Dan Gannon

Hello! My name is Dan Gannon and I’ve been serving as a volunteer board member for the past three years. This time of service has been enriching through the wonderful working relationships with fellow members and staff, resulting in personal friendships and practice with cooperative self governance and shared responsibility. My family has also grown in this time and keeping a close connection to the co-op principles seems as important as ever.

Our role, as the board, generally consists of three areas: evaluating organizational performance and planning improvements for long-term health of the People’s Food Co-op of Ann Arbor(PFC); connecting member-owners to the organization in meaningful ways; producing policy language that represents our shared values and agreements in how we operate as a purpose-driven organization. The current board has produced results in these past few years including revision of existing policy language, returning to the roots of Policy Governance as described by John and Miriam Carver in Reinventing Your Board; revisiting focus groups and other public forums for member engagement; and in the last year returning with some regularity to profitability on a month by month basis. We’re seeing positive trends in new member-owner signup and “basket size” indicating that on average more shoppers are finding more of what they want to buy in stock at the Co-op. In order to be financially sustainable, we need to significantly increase sales and connect new shoppers with the goodness of PFC.

What does it look like to regain relevance in the local, just and natural food marketplace? While we were pioneers in that field originally, can we differentiate ourselves amid increased competition? What is the role of a community-owned cooperative in developing a more just local food system? Can we incorporate resiliency and environmental sustainability in our daily operations in a way that shoppers recognize as adding value rather than just adding to the price of goods? Together we can find answers to these big questions.

The board continues its work on issues that inspire my participation: envisioning a revitalized facility, in either a new or our current location, that embodies co-op values and attracts new customers to enjoy the co-op experience; updating policies and bylaws to reflect the emerging needs for operating as a business in today’s world; and making board work more visible through effective communication and meaningful connection to the community at large.

Please consider my application for another term of service.

Susan Randall

1. Why are you interested in serving on the PFC Board?
A vibrant locally owned cooperative grocery is an essential component in a healthy food system. I am seeking a second term on the board because I value this organization and its mission and my experience is relevant to this moment in the Coop’s story.

2. What knowledge, skills, experience, and energy would you bring to the Board?
During my first term on this Board, my knowledge of this Co-op…its people, governance structure, partnerships, and opportunities–grew exponentially. Staying the course for another term allows me and this Co-op to further maximize the fruits of this time investment. I am a sociologist (Ph.D. – Boston University), now retired, with a career that included college teaching, a term in elected office (City Commissioner, Sioux Falls, SD), and over two decades of nonprofit leadership/management (Turn About, then SD Voices for Children). Upon retirement, I founded with my husband an herb growing business—Deer Creek Herbs & Teas—and sold fresh produce at the Sioux Falls Food Co-op and farmers’ market. I served two terms on the Sioux Falls Food Co-op Board. In 2018 my husband and I moved from South Dakota to Ann Arbor to live near our children and grandchildren.

3. What do you see as PFC’s role in the broader community?
The People’s Food Coop is a purpose-driven, locally owned cooperative business dedicated to the people, the planet, and profit that gives back to our community. PFC is at its core a grocery store, which means that it provides the essential, healthy food and wellness products we all need for nourishment while also supporting and building an environmentally responsible community.

4. What priorities do you consider most important to a strong, sustainable future of our co-op?
We must secure a solid financial footing, build on the 55-year foundation this Co-op stands upon, and implement a values-driven, financially-sound plan that responds to the needs of our dynamic, changing community and neighborhoods.

Betsy Williams

Serving on the PFC board offers me the chance to give back to an organization I have witnessed thrive and evolve over the past 30+ years as a neighbor, shopper, and engaged community member. I have a deep respect for its history and am dedicated to working collectively to ensure it continues to lead as a trusted source of healthy, ethically sourced food, a hub for community education, and a catalyst for neighborhood connection and growth. As an architect whose work prioritizes community health, sustainable systems, creative solutions, and outside-of-the box thinking, I will bring an open mind to operational, spatial, and systemic challenges. The Co-op has a unique opportunity to build deeper strategic partnerships (DDA, City leaders, U of M, and organizations with aligned mission) which will require enthusiasm, proactive outreach, and thoughtful advocacy—efforts that I am eager to help with. Membership growth and community awareness must also be prioritized to ensure a unique position and sustainable future in the changing world of groceries and food options. This will require listening with an open mind, proactively engaging our new neighbors and broader community, and building the story of relevance in a more robust way so that we can all enjoy the PFC for many years to come.