Greetings fellow member-owners! It’s time to vote for a new round of directors at KCFC. Voting is very important to the cooperative model and is Cooperative Principle #2. As a KCFC member-owner, you elect the Board of Directors who are the stewards who govern this business. Each member-owner will be sent an e-mail ballot through Helios (a web-based electronic voting system.) Please cast one vote per household.
Voting will open on Saturday, April 23rd and close on Sunday, May 8th at 10:00pm. If you don’t receive your ballot (after checking your spam folder) please email [email protected] to request one.
This year, we have five candidates running for four Board of Directors seats. Each of the candidates is elected for a term of three years. We have asked each candidate what areas of the Co-op are important to them as well as some questions to help you learn more about them. Get to know the candidates running for YOUR Board below!
Jon Fink
Member-Owner #: 1237
Cooperative/Store issues of particular interest to me:
- Supporting local food vendors
- Creating access to fresh food
- Meeting people in our neighborhood and helping my community
- Financial stability of the co-op
Tell us about yourself and your personal/professional background, including relevant experience, leadership positions and passions.
My name is Jonathan Fink. My wife, Marjorie Goldberg, and I have been Fishtown home-owners since 1997. We raised our children to adulthood in our house on Marlborough Street. I am a professional musician (a cellist) and I play regularly in the Philly Pops and other local orchestras. In addition, I am a realtor and run a team at Compass. Finally, I fly a restored Beechcraft Bonanza and often use my aircraft for charity missions. In 2021, I went on six dog rescue flights saving a total of seven animals from kill shelters in the South.
I am currently a Board Member of Project 440 – a music based non-profit helping young people improve their worlds through the lens of music. I have been the leader of my own Real Estate team, the Jonathan Fink Group, for the past 12 years. I spent about 10 years as president of the Delaware Valley Aviation Flying Club. At the time, a 25 member group was flying three planes. I believe strongly in supporting my local community in any way I can.
Describe your involvement with KCFC, including how long you have been a member-owner and any ways you have volunteered.
I am a member of the co-op and shop there regularly. I have not volunteered, but would certainly be open to it!
(Added note: Jon was appointed to the Board of Directors in January 2022 as an Interim Board Member to fill an open position, and is now running for the official Board term.)
Why should you be elected to the KCFC Board of Directors? What unique skills or insights do you bring?
My personality is such that I tend to be very straight-forward. I don’t shy away from expressing my opinion, but I also think I am very capable of understanding other people’s positions. I don’t tend to want to be argumentative on issues. I am often wrong and I am okay with that. I believe one of my biggest strengths is my ability to see things from different objectives. I can put myself in someone else’s shoes and tend to be very empathetic. I have been in the area for a long time, so I know many different people from every walk of life.
Finally, I have great enthusiasm for all things Fishtown/Kensington. I hope to be able to join The Board and help move the Co-op forward!
Josh Graff
Member-Owner #: 1458
Cooperative/Store issues of particular interest to me:
- Local sourcing (highlighting local makers in East Kensington)
- Environmental issues and sustainable packaging
- Community involvement, connectedness, and event planning
Tell us about yourself and your personal/professional background, including relevant experience, leadership positions and passions.
Professionally, I am a software engineer, but personally, I am much more interested in being involved in the community I am a part of. I have volunteered with cat shelters, community farms, and served as Treasurer for my friend’s City Councilor Campaign (she got elected!)
I’m a strong believer in the umbrella of slow food, and love to highlight locally sourced, sustainable, and ethical foodstuffs. Kitchen experimentation and ingredient exploration are strong hobbies of mine – from brewing to charcuterie and cheese making. I’m always searching for community makers and creators; my social media feed is filled with local events and popups instead of memes (though still plenty of cat pictures.)
Describe your involvement with KCFC, including how long you have been a member-owner and any ways you have volunteered.
The first day I moved to East Kensington, I signed up to be a member-owner – it was one of the biggest things that endeared me to the area. While that wasn’t too long ago, I’ve tried to become involved wherever I can – attending general meetings, events, litter pick-ups, and shelf stocking (it’s such a great way to find new or popular gems at the store!) The mission and community behind the co-op is everything I was looking for in a place to settle and led me to call East Kensington home. So much so that I’m going to be living even closer soon!
Why should you be elected to the KCFC Board of Directors? What unique skills or insights do you bring?
I’m looking to give back to the KCFC community in any way I can – from answering the suggestion board or vendor applications to listening to members during board meetings. While I’d love the opportunity to highlight my tech background and will try to assist KCFC in that capacity, I truly believe my biggest passion is connecting with and giving back to the community surrounding it. I’d love to see even more emphasis on outreach like cleanups, hosting events, and connecting/collaborating with The Coral Street Fridge. I’d love to see us further feature hyper-local makers and artists while showcasing the emerging talent coming out of our neighborhood.
Suzanne Hughes
Member-Owner #: 311
Cooperative/Store issues of particular interest to me:
- Food access
- Supporting local businesses/sourcing local products
- Sustainability
Tell us about yourself and your personal/professional background, including relevant experience, leadership positions and passions.
I am an Iowa transplant who has called Philadelphia home for the last seventeen years. I am an elementary school principal at a West Philadelphia charter school. I have spent my career in education and leadership working as a teacher, school leader, and in state government and local nonprofits. I have an MPA from the University of Pennsylvania with a focus in non-profit management.
I live in Fishtown with my husband. In my free time, I enjoy cooking and exploring the great Philadelphia food scene, traveling, triathlons, and sewing.
Describe your involvement with KCFC, including how long you have been a member-owner and any ways you have volunteered.
I first heard about KCFC through my neighbor who has been involved since inception. I have been a member since 2013 – long before there was a brick and mortar store. It has been so amazing to see the store come to fruition. I am looking for more ways to become involved and volunteer, and I think running for The Board could be a great opportunity to give back!
Why should you be elected to the KCFC Board of Directors? What unique skills or insights do you bring?
I think my experiences in non-profit and educational leadership could be an asset for the board. I have experience in financial and performance management, human resources, and communications that would be helpful in governance and board management issues. I am action-oriented, organized, and would love to support KCFC in their next phases of growth.
Julie Whalen
Member-Owner #: 1454
Cooperative/Store issues of particular interest to me:
- Supporting local businesses, makers, creators, and artists
- Giving back to the community (especially through The Coral Street Fridge)
- Providing a wide range of quality products to the community at affordable prices
Tell us about yourself and your personal/professional background, including relevant experience, leadership positions and passions.
I am a Temple grad who moved back to the area (East Kensington) in Spring 2021. By day, I am a Financial Analyst for a government contracting company and have five years of accounting/finance experience under my belt. This is my first time running for a Board of Directors, but I pride myself in being a quick and eager learner.
Describe your involvement with KCFC, including how long you have been a member-owner and any ways you have volunteered.
I joined KCFC as a member-owner in the Summer of 2021, shortly after moving to the neighborhood with my husband. I have really enjoyed volunteering with the co-op, and have helped with both inventory and shelf stocking in the past. I love attending markets and events at the co-op!
Why should you be elected to the KCFC Board of Directors? What unique skills or insights do you bring?
I am a very dependable, responsible, and organized individual. I have two degrees in accounting and many years of experience in different industries, including retail. I believe my financial background and experience would be beneficial to The Board.
Erin Witman
Member-Owner #: 399
Cooperative/Store issues of particular interest to me:
- Ever-reducing the environmental impact of the co-op operations and product selection
- Exploring new ways the co-op can be an attractive and feasible shopping place for lower income neighbors
- When the cafe re-ops, strategizing on drawing in more people to utilize it as a community space
Tell us about yourself and your personal/professional background, including relevant experience, leadership positions and passions.
Raised in Lancaster, PA (where we KNOW good, local produce!) I ventured to Temple University in search of the city lifestyle and diversity. After a stint in the D.C. area working in the arts, Philly drew me back in 2012, where I now spend my days as a right-hand administrative partner to a busy real estate agent with a large client base in the River Wards.
My personal passion to create the smallest possible environmental footprint shapes the rest. I live in a tiny home, have no car, shop second hand, and believe that “reduce” is by far the most important of the “3 R’s!” From 2013 – 2017, I served on the steering committee for the NKCDC organization called Sustainable 19125 & 19134, taking minutes at monthly meetings, tabling, and organizing clean-ups, swag handouts, and e-cycling events. My favorite achievement was putting together an event around eco-friendly DIY cleaning products!
Describe your involvement with KCFC, including how long you have been a member-owner and any ways you have volunteered.
I learned of KCFC through Sustainable 19125 & 19134, joining in 2014 when the co-op was just a pop-up weekly market. I bought a house in 2016 that happened to sit only two blocks from the future site, after which I could not wait for the grand opening! Since then, I walk over at least once a week to shop. I haunted the cafe often, whether to hang out over a drink, play quizzo, or rock in a jam session. A favorite memory is hosting a private party there, complete with fire pits and s’mores!
When COVID hit, having a convenient, small, and conscientious store like KCFC meant even more. Recently, I have volunteered with inventory and stocking shelves. Being able to help in the store in a physical and tangible way just makes me feel that much closer to KCFC as an integral part of my life and my community.
Why should you be elected to the KCFC Board of Directors? What unique skills or insights do you bring?
The co-op has given me so much: convenience, variety, fun, and friendships. I have benefitted as a shopper for years, and this feels like the right time to give back. In my college days, I studied to be a theater stage manager, so you might guess I’m best when I’m behind the scenes. Even in my current profession, despite holding a real estate license myself, I stick to handling the background activities for my agent so she can shine with her sales and training clients. I’d rather do data entry than make a presentation or talk on the phone!
I enjoy creating systems and procedures that help myself and others operate more accurately and efficiently, and I excel at responsibilities requiring organization, precision, compliance, and attention to detail. I’d love to help the KCFC identify any procedural gaps consuming too much time or money and help shore them up!
