For those of you who I have not yet met, I will tell you a little about myself. I have lived in Moscow for three years. I come from Troy, just a few miles away, but left the area for several years before making the (great) decision to return to the Palouse in 2006. In between, I lived in Eugene, Portland, Tucson and Phoenix. While in Eugene, I learned about the natural/organic foods movement and have shopped at natural food stores and co-ops ever since.

I am particularly interested in working to increase membership involvement in the Co-op and to increase knowledge about the Co-op throughout our greater community. I look forward to hearing from and meeting many of you over the next three years!

- Dena Neese

I am looking forward to serving the Co-op community as a new board member, and would like to thank the many people who offered me their thoughts about the Co-op during the election process. Please, let's continue these discussions!

It has been suggested that low voter turnout in Co-op elections is a sign of organizational health, and that people don't bother to vote because they are satisfied with the status quo. To the contrary! Same as in public elections, low turnout suggests that a sizeable portion of our Co-op community is in some sense disenfranchised, and needs to be reached out to more effectively, or perhaps listened to better when they do try to make their needs heard.

In the absence of actual explanations from those who opted out, a significant number of people choosing not to vote should be understood not as a vote of confidence, but rather the contrary. When government — or in this case, organizational leadership — is seen as "us" and "we," people vote. When it is seen as "them" and "they," voter participation goes down.

Equally to the point, when people vote, they are more likely to get involved as full-strength Member-Owners, rather than merely occasional consumers or customers.

- Chris Norden

Being on the board has given me a unique perspective into how and why things are done here, and the possibility of having some input on how they go. The process was not always easy or straightforward, but it was always done democratically and with the intent of strengthening our community and to provide balance. It has been an important part of my life over the past three years. It’s been an honor and a pleasure working with Kenna and my fellow board members and getting to know some of the managers and staff. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve, to grow, to find some hidden treasures and to catch a glimpse of the wonder. Best of luck and good fortune to everyone who works to meet the challenges ahead and to make the Co-op an even more vital part of the community at large.

- Joe Thompson

Kathleen Ryan