Bobbie Coluni
Director
Term expires 2027 bcoluni@peoplesfood.coop
I am interested in joining the PFC Board because I value the PFC and want to contribute to its ongoing success. I recently retired from my career as a leader in Healthcare Technology and have assessed how to create purpose in my next chapter. The opportunity to serve on the PFC Board aligns with my goals to promote health and vitality and contribute locally to strengthening our Ann Arbor community.
I want to help ensure the organizations that make Ann Arbor a wonderful place to live are sustainable for the long-term by applying my professional experience in strategic planning, management and marketing, as well as my personal experience as a resident of Ann Arbor.
I will bring a unique combination of skills and experience to the Board. In my career, I managed healthcare analytic software for both start-ups and large companies, including Thomson Reuters, Johnson & Johnson, and IBM. My expertise was using data and analytics to identify opportunities to reduce cost and improve quality in healthcare, and to support better decision making.
As a Product Executive, I am adept at thinking strategically about market position, competitive advantage and consumer experience. I’ve been responsible for building and managing teams, managing budgets, and growing revenue. I am creative and enjoy innovation and collaborating with others.
The PFC has been an integral part of my four decades in Ann Arbor. My family lives in the Water Hill neighborhood and PFC is our closest grocery store. PFC was a regular stop with our child after visits to the Hands On Museum and where I got a coffee on my way to work. I enjoy cooking and making delicious and nutritious meals and love riding my bike to the Farmers Market and PFC to shop. As a consumer, I have a good sense of what to buy where and pay close attention to the differences.
My college major was Urban Planning, and I have a passion for the good design that supports community and creates a vibrant downtown. Ann Arbor is in a state of transformation, with policies for increasing downtown housing density – adding 1,000+ units by 2027. These plans include smaller rental units, limited parking, and walkable communities. Given these changes, I see several clear interrelated priorities for the PFC.
We need to become fiscally solvent in the context of the changing landscape of downtown Ann Arbor. Good progress has been made in reducing operating costs and improving the financials over the last year. A strong financial plan will require expanding our customer base by raising consumer awareness and attracting those new downtown residents.
At the same time, we need to be savvy about retaining existing customers. Data and analytics will help inform this strategy. Updating the shopping experience and PFC infrastructure to better compete with other grocery stores, meet modern consumer expectations, and improve operational efficiency will need to be prioritized.
This is an exciting time, and I am eager to learn more, engage and contribute to the PFC Board.