Repairing Bridges

We Have Some Broken Bridges Here. Let’s Fix That.

Hello to our cooperative community!

One thing that I’ve been hearing as I meet with people throughout our business is a profound feeling of disconnection between others. It goes by many names—silos, fiefdoms, islands, etc. But the roots always stem from the same concept—that our relationships are strained.

It’s not unusual to be in this spot. Businesses everywhere are navigating this same tension. During the pandemic, we were thrust into solitude in a way unlike anything many of us have ever experienced. And while it’s incredibly tough to be in this spot, there is also so much hope.

The one unifier is that people want a better future.
I’m hearing about our disconnection
because everyone wants to make it better.
When we want that kind of change, it can happen.

This will be a critically important focus for me over the coming year, and I’ll be working with everyone—staff and members alike—to rebuild connections throughout our organization. It will take all of us to build this, but there’s no doubt in my mind that we can because I believe we all share one common goal—a successful business that supports employees and members and builds a stronger community. I believe we also share the feeling that to achieve this, we must work together.

I’ll be working hard to build new bridges for us, but the work starts with all of us finding value in one another’s perspectives and having empathy for each other. When we leverage the diverse perspectives, unique ideas, and incredible skills of our colleagues throughout the cooperative, we get better results. Never forget that we are much stronger, and can accomplish more, as a team.

—Amanda

Things to Know About

Co-op Elections: Thanks to everyone who voted in the Co-op’s elections this year! We have several new board members and some updates to our bylaws. Look for the results here.

The following two tabs change content below.

Amanda Charland

Amanda Charland is the General Manager of the Co-op Food Stores. She was first hired as the Co-op's Sustainability Coordinator in 2012, and joined the Co-op Leadership Team as Member Services and Outreach Director in 2014. She earned a Master's Degree in Cooperative Management in 2017, and she was promoted to Director of Cooperative Engagement in 2018. She was hired by the Co-op Board of Directors as General Manager in 2022. Contact her at acharland@coopfoodstore.com.

Latest posts by Amanda Charland (see all)