We asked the 2023 Board Candidates to write a short statement to owners. Learn more about the candidates below:

 

ALAN TURKUS

After a successful thirty-year career in business, I took a step away from corporate life. In 2015, I left Amazon—where I helped build their book publishing business from scratch into an international $100 million business in five years and led their second-largest imprint to three years of double digit-growth—to return to Minneapolis and focus on raising my son in the Fulton neighborhood. Last year, I joined the Linden Hills Co-op as a part-time cashier because I am passionate about the Co-op’s mission to build community by nurturing a strong local food system and because I wanted to connect with and serve my community. Since I joined the Co-op, I have had the great fortune to meet and form relationships with many of the Co-op’s employees and owners and have learned a lot about the business. Twin Cities Co-op Partners is a gem in our city—few things are more important than coming together to provide healthy and nutritious food to each other—and I can’t think of a better place to contribute to my community than by joining the Board, where I can apply my business expertise and what I have learned by working there, to help the Co-op thrive. As a Board member, I would push the Co-op to innovate so that it can improve the experience and value it offers to owners and maximize its positive impact for all stakeholders. Our entire community flourishes when the Co-op grows smartly and sustainably.

BAO VANG

It is an honor to be considered for TCCP Board service. The co-op model is a foundational part of my DNA as my parents and their Hmong relatives created and operated a co-op back in the 1980s, first in Minneapolis and later in St. Paul. Their store offered familiar Asian products, produce and ingredients and served as a “connector” for a growing immigrant community.

Currently, I am the Vice President of Communications for Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota where I serve as a senior leader and spokesperson for the largest professional association in the upper Midwest with almost 7,000 Accredited Business members. As a non-profit organization, BBB’s primary mission is to help businesses enhance their customer experiences by building trust and to assist consumers as an intermediary when business transactions don’t meet expectations. My team creates the communication strategies around the objectives of building trust, integrity, and transparency in the marketplace.

My professional background also includes deep roots in media including roles as a news anchor and reporter at WSAW-TW in Wausau, Wisconsin and similarly at WBAY-TV in Green Bay. I am proud to be among the very first Hmong on-air contributors in the United States. My two degrees are from the University of St. Thomas; BA in Broadcast Journalism and Spanish and an MBA with an emphasis in business communications.

COLLEEN TOOMEY

I am relatively new to Minneapolis.  The Co-ops have been my principal grocery shopping destinations since my move. I grew up as one of six children.  The sole determinant of food purchases in my family was price, which rarely meant good flavor and nutrition.  My abiding interest since, wherever I have lived, has been food that is not only affordable, but nutritious, flavorful, locally sourced, and accessible.

For the past 20 years, I have lived in New York City, China, and Pennsylvania, serving in senior positions with Columbia University, Peking University, and Penn State University.  I managed large budgets, teams of professionals, and capital projects; helped plan and implement new graduate programs; coordinated an institution-wide DEI audit and enhanced engagement with Harlem for Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (“SIPA”); and helped develop and manage SIPA’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.  While at Penn State, I had the privilege of serving on the Board of Directors of the nonprofit Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts.

In my experience, institutional advancement and growth depend as much on the contributions of individuals with fresh perspectives as on the contributions of those with deep knowledge of current and past organizational operations and practices. If I am elected to the TCCP Board, my principal contribution would be the former, while continuing to learn as much as possible about the strengths and challenges of the Co-ops from other owners, directors, and staff. I appreciate your consideration.

JOBIN KADAPURATH

Fifteen years ago, when I relocated to Minneapolis, my roommate, now best friend introduced me to Wedge. Throughout my single days and as I started a family, TCCP became the go-to store to discover ingredients for meals while creating cherished memories and getting to know our local community.

Growing up in an agricultural family, I saw my grandparents cultivating various crops, raising animals, and selling their produce locally. Their loving and caring ways had a significant effect on me, making me realize the importance of local producers in feeding and supporting communities. Through my father’s job contributions with researchers dedicated to combating malnutrition through crop cultivation in semi-arid regions of the world, I was exposed to dedicated scientific efforts that go into bringing food from farm to the table and the contributions of local farming initiatives into communities.

Food is of great importance to our family; my wife, a published food author and blogger with farming roots loves to experiment with ingredients. As a product manager specialized in retail and supply chain, I’ve contributed to the creation of patent-producing in the space. If entrusted with the board responsibility my personal goal is to utilize my capabilities to enhance TCCP’s services, contribute to membership growth and increase reach of TCCP’s quality food and experience across our community.

MARK GREENE Incumbent

TCCP serves a vital role in providing fresh/organic locally-sourced food to the Twin Cites community, through its Wedge and Linden Hills stores and the Co-op Partners Warehouse.

As a long-time Uptown resident and retired financial executive, I seek to support this mission by continuing my work as Secretary of the Board and Chair of the Governance & Board Development Committee, focused on three priorities:

• Use my business experience to apply fiscal discipline, ensuring that TCCP operates profitably for its owners
• Adopt sound co-op governance principles to harness the collective talents of the Board, supporting Management in operating TCCP efficiently
• Position TCCP for growth, including thoughtful expansion into under-resourced Twin Cities “food deserts” which lack inclusive access to fresh, nutritious food.

I look forward to continued collaboration with my Board colleagues to help TCCP maintain its leadership position in the co-op community.

With my experience and dedication, I am eager to serve on the TCCP board. Together, let’s strengthen TCCP, enrich our close-knit community by upholding TCCP’s values, making it a truly special place for everyone.

TOM PIERSON Incumbent

Twin Cities Co-op Partners (TCCP) faces many challenges in the shifting landscape of our local and national food system. Our co-op must remain relevant to our members in the Twin Cities area, with our retail locations, while simultaneously serving the needs of our member co-ops across the Midwest, through the distribution of Co-op Partners Warehouse. From my experience serving on the Wedge Board, through our consolidation into TCCP, I hope to maintain oversight of the efforts already underway by our co-op. As a board member, worker, and volunteer in co-ops over 20 years, I am seeking a final term on the TCCP Board because I care deeply about the success and sustainability of our co-op.