I have been honored to serve on the Co-op’s Board as a director and then president from 1991–2003, and as Vice President for a one-year term in 2019–2020, assisting in the governance of the Co-op’s growth across three stores.

In 1990 I became increasingly aware of inequities and injustices around the production of and access to food. I was introduced to the Co-op by friends, where I found it easy to adopt a vegetarian (and now vegan) diet featuring locally produced, organic and fairly traded products. As I learned more about how cooperatives empower individuals through economic democracy and build communities around shared values, I decided to become active in governance and eventually take on a leadership role.

My years spent on the Co-op board are among my most valued in regards to personal growth and development. Through a strong sense of community, teamwork, consensus building and engagement with our owners, coupled with financial and governance training, we were able to sustain our small store and then grow our outreach and impact into now two new stores, propelling our ownership base into the tens of thousands.

That experience fueled my involvement in shared governance at UB, where I served as Chair of the Professional Staff Senate for four years, and as statewide Convener of the SUNY Campus Governance Leaders group. 

At UB I work as an Instructional Support Technician and instructor in the UB Department of Art, in the areas of Graphic Design and Art & Technology. I have a freelance design and photography business, and I hold a Master’s Degree in Education and Technology. I have two brilliant and compassionate daughters, both enrolled in SUNY colleges.