Vote in April!
for our Board candidates
Voting begins at 10:00 am on Thursday, April 1, in the store.
Voting closes at 7:00 pm on Friday, April 30.
If you are a member who cannot make it to the store, please email bod@quabbinharvest.coop and we'll mail you a paper ballot.
Everyone who votes will receive a fabulous Quabbin Harvest "I voted" sticker!
Here are your Board candidates:
2022 BOARD CANDIDATES
Pam Harty: As a new resident of the North Quabbin, but with a passion for food as a means to connect, heal, and support communities, I’d be honored to be voted onto the Board of Directors for Quabbin Harvest.
My work experience may be of use in helping achieve Quabbin Harvest’s goals: I’ve run the largest food pantry on the South Shore of MA, focusing on dignity and respect for all who sought our assistance; I’ve volunteered and taught youth at a certified organic farm in Southeastern MA; I’ve most recently worked retail and corporate buying functions for a national retail grocer.
I recognize the critical role that food co-ops play in the resiliency of our local food economies; and I see Quabbin Harvest specifically as a key element of the 'Magic of Downtown Orange.' Since moving here in Summer 2021, I’ve been volunteering to help pack CSAs and prepare items alongside the fabulous kitchen team, and would be delighted to bring whatever perspective, experience, and enthusiasm I have in retail and food work to help Quabbin Harvest’s amazing team achieve its goals.
MaryEllen Kennedy has been a resident of New Salem for over 30 years. After a career in high-tech, learning the power of electronic communications, she is happy to have more time to focus on the joys and challenges of the North Quabbin region. She has been a trustee of the New Salem Library and has spent many years working to build a fiber optic network in the town, now a reality. As a volunteer and now board member of Quabbin Harvest, she is thrilled to help bring access to good local food to an increasing number of our citizens and support our local producers.
Mark E. Maynard. I was born and raised in Warwick, and my wife and I live there still. We are members of the Co-op, and were able to loan money to the Co-op at the time of the move from the Orange Innovation Center to this current space. We participated in the Share a Shelf program, and we have attended various events here in the building. I’m hoping my lifelong residence in the area and my nearly 40 years working for a county-based non-profit organization has given me some insight and hands-on appreciation for what it’s like to live in this part of Franklin County. This Co-op has been a presence here for many years and I’m willing to be a part of whatever it takes for it to continue being a part of the community.
After a little more than 2 years on the board.....there was no way when I was elected in early 2020 to imagine all that would happen within weeks, and then continuing for 2 years, and still happening. The Co-op has done an amazing job of not just weathering the worst of the pandemic but thriving. As always, we have good months and less-good months, but we are still a viable resource in our area. We have incredible staffing and dedicated volunteers. As a member of the Personnel Sub-Committee, which I hope to stay on, we have been busy with updating the Personnel Handbook, interviewing and hiring staff as needed, adapting policies related to the pandemic to guide and protect our staff and customers, and whatever other duties come with being a member of that sub-committee. As a board member, I and the full board have needed to adapt to an ever-changing mixture of in-person meetings, full zoom meetings, and hybrid meetings. I have helped around the building and the grounds to a small degree, and hope to increase my volunteer activities, and our household hopes to be able to contribute to fund-raising efforts. Call me crazy, but I would appreciate the opportunity to serve another term on the Quabbin Harvest Board of Directors.
Kelsey Cass is an Athol native who moved back to the North Quabbin region after completing her undergrad at the University of Vermont. Kelsey is a yoga instructor, works for a family-owned business, and a local non-profit. Kelsey sees the co-op as a vital resource in our community. She is inspired by the co-op’s ability to foster resilience through accessibility to local and healthy food, partnerships among local businesses, and creating job opportunities in the region.
Ingrid Schatz. I have deep roots in the North Quabbin region. I am a 4th generation Orange native and moved back to Orange after living in Boston for 20+ years. My career as a professional dancer, choreographer and educator informs my outlook on life and my work in the world: I’m a Creative who works to make connections between people and systems through collaborative methodologies.
I took over The Dance Studio located in downtown Orange in 2013. In the last eight years, I have built a studio community that I am very proud of – it is built on clear communication, inclusion, and the belief that all community members have something important to contribute to the vitality of our dance community. The studio is now located in the Central School building and is a Quabbin Harvest neighbor. The vitality of our little and powerful block in the downtown is of great importance to me.
This will be my third term on the Quabbin Harvest Board of Directors. I ran for the board originally because I am deeply concerned about food security and wanted to be actively involved in an organization that was working with local farmers, increasing access to healthy food and increasing the sustainability of local food systems. During my time on the board, I have organized the yearly fundraising auctions, been on the outreach committee and worked in the kitchen since 2018 preparing food.
I will continue to bring my experience running a successful and growing business in downtown Orange, my experience in the non-profit arts sector and my passion for vibrant and sustainable community to my work on the board of directors.
