Please welcome our first employee, Robin Devereaux-Nelson!

Thanks to the Rural Seed Grant we received from Food Cooperative Initiative, and a training grant received from the Howard Bowers Fund for Food Co-ops, the BCCM Board of Directors was able to launch a successful campaign to hire a part-time outreach coordinator.

The process of hiring Robin was involved but heartening. Fourteen applicants met our deadline. Among them wonderful people we’d never met who had good ideas and good questions for us. After interviews with a subcommittee of the board, we passed along finalists to Katie Novak, an Illinois-based consultant to start-up co-ops. Robin Devereaux-Nelson was our final candidate, based on her experience, enthusiasm and knowledge.
 
Robin began her nonprofit career in the late 1980s with the Bay Area Women’s Center, where she developed and facilitated the first federally-funded shelter children’s program in Michigan. Since that time, she has worked with many specialized populations, such as the homeless, families experiencing poverty, differently abled individuals, children, the elderly and low-income housing. Robin is a proud graduate of Delta College, and has attended Central Michigan, Saginaw Valley State and Grand Valley State universities, attaining several certificates and awards. She is a graduate of Professional Small Business Consultants and is pleased to bring her education, experience and dedication to community to the Bay City Cooperative Market. Robin can be reached by email at robin.bcfcoop@gmail.com.

Katie Novak will also remain engaged with us as a consultant, working with Robin and the co-op board. She is the former outreach coordinator for Green Top Grocery, a co-op in Bloomington, Ill., where she’s been credited with growing ownership (with the help of an army) from just over 100 owners in April 2013 to more than 1,400 owners by early last year. Green Top this year opened its 10,000-square-foot store.  

Expect to hear lots more from us in the coming year!

And remember, joining in ownership of our grocery store is easy! You can pay in full or in installments with our easy payment plan. You can also choose to become a Founding Owner by giving extra toward capital, also in full or by the payment plan.

Become an Owner. Build a Market.