Board Presidents' Roundtable: Why It Works

After attending the Consumer Cooperative Management Association (CCMA) 2024 conference in Duluth, Minnesota, I came home energized. I was inspired by the people I met, the ideas exchanged, and, perhaps most importantly, the realization that so many of us are grappling with similar challenges. I didn’t want that spark to fade while waiting for the next annual conference. I wanted to find a way to keep that enthusiasm alive all year long.

At the time, the Mid-Atlantic Food Co-op Alliance (MAFCA) met biannually. I always valued those gatherings and loved hearing what was happening at other co-ops, but I still wanted more connection, more conversation, and more opportunities to learn from one another. Several of us began meeting with MAFCA’s founders to talk about how the organization could grow and better serve our region.

What happened next was remarkable. Within just three months, we hosted a full-day conference with an incredible host co-op (thank you, Weavers Way!) and an outstanding lineup of speakers, including presenters from Food Co-op Initiative, National Co-op Grocers, Equal Exchange, Four Seasons Produce, Keystone Development Center, and General Managers from MAFCA Co-ops. About 75 people attended, creating a vibrant day of learning, sharing, and networking. One especially important focus was intentionally welcoming and supporting start-up co-ops.

I facilitated a Board “Popcorn” session during the conference. The room was packed, and the exchange of questions, ideas, and insights was lively and candid. Although the session was scheduled for 90 minutes, we easily could have gone longer; there was simply that much to talk about.

General Managers are fortunate to have multiple opportunities each year to gather, connect, and learn from one another. Board members, however, often don’t have that same level of support. Serving on a co-op board, especially as president or chair, can feel isolating. Until you attend conferences and build relationships with peers at other co-ops, it’s easy to feel like you’re operating in a silo, without a trusted thinking partner or sounding board.

That realization led to the creation of the MAFCA Presidents' Roundtable.

In July, before the MAFCA conference, I launched a monthly Presidents' Roundtable via Zoom, held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. What started with just a handful of board presidents and chairs has steadily grown. Each month, I send a reminder a week in advance, inviting agenda topics. The day before the meeting, the agenda is compiled and shared. The Zoom meetings are intentionally casual, limited to one hour, and grounded in trust: what’s shared in the roundtable stays in the roundtable.

The conversations have been rich, practical, and deeply affirming. Topics we’ve explored include:

• Building relationships with farmers and producers
• Volunteer engagement and leadership
• Transitioning from a working board to a governing board, and what to expect
• The Board/GM relationship: the good, the bad, and the challenging
• Addressing employee concerns when no HR support is available
• Director onboarding and committees
• Annual director elections
• Keeping the Board President role sustainable and manageable
• Recommended reading lists for directors
• Responding to member-owner requests for financial information
• How many directors co-ops typically send to CCMA conferences

What makes the roundtable truly special is the mix of participants - leaders from large, well-established co-ops, newer and smaller co-ops, and start-ups. The tone is friendly, respectful, and refreshingly honest. It is powerful to feel heard, understood, and supported by peers who “get it.” Every session offers new insights, practical takeaways, and little pearls of wisdom that make this work feel just a bit lighter and more sustainable.

The Presidents' Roundtable works because it fills a real gap - and because it reminds us that none of us are doing this work alone.

“As a board chair of a small 2-year-old co-op I have gained skills, confidence and peace of mind.” -Julie Harner, Board Chair, Lovettsville Cooperative Market