What skills and qualities do you have that uniquely qualify you for the Board of Directors, and why do you want to run for the Board?
I have been a champion of local food in Bellingham for more than 25 years — first through business ownership of Ciao Thyme (a farm-to-table restaurant and catering company) and now through local food promotion as the Food and Farming Program Manager at Sustainable Connections. I am a creative thinker, seasoned event planner, and relationship builder. I value Community Food Co-op’s role in our community and have enjoyed learning more about its operations in my past year and a half on the Board. I feel I have relevant experience and insights to add to board discussions and I appreciate the opportunity to help guide the Co-op’s future role in our local food system network. Now that I understand how the Board functions, I’d like the chance to continue and deepen my work on Community Food Co-op’s Board.
Choose one of the five goals of the Co-op strategic plan and briefly talk about what interests you, and what you could contribute to its development.
“Our Co-op is the best place to buy local and organic food, and plays an essential role in building a stronger local food system.” Strong communities require a viable local food system that is supported by its citizens. As a food hub, Community Food Co-op plays a vital role in supporting local agriculture and seafood production/harvesting. I currently sit on the Co-op’s Farm Fund Committee, which helps bring grant opportunities to small farms in our region. This year, I was able work with the Co-op administrative staff and Whatcom Community Foundation to help organize flood relief funding for affected farms. I also worked with the marketing team at the Co-op to highlight WA Grown products with a collaboration of Eat Local First branding. The natural overlaps in my roles as Food and Farming Program Manager and Co-op Board Director mean I gain a deeper understanding of how we can strengthen our partnerships with the local food system. I look forward to continuing to build connections and strengthen relationships with local farmers, fishers, and community organizations to mutually benefit Community Food Co-op, its members, and our community food system. I am excited to help more people Eat Local First!
Think about a situation that demonstrates your ability to create a climate that values cultural diversity. How would you encourage sharing different perspectives?
Food is a great connector — my career has been dedicated to sharing food traditions and recipes with others to build awareness and respect for diverse cultural backgrounds. We have accomplished this through offering cooking classes with guest chefs, sharing flavors and stories gleaned from our travels, learning our customers’ beloved family recipes to recreate for cultural celebrations, leading culinary trips to Italy to meet farmers and food artisans, and always being open and willing to try new foods. Creating space for diverse perspectives means listening, observing, being willing to learn and try new things, and possibly changing your viewpoint. As a Co-op Board Director, I encourage curiosity, open dialogue, focused listening of others’ perspectives, and consensus process.
What do you believe are the Co-op’s greatest strengths?
I think the Co-op’s greatest strengths are its long-standing presence in our community, loyal support of its members, and diversity of high-quality products. The Co-op is a trusted community entity which gives it the power to advocate for community values. The Co-op is connected to its members and offers them opportunities to get involved beyond just shopping. The quality of products at the Co-op is unmatched by traditional grocery stores.
Describe any experience you have in reading and understanding financial statements.
I have experience reading financial statements both for-profit and nonprofit entities. I was the accountant for our 20-year business, Ciao Thyme, and assessed P&L and balance sheet statements. I write my annual program budget and read org-wide financials for Sustainable Connections (nonprofit). I have read and assessed financials presented by Community Food Co-op’s Finance Committee in meetings for the past 1.5 years.
Describe the experience, skills or knowledge you have working with any or all of the following: cooperatives, policy governance, consensus process, nonprofit or for-profit boards, a group that used active member participation to achieve its goals.
I have served many years on PTSA boards that have required some strategic planning and consensus process. I serve on the Bellingham Technical College Culinary Advisory Committee. I currently work for a nonprofit organization and was involved in strategic planning and visioning there. Sustainable Connections has an active membership, and our Food and Farming programming relies on member participation and feedback. During the last 1.5 years serving on the Co-op’s Board, I have been trained on and practiced policy governance and consensus process. I have also contributed to the Board Development Committee, Member Affairs Committee, and the Farm Fund.
Describe your connections with the community, including volunteer work if applicable.
I currently serve as a Board Director at Community Food Co-op. I served for several years on the Bellingham High School PTSA board as the Vice President. I am a member of the Bellingham Technical College’s Advisory Board for their culinary program. I have strong connections with farmers, fishermen, and chefs/restaurant owners in the community. Personally, I have been part of a book club and the Bellingham ballet community for over 20 years.
Describe any business or entrepreneurial experience you have.
I co-owned and operated Ciao Thyme, along with my husband Mataio Gillis, for 20 years. We had a multi-faceted food business that included: cooking classes, a restaurant, a to-go meal program, off-site catering, private dining, and international culinary tours. In our business, I managed: sales, customer service, communications, marketing, accounting, menu writing, event planning, scheduling, venue rentals, and operations. I also led our service staff and worked closely with the kitchen staff to deliver our vision. As a farm-to-table food business, we worked closely with local farmers, seafood producers, value-added producers, and food artisans. We also worked to educate our customers about food seasonality and wrote seasonal menus to highlight our regional foods. We built a culture that felt like family — from customers to staff to vendors! I also grew up and worked in my family’s business in Portland, Oregon. My parents owned and operated 3 American craft galleries, called The Real Mother Goose, for over 50 years. They were great role models for building relationships, living your values, and working hard!