Board of Directors
MEETING MINUTES
April 27, 2022 - 5:30 pm
Hosted in EFC Community Room, 1341 W. 26th
Attending: President - Shari Gross, Vice President - Alison Kaminski, Secretary - Kevin Schaaf, Treasurer - Michael Barron, Directors: Derek Golembeski, Liz Bugbee, Amanda Gates; Joelyn Bush, Chauncey Dumbuya Brown - absent
Staff Personnel: Marketing Manager - Heidi Yeagle**_;_** Ash Smitham; Board Assistant - Alethea Bodine - absent
Guests: None
President, Shari Gross welcomed everyone by allowing introduction and opening the floor for comments, from those Member/Owners present, to the board.
Comments: There were no attending Member/Owners or guests.
AGENDA:
Shari Gross called the meeting to order at 5:30
Review of Last Month’s Minutes; K. Schaaf
No comments/questions were raised regarding last month’s minutes.
Motion was made by Michael Barron to accept March 2022 Minutes as written. Amanda Gates seconded. All were in favor. Motion passed.
CEO/GM Reporting
In the absence of LeAnna Nieratko, Shari Gross led a review of the GM report.
● Sales in total have been consistently up, which historically has not been the case ● Sales at the downtown store have not been robust
○ Parking may be an issue
○ It was noted that on days when the weather is bad, the store is not busy
○ There is hope that with Erie Insurance employees returning to the office, a boost in sales may occur
■ Alison Kaminski noted that Erie Insurance will utilize a hybrid schedule, so not all employees will be in the office at the same time
○ Michael Barron pointed out that Gannon, UPMC Hamot, and the courthouse are all currently active
○ Heidi Yeagle provided an update that an employee had recently been at Gannon handing out flyers to students in an effort to drive awareness
● The co-op’s cash position is currently in good shape, above NCG’s benchmark for this entire reporting period
● Sales at the downtown store are covering payroll
B6 – Communication and Counsel to the Board
![][image1]**No comments/questions were raised regarding Policy B6.
Motion was made by Liz Bugbee to accept the GMs Reporting and compliance with Policy B6 – Communication and Counsel to the Board. Derek Golembeski seconded. All were in favor. Motion passed.
Board Policy Evaluation; K. Schaaf
● C3 - Agenda Planning
● C4 - Board Meetings
Joelyn Bush submitted a question via Google Forms, regarding Policy C4: “Should there be anything in this policy about virtual and/or in-person meeting procedures or guidelines? E.g. - If COVID case count is at a certain rate, we move to virtual or hybrid meetings are always offered to board members or in-person is preferred, etc.” This question was tabled, to be discussed if/when the need arises.
All board members expressed that the board is in compliance with both Policy C3 and Policy C4.
Motion was made by Michael Barron to accept the Board Policy Evaluation review of Policy C3 - Agenda Planning, and C4 - Board Meetings. Amanda Gates seconded. All were in favor. Motion passed.
Board Learning: Jason Mucio, IT
Jason Mucio provided an IT update. The current IT focus is on WebCart (online ordering). Jason is working on mapping default supplier information into the system, as approximately 3,000 items are currently missing some information. LeAnna has been contacting other co-ops to see if they would be able to share databases that can be imported into our system. The Google Forms online ordering system still works for the 26th St. store, but may need some improvement to be used downtown (to allow for better selection, etc.).
Jason reported that the startup at the downtown store has gone relatively smoothly. There have been some small issues with self-checkout, but nothing overly impactful.
**New Business:**
Staff Recognition and Appreciation
● Staff Appreciation party update
○ Bowling was raised as an option, as well as roller skating (which had been discussed previously)
○ Discussion was held around holding a survey of co-op employees to determine which activity is preferred
● Co-op Cafes
○ Shari discussed Co-op Cafes, which are offered by Columinate
○ These are virtual, 2-hour “cafes” where multiple co-ops can come together to discuss a theme/topic
○ Opportunities exist to discuss diversity, equity, and inclusion
○ Co-op cafes are being held May 5th, 9th, and 14th, and are open to board members ○ Shari will forward an email to the board with details
Committee Reports
● Board Budget due next month
● Nominating Committee Prepares for Board Nominations in May
Closure:
Next board meeting is TBD due to various conflicts on May 25th. Alison Kaminski will send a poll to determine the date of the next meeting. [Update: The next board meeting is June 1st at 5:30 PM.]
Next PG reviews:
○ CEO/GM - B1 - Financial Condition & B2 - Planning and Financial Budgeting
○ Board C8 - Governance Investment
Derek Golembeski made a motion for the meeting to adjourn. Michael Barron seconded. Meeting adjourned at 6:42 PM.
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Minutes respectfully submitted by Kevin Schaaf, Secretary