2024 candidates!

As stated in Cooperative Principle #2, the member-owners of Mariposa Food Co-op actively participate in setting policies and making decisions. Member-owners engage in this process via the annual election of the Board of Delegates, which acts as a representative body. The Board is held accountable by the member-owners and is responsible for overseeing and evaluating management, determining patronage refund distributions, reporting on the state of the Co-op, and overseeing bylaws changes.

We are, now, pleased to introduce this year’s Board Candidates!

Voting will open April 22nd, 2024

Marcus H Greene, Sr.

Pronouns: He/Him
Member-owner since 2024

Why are you interested in serving on the Board of Mariposa Food Coop? I am a new official member owner. However, i have been to every board meeting in the past year in a half as the Owner Services Coordinator. I have seen the struggles and the victories and would like to be more involved in the governance in order to assist/serve in another capacity.

Briefly describe any experience you have at other cooperatives boards or other professional work that relates to Board service: I currently sit on a board for the Philly Cares, which is a non profit retail incubator for small and minority owned businesses. I have served as this Board note taker and administrator for over a year. I have also sat on 2 other Boards for non profit organizations.

Is there anything else you would like our member-owners to know about you? As the Current Member Services Coordinator I know first hand what it takes to serve on this board. I have decided to stay at Mariposa even after submitting my resignation last year because i am Committed to the Work that i do on Behalf of Mariposa in the community. We have been making a real impact to food access here in the city with the initiatives i have been involved in and working on. I would like to see Mariposa be a beacon of resources and food access in the West Philly area. I feel that i could do this more effectively as the Member coordinator and Member of the Board. Lets get back to the real issues here instead of the politics. Lets provide good healthy food to the City of Philadelphia and Leave the politics alone.

Steven Lovell

Pronouns: He/Him
Member-owner since 2024

Why are you interested in serving on the Board of Mariposa Food Coop? I joined Mariposa earlier this year. I moved to West Philly about 3 years ago, have a young child at PIC and want to get involved in the community and take on a more active role in service than I have in the past.

Briefly describe any experience you have at other cooperatives boards or other professional work that relates to Board service: I've been a board member for a local alumni association, have served on committees for company wide open source software efforts, and served as president of my college's autonomous underwater vehicle competition team.

Is there anything else you would like our member-owners to know about you? I've been involved in technology and technology consulting for most of my professional career. I bring a desire to understand others' concerns and to identify viable solutions.

Jason Das

Pronouns: He/Him/His
Member-owner since 2021

Why are you interested in serving on the Board of Mariposa Food Coop? I became a member-owner when I moved a block away from the co-op in 2021. Mariposa is the only grocery store in walking distance for my household and for thousands of our neighbors. I have a strong interest in the co-op remaining viable, accessible, and affordable, while committed to ethical goals of human rights, animal welfare, and environmental impact. • Beyond being a food store, Mariposa has a rich history and ongoing potential as a nexus of culture and community pride. As a board member I would aim to represent neighborhood values and act as a voice for member-owners in the management of our co-op. • I am motivated by standards of good governance, community service, transparent communication, and mission-driven stewardship. Stability must come before growth, and profitability cannot be at the expense of accessibility and neighborhood goodwill.

Briefly describe any experience you have at other cooperatives boards or other professional work that relates to Board service: I am experienced in nonprofit governance and management via my work at listener-supported radio stations (WKCR and WFMU) and Urban Sketchers, a 501(c)(3) organization I co-founded and served as both President and Vice President. I also have decades of experience organizing outreach and events for various activist and artistic causes. • I have extensive professional experience in management, technology, education, editing, journalism, graphic design, publicity, marketing, and customer service.  • As a union member myself (ACT-UAW and NewsGuild-CWA), I have an inside understanding of labor relations in unionized workplaces. • I am committed to the cause of locally managed member-owned food cooperatives, which provide community-first alternatives to for-profit grocery stores. I was a working member-owner of The Park Slope Food Coop in Brooklyn for 15 years. Growing up, my family were member-owners of Weavers Way Co-op in Mount Airy.

Is there anything else you would like our member-owners to know about you? I have attended several board meetings over the last few years, and I have followed the minutes and announcements. I feel like I have a good grasp of the Board’s responsibilities, methods, and structure.  • As a member of the Board of Delegates, I would strive to serve and shape Mariposa as a community-owned and managed grocery store where people are excited to shop, work, and socialize.

Sherri Michalovic

Pronouns: She/Her
Member-owner for 13 year

Why are you interested in serving on the Board of Mariposa Food Coop? I have been a member of the co-op since the mid-1980s. I am running  for the board of Mariposa Food Co-op because I share a vision with other co-op member-owners. At the October 4, 2023 special members’ meeting, attending members clearly stated that they wanted their coop to have:

-  healthy, reasonably priced food

- financial transparency

- two-way communication between the board and the member-owners

- clear understandable governance

I listened to their vision and I want to make our vision happen by working collaboratively with other board members who are equally committed and also believe they are accountable to the member-owners.

Briefly describe any experience you have at other cooperatives boards or other professional work that relates to Board service: As an educator, I work effectively within teams. To organize the special members meeting of October 2023, I worked closely with others to successfully bring member-owners together to raise their concerns. I listen carefully and I invite conversation. I share my ideas and ask probing questions when I do not understand. I am teachable and admit when I make mistakes. As a board member, I plan to use those skills to help make the board effective, productive, and efficient.  

Is there anything else you would like our member-owners to know about you? Hello fellow Mariposa co-op member owners. My name is Sherri Michalovic. I have been a West and Southwest Philadelphia neighbor since 1983. I celebrate Mariposa’s past and will embrace its future as a stable fixture in our neighborhood and in the lives of its residents. I want our neighbors to have access to healthy, affordable food provided by the co-op and I want the co-op to support small, local farms in and around Philadelphia. As a board member, I will support member-owner involvement on Mariposa committees, which need to be activated. I will work within the board to attract new members and bring back members who have left. If, as a member-owner, you share my vision, then vote for me to be a delegate on the Mariposa Co-op Board.

Dondi Henderson

Pronouns: He/Him
Member-owner since 2009

Why are you interested in serving on the Board of Mariposa Food Coop?
I have been a member since 2009. I believe with my knowledge, and general workmanship as related to the co-op process, I would be a valued plus for Mariposa.rld.

Briefly describe any experience you have at other cooperatives boards or other professional work that relates to Board service: Currently, in the professional realm, I have experience serving with my college alumni in the area of general board responsibilities, in serving as parlimentarian in our local colliegiate chapter.

Is there anything else you would like our member-owners to know about you? I grew up in the area of University City.

LaToya Johnson

Pronouns: She/Her
Member-owner for 6 Years

Why are you interested in serving on the Board of Mariposa Food Coop? I would like to express interest in serving on the Board of Mariposa Food Co-op. I feel my service on the Co-op would be a great opportunity to expand my knowledge in public nutrition services, as well as work closely with the community. I am currently enrolled at West Chester University pursuing a Master’s degree to become a Registered Dietitian with a minor in Public Health. My goal is to bring awareness to the importance of healthy eating to those who lack access to this education. I have a very strong commitment to living sustainably, and I would love to be a part of a program that shares the same values and is invested in the betterment of the community.

Briefly describe any experience you have at other cooperatives boards or other professional work that relates to Board service: I have been a member of the Mariposa Co-Op board for 1 year and The Eat Right Philly initiative for the past 3 years. Since 2017, I have also been a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as a representative for the Nutrition program offered by my University. I am currently working as an intern at the School District of Philadelphia in the Food Service Department. In this role, I work closely with the vendors to create nutritious meal plans for all of the students in the Philadelphia district. In addition, I have also taught a weekly Nutrition and Wellness workshop to 5th and 6th graders at the Science Leadership Academy at Beeber as well as a monthly Holistic Nutrition education class to members of the community

Is there anything else you would like our member-owners to know about you? I would like member-owners to know that I am very committed to bringing awareness to the community of the benefits of healthy eating and living. I feel that nutrition is my passion and that this would be a great place to express it.

Salina Vinson

Pronouns: She/Her
Member-owner Since 2019

Why are you interested in serving on the Board of Mariposa Food Coop? I have been a member of the Coop since 2019, I have been employed by the Coop since 2017 serving in the IT/POS Specialist role. I am interested in serving on the Board to contribute to the success of the Coop. My tech savvy skills can assist in helping to build stronger avenues of communication with the Member/Owners and the Board. I have previously created and distributed the Board Communication letter on behalf of the board in my current position at the Coop. I am resigning to move forward with other career endeavors, and to focus on continuing to raise my children accordingly. My loyalty to the Coop has prompt me to run as a Board Delegate so that I can still contribute and assist.

Briefly describe any experience you have at other cooperatives boards or other professional work that relates to Board service: I have previously sat on a non-governing board for Frankford Community Center that provided, educational programs to the community. I worked for Reading Terminal Market for 9 years, and help facilitate their board meetings. I presently work for Mastery Charter School, where I facilitate and help with community events as an employee and parent of children that attend the school.

Is there anything else you would like our member-owners to know about you? I bring my problem solving skills, and technical expertise to the board. Nourishing a healthy community is important to me, and providing the information allows the community to thrive and flourish. Serving on the board and providing accurate information helps me reach my creative purpose. I'm a mother of three boys, a Boy Mom- and I scream louder at the TV than they do when we watch sports together. But if I break a nail doing anything the party is OVER.

Lewis Baum

Pronouns: He/Him
Member-owner since 2016

Why are you interested in serving on the Board of Mariposa Food Coop? I’ve been a member since 2016 and was a working member in the Produce Department between 2016 and 2019. I want to serve on the Board so that together with others, I can apply my skills to help the Co-op remain successful through actively navigating the challenges faced now and in the future. I believe I can help make good decisions about what is important and help ensure that the important things get done. Since June 2023, I have been part of a network of member-owners working to strengthen the Co-op via member-to-Board communication. After our Special Membership Meeting, I helped write the October 2023 Report to the Board summarizing the ideas expressed at the meeting and suggesting useful short-term and longer-term projects and improvements. This work has been interesting and rewarding, as was my earlier Produce Department work; both provide a background for Board service, which I anticipate will be rewarding too.

Briefly describe any experience you have at other cooperatives boards or other professional work that relates to Board service: I served on the Board of Cedar Park Neighbors for several years and on its executive committee as treasurer. I’m proud to have served with a diverse leadership that helped navigate some challenging times in our community with skill and fairness. I currently serve as a member of a Registered Community Organization helping our community with housing and zoning issues, and I represent that group at a wider coalition of Philadelphia Community Organizations. I have a degree in Math and graduate work in Math and Business Administration. My professional career was in the computing industry where I worked in a number of technical and management areas. I applied my knowledge of accounting and finance, broad and deep technical skills, and management skills including Risk management, Audit Management, Business Resilience, coaching, planning and government relations. Many of these skills are applicable to the Board’s work.

Is there anything else you would like our member-owners to know about you? I’m a healthy, active retiree who enjoys being engaged in our community and working with our people. I’ve lived here for over 40 years. I find great value and satisfaction from working with others toward a common goal. In my professional life and community life, I’ve worked effectively with a wide diversity of managers, co-workers and teams, including teams for which I was responsible. For fun, I enjoy nature, hiking, perennial home upkeep, occasional travel and study groups on various topics. If elected, I’m prepared to be productive. I intend to work effectively and respectfully with other Board members, Management and Member-Owners. I intend to successfully push for responsible change, including establishing processes for deeper dialog between these parties. To meet its fiduciary obligations, the Board needs more structure for financial and risk oversight. A number of other key projects were identified in the October Report. I will work with the Board and interested Members to dialog as needed so that upon agreement we can take action on these and other issues important to the Co-op and its Membership.

Kitty Jauregui

Pronouns: She/Her
Member-owner Since 2010

Why are you interested in serving on the Board of Mariposa Food Coop? I was a member for a number of years in the 2010s and ended my membership due to economics/lack of member discount. I rejoined this year because I've been unhappy with the direction the coop has taken and wanted to have more of a say as well as hear more about it than what is posted online. I am interested in serving on the board because I see a need for a strong team to steer things in a positive direction both fiscally and with community relations.

Briefly describe any experience you have at other cooperatives boards or other professional work that relates to Board service: As an active member of First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia, I have been on the nominating committee for 4 years, which nominates board members from the community at large, have attended board meetings as well as all-member annual meetings, where we elect the board and vote as a community on our annual budget. Both personally, at First U, and professionally at an assisted living facility I have experience in community building and fostering productive communication between institutional leaders/management and the general populace/workers.

Is there anything else you would like our member-owners to know about you? I am a puzzle solver and solution finder. If I don't know the answer to something, I know where to look and/or who to ask for help. I work well on a team because I know my own strengths and weaknesses and am not afraid or embarrassed to ask for help when I need it. I believe very strongly in forming principles into action and working to mold ideals into realities, and for me at Mariposa, that would mean more and better community outreach, as well as constant evaluation and re-evaluation of our ideal balance of food ethics and economic realities.

Benjamin Boyd

Pronouns: He/Him
Member-owner since 2002

Why are you interested in serving on the Board of Mariposa Food Coop? Since 2002. I am interested in serving on the board of the coop because, as a member of over twenty years, I believe we are within one year or less of the Coop failing if we maintain our current trajectory. [SEE DISCLAIMER BELOW*] I have been meeting with a group of members over the past year and a half and it has been difficult if not impossible to see detailed financial statements from the Coop. What I have been able to see shows alarming quarterly losses stretching back over at least the past year (the profit in Q3 of 2023 due to the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) not withstanding). At the most recent board meeting, which I attended as a member, we were told that such information is not necessarily the purview of membership and is or may be restricted to members of the board. Therefore, in order to have access to our financials and other information related to the governance of our Coop, as well as to have standing to work on behalf of the membership, I am running for the board.

Briefly describe any experience you have at other cooperatives boards or other professional work that relates to Board service: I served on the first orientation committee at the small store and worked with Nancy and others to develop the orientation and orientation materials and led orientations. Before becoming a member of Mariposa, I was briefly a member of Weaver’s Way Coop where I served on the first Farm Committee, helping to create the Weaver’s Way farm, both through committee work and through working on the farm itself for a little while, all for workshift credit. I can’t remember if it was shortly before I joined or shortly after I left Weaver’s Way that a major hole in the books was discovered which only one person had known about and that almost sunk that Coop. The story goes that this was able to go undetected for many months if not years because only one person had eyes on the account or accounts, and the critical deficit was the outcome of many smallish fees accumulating over time. That this could happen while the store operated as though it was business as usual made an impression on me and, as a member of Mariposa, I’ve always felt we need to insist on having detailed financial oversight that is not confined to a single person or even a small group. I understand that we have recently had a detailed financial audit performed, which is good news, however, neither I nor any other members I know of have seen it or read it. I want to say here that I learned a lot about and was interested in accounting by attending the annual budget meeting shortly after I joined Mariposa in 2002, and learning from Rachel as she worked us through explaining things like why the building we owned was worth nothing on paper (fully depreciated), and how E=A-L. I’d like to see more transparency regarding our financials, although I understand there may be certain limitations to what degree of information is public. I'd also like to see membership have a financial value. Since one may shop at the Coop for the same prices whether a member or not, there is actually a financial disincentive to becoming a member, to the tune of the $200 equity investment. I know this is keeping a lot of people from becoming members which is perfectly reasonable. Patronage dividend has not exactly counterbalanced the equity investment.

Is there anything else you would like our member-owners to know about you? It is critical that there be more opportunities for members to do constructive work at the Coop, be more involved, and understand more about how the Coop is operating -- committees and what not. I'm convinced we are going to need members beyond just the board to step up if we want the Coop to survive. However, electing a board that will allow or even facilitate member participation is a necessary first step right now as the board is the entity per the bylaws that forms committees and would have any say over opening up working memberships again. If we were to have a working-member option, I think the requirement should be changed from three hours per four weeks to two hours per four weeks as it was at the small store.

David Hudson

(Staff Elected Seat)

Pronouns: He/Him
Member-owner for 4 years

Why are you interested in serving on the Board of Mariposa Food Coop? Been working at the Coop 6 years member-owner 4 years I'm interested in serving on the board just as the name serving on the board. I like doing for others and like to make a difference .

Briefly describe any experience you have at other cooperatives boards or other professional work that relates to Board service: No previous board experience. I have served as counsel for marriage couples, counselor to youth at a community center, counselor to Men ministry. I'm a great listener and problem solver.

Is there anything else you would like our member-owners to know about you? I'm very excited to work  alongside with everyone to reach our goals and beyond.

*DISCLAIMER: While the co-op board and staff have never modified a board candidate’s statement, we feel it is important to note that this is the opinion of this candidate, but is factually inaccurate. The co-op is not in danger of closing within a year, or the foreseeable future.