Board of Directors Application

The ACM Board of Directors is seeking new board candidates, and it doesn’t get more exciting than this. Our store is now open and in it’s first year of operation!

A number of seats will be filled this spring, and we are looking to diversify our board to better represent our community.

Interested Co-op owners, to view more about what board service entails, and to get an application packet click here to download the Board of Directors Application.

Thank you for your interest!

Mark Lo, Board Secretary

A Letter From the Board of Directors, Spring 2024

Dear Members, 

As you may have heard, this is the time of the year when Assabet Co-op Market’s Board of Directors looks for new board members to replace outgoing members. And maybe you’re thinking, “Why me? What do I have to offer to the board?”

That’s exactly what was going through my head two years ago. I had been a co-op volunteer for a couple of years, and I felt like I wanted to do more, but did I have the necessary qualifications? Some board members had worked in bakeries and on farms, while others had experience in human resources, finance, and fundraising. I had no relevant experience at all, unless you count stints at two fast food restaurants when I was a teenager. But I went to an informational session, and board president Leah Ciappenelli said,  “None of us have been on the board of a food co-op before. We are all learning and growing together.”

Today, as board secretary, I file official documents with the State of Massachusetts, I sign other paperwork to represent the board, and I help ensure meeting minutes are accurate. As a member of the executive committee, I take notes to distribute to the rest of the board and act as a sounding board for any issues and ideas that come up. And as a member of the communications committee, I help write and edit messages like this one. 

I’m still coming up to speed on understanding loan terminology and budget projections, but I’m slowly getting there. Thanks to our general manager, Sam McCormick, who has years of experience running a co-op, we’re all learning a lot about the retail food business and co-ops in particular. It’s fun to hear about new store programs in advance, like our upcoming kitchen relaunch. Board members also serve as on-call volunteers, and I’ve helped give tours of the store during construction and staff tables at local events. I even participated in the store’s first inventory!

In short, we are laying a few bricks upon the foundation put down by the board members who came before us, and other members will lay a few more bricks upon ours. And together, we will build a store that will be successful long into the future.

So, if you are passionate about the co-op and have a few hours to dedicate each month, please contact us at board@assabetmarket.coop. And hopefully I will see you on the board in the future!

Mark Lo, current Assabet Co-op Market board member and secretary