At the June 2014 board meeting, after reviewing fantastic candidates, the board unanimously approved the appointment of Gary Warren to the interim co-op board.

The seat appointment became necessary as the co-op bid adieu (for now) to Amber Ott, who relocated to California with her husband (Mike MacDonald, our former Sprout editor) so he could finish his education. While the board misses Amber's enthusiasm and gifts, we are excited to welcome Gary into the mix. Gary has lived in Bethlehem since 2003. He is a father, farming enthusiast, avid cyclist, conscious eater, kombucha maker, and unabashed disco dancer. He has been an active co-op volunteer since the first meeting at the Bethlehem Area Public Library. You may have met him at a co-op table in the community or run into him handing out brochures at Tunes at Twilight this summer. He has also recently taken on more responsibility with the outreach committee and is working on developing some membership recruitment incentive tools. In June, he and board member Santiago Rivera attended the CCMA for Consumer Co-Ops Conference, bringing back a wealth of information for our group.

The co-op's interim board will operate into October 2014, at which point the membership will vote on an official board at the October 6 membership meeting. Any member-owner is encouraged to run for the board. Nominations will begin to be accepted at the July 19 co-op picnic.