of good food and wellness, will all inform and support my work if selected for this role. I also bring a history of work in administration, retail management, staff support and human resources.
I am open-minded, an astute listener, and love being a part of idea generation and collaborative processes. I’m looking forward to participating in visionary and strategic long-term thinking about how the co-op can continue to live out its mission. I’m particularly interested in how the co-op can continue to be a leader in how it supports staff, relates to the wider community, and pursues sustainability.