Meet Your Newest Board Members!

The 2024 Board Election was Finalized on April 25th, 2024 at the Annual Meeting of Owners.

Applicants were asked to answer the following questions while applying to be a part of the board of directors.

Why would you like to serve on the Board of Directors of Natural Harvest Food Co-op?

1. 1. Why would you like to serve on the Board of Directors of Natural Harvest Food Co-op?
   2. Describe any volunteer or paid experiences relevant to your service as a co-op board member. What skills or experience will you bring to the board?
   3. What opportunities and challenges do you see in the future of Natural Harvest Food Co-op?

Stephanie Leonard

1. I would like to serve on the Natural Harvest Food Co‐op Board of Directors because I would like to be a part of keeping our rural communities healthy and vibrant through good wholesome food, education and generosity. One of my personal greatest values is a healthy lifestyle which is maintained by nutritious whole foods and supplements. I’d like to influence and support an organization who can promote this. Chronic disease is on the rise in our nation and access to good food and supplements for the citizens in our communities is extremely important in our rural area.
2. I do not have experience serving on a board, but I do report to the board of directors in my current job as a Human Resources Director at a local non‐profit community health center. I understand the format and steps of running a board meeting and I’d like to be on the other side of the table to serve and promote an organization. My passion for what the coop represents and thirst for new experiences would make me a great asset to the board. I have a good personal knowledge of food and nutrition, and through my efforts on the board would work hard to educate others in the community. This would in turn benefit the coop by bringing in more members and shoppers to the store.
3. Natural Harvest Food Co‐op has the opportunity to influence the future of our food economy by existing in our area and bringing education and influence to our community who can fight for organic and local healthy food options with their dollars. Our current American food system is unwell and the coop can be a force of change for the future.

Diana Jankovich

1. I’ve been a member of co-ops in several communities I’ve called home over the years but have never run for a board position. Now that I call the Iron Range my home, I’d be honored if chosen to represent my fellow co-op member/owners as my lifestyle finally affords me the time for this long-held interest. My father’s side of the family is from the Iron Range with my great-grandparents settling here from Croatia and Slovenia to work in the mines. I am a registered nurse, recently completed graduate school, and happily work remotely from our family’s lake home in Britt as a Disability Clinical Specialist.
2. I am a nurse and have always been active in my workplaces in committee and/or project work. Most namely, I was the chairperson of the Professional Development Committee at St. Patrick’s Hospital in Missoula, MT which was part of the hospital’s Nursing Shared Governance system. This system allowed me to take concerns and suggestions from staff (not just nursing staff) and bring them to the committee level for discussion and possibly launch initiatives for change in collaboration with the hospital administration. It gave staff a voice and power to participate in calls to action via this amazing system of employee representation. Before I was a nurse I worked at Wild Oats Market in Boulder, CO where I eventually became the dairy and frozen foods manager. I also had experience working in the produce and grocery departments as well as cashiering. This work experience gave me first-hand experience in a large natural foods grocery store setting, even though it wasn’t a co-op.
3. I recognize the ebb and flow of local mining as well as increased automation within the industry as being a potential challenge to the co-op as this can impact our economy, population, and how people are willing and able to spend their money at the co-op. I see opportunity in gaining more member/owners as people become more aware of what type of food they consume, see danger in additives and chemicals that pollute much of our food supply, and seek out healthy options in establishments like Natural Harvest.
4. I couldn’t call my application complete without making sure all who read this know that I am indeed related to the one and only Weird Al Yankovic – he is my grandfather’s cousin’s son! And, yes, I have met him. And, yes, he is weird.

Dominic Renollet

1. My wife and I have been owners for a few years, and we enjoy all the staff and ethics and the atmosphere of Natural Harvest. We have always been a family that has a deep respect for and connection to the northern woods. I’ve been an avid hunter and fisherman since I was a child. We have raised our son to love these gifts that nature provides. Local farm raised is ethical, the integrity of the animal is upheld and purchasing from them feels right. As do fair trade products. Natural Harvest excels in these areas.
2. I am a natural leader and I very much enjoy people and helping guide them to do a good job — the first time. I oversee many people at my job and have done so for many years. I respect workers who are honest and come directly to me for issues or questions. I firmly believe in an open line of communication with my co-workers and people who I am in charge of. I will always do my best to come straight to the person, face to face, and work out ideas and issues. I promise this to anyone I know and work with. Honesty, integrity, and an open line of communication are integral in every part of my life.
3. To be part of a “movement” of organic food and sustainability harvested meat and ingredients is near and dear to me. I have always believed what you put in your body is intimate and should be clean of chemicals and harvested in an ethical manner. Give back to nature, respect her and her gifts and she will provide for you in turn. This belief, this movement, takes work and time. We have to fight to keep this movement fresh in the public eye. I do not shy away from challenges. My belief in Natural Harvest is connected deeply to my ethical goals for life.
4. I feel we are very lucky to have this level of quality and selection in our region. I am very honored to serve on the board of directors of a store that is part of my family in so many ways.

It’s such an exciting time to be involved with YOUR Co-op!

Your democratically controlled cooperative is over 4,400 Owners strong and still growing! The Board of Directors plays a critical role in ensuring the continued success and health of this cooperatively run business. The Board represents all Co-op Owners in determining appropriate organizational performance. They are engaged primarily in developing the vision and long-term viability of the Co-op.

If you have any questions about the process or what the Board does, please contact our current Board Members at board@naturalharvest.coop. 

What do Board members do for the Co-op? A vital, efficient, and effective Board of Directors is necessary to provide guidance and leadership to keep your Co-op healthy, active, productive, and responsive to Owners’ needs. The Board employs the principles of policy governance to focus on big-picture issues to evaluate and help plan for the future of your Co-op without managing day-to day operations.