Why I Serve: Charles Baldridge

I began my full term of service with the Board of Directors in January after having served as an interim Board Member for the 6 months prior. There are many reasons for why I love representing Onion River Co-op Members, but I’d like to focus on the learning opportunities and taking part in democracy.

The Board is a group of nine very talented people with diverse ages, interests, and backgrounds.  At our monthly meetings, we discuss a wide range of issues from a policy governance perspective. I look forward to these discussions because of the different points of view everyone brings. For example, in the discussions about locating a second store, we discussed food access, food deserts, how to support local farmers, results from Member surveys, the viability of different locations, the impact on the existing store, and many more factors.  It is unlikely that any one person by his or herself would be able to consider all these points of view. As a group, with each Board Member bringing a different background and set of values, we are able to make balanced decisions that best serve our Members. To me, it is very exciting to take part in that decision-making process and to participate in democracy in action.

As a Board, we are always learning. We set aside time in each meeting to focus on education. Over the course of this year, the Board invited representatives from several other local cooperatives to the monthly meetings. We have listened to how their co-ops are structured and how they involve their Members in decision-making. We have learned how similar our structure is to credit unions, worker cooperatives, and cooperative insurance organizations. Hopefully seeing the similarities (and differences) provides us with context as we steer the Co-op into the future.  I personally love that after each meeting I feel more knowledgeable about the cooperative movement, about our Membership, about our store, and about our community. I hope this knowledge helps me serve the Members well.

Applications for running for the Board of Directors are due September 6. I hope the “Why I Serve” articles have inspired you to consider serving on the Board. If you have any questions, please feel free to talk to any current Board Members. We’re always happy to talk with you!