Board of Directors
What is the board of directors?
A group of up to seven members of the co-op, elected by the members to serve as their representatives.
What does the board do?
See this page for a description of how the board works and what it tries to accomplish.
Who is currently on the board?Click here to meet your board members.
Why is the board important?
The board is the key link from the membership to the way the store evolves. By providing the members with democratic control, it ensures that Common Ground adheres to the cooperative principles.
Who is the board's boss?The board is accountable to its members. It is also legally accountable for the organization to the state, so it must craft policy to ensure that the organization operates in a legal and prudent manner.
How long do board members serve?Board terms are two years in length, but board members are encouraged to run for more than one term, in order to learn the way the organization works and to provide stewardship for the long term.
What does the board do?
The board sets direction, by drafting "Ends policies" which describe what Common Ground hopes to achieve. These Ends Policies are critical, and must harmonize the diverse interests, issues, passions, and concerns of the membership. The board works to ensure good communication with the membership, and respond to membership concerns. This "member linkage" ensures that the board is acting in good faith with its boss, the members. The board also hires management, evaluates their performance, and holds them accountable to policies it drafts to ensure they are running the store in a way that achieves our goals while acting in a legal, prudent, and ethical manner.
Is the board paid?