Current Board of Directors

Christopher Hahn, President
Frankie Benoist, Vice President
Marcella Yturralde, Secretary/Treasurer
Betty Mishuk
Susan Morgan
Dana Coyle
Birke Earl

Any member of the board can be reached at boardofdirectors

About The Board of Directors

The ShopNatural Board is responsible for the strategic leadership of the organization and is accountable for how management achieves results. The Directors are tasked with protecting the resources members have entrusted to them. This Board has adopted a governance style based on a model developed by John Carver known as Policy Governance. Board policies are explicit written statements of values and perspectives on various topics that guide board decisions, the Board's delegation of authority to management, and board process.

ShopNatural board members are required to attend four to six in-person board meetings each year, one of which coincides with the Annual Member Meeting. These in-person meetings average two full days each. Generally, there is at least one conference call in each month during which there are no in-person meetings. Conference calls average two hours in length. On-going communication via fax, phone and e-mail provides the Board the ability to work on time-consuming details in between meetings. Directors should participate in one or more of the committees formed yearly by the Board.

Over the course of a year, a Board Member will likely average thirty hours per month on ShopNatural Board activities, including travel, reviews, preparation and actual meeting time. Board Members receive an honorarium of $125 per month, $100 per day for in-person meetings, and reimbursement for board related expenses and travel.

Board Qualifications & Responsibilities

1. Must meet the member eligibility criteria as established in the Bylaws, Article 2, Section B or be invited to run by the ShopNatural Board of Directors and possess unique qualifications beneficial to the cooperative.

2. Should have an understanding of and a commitment to the Seven Cooperative Principles as approved by the International Cooperative Alliance.

3. Must be able to travel and attend in-person board meetings and be available for scheduled conference calls.

4. Must be willing and able to work on ShopNatural Board of Directors business outside regularly scheduled meetings.

5. Must disclose areas of possible financial benefit or conflict of interest arising from association with ShopNatural, and be willing, at the request of the Board, to step aside when those areas are under consideration.

6. Must represent the membership as a whole, and therefore may not be an Authorized Representative of any ShopNatural member organization during his or her term on the Board.

7. Must be willing to adhere to the adopted governance style and participate in on-going visioning and goal setting on behalf of the membership of ShopNatural.

8. Must have a high level of commitment to the organization and its cooperative principles.

9. Must have e-mail or access to e-mail.

10. A 2/3 vote of the Board is required for the nominee to be accepted as a candidate for election to the Board of Directors.