Owner's Portal

Thanks to of our Owners who are helping make the vision a reality!

Owner News

Owners

Candidates for Board of Directors 2024

Apr 26, 2024

The Board is currently accepting applications for one board seat this year. Interested in applying? See our post on eligibility to learn more Below are our candidates from last year's election - 2023 There are three open seats on the Board of Directors this year, and...

2024 Annual Meeting

Apr 26, 2024

At 11:30 AM on Saturday, May 18, The Chatham Marketplace Board of Directors welcomes owners to join us on the porch for our Annual Meeting. Attendees will hear the results of the 2024 board elections, updates from our Board President, Kelly Woods, as well as...

Letter from The Board – Leadership Transition

Mar 25, 2024

Dear Chatham Marketplace Owners, It is with gratitude and warm wishes that we announce General Manager Evan Diamond's departure from the store. He will be joining his wife full-time in their flower business Deep River Flower Farm after April 30. You've likely seen...

News Archives
Current Board 2022-2023

Current Co-Op Board

The Chatham Marketplace Board of Directors is elected by the co-op ownership.  The Board establishes guiding policies and hires a General Manager. The General Manager operates the business and is held accountable by the Board.

Contact the Board

Board Meetings

Board meetings take place on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 5:30 PM. Board meetings are held in person whenever possible, typically in the Forest Hall event space. If you are an owner and wish to attend, please contact the the store so we can provide you with the most up-to-date information.

For owner feedback relevant to a future meeting, or to contact the Chatham Marketplace Board of Directors for any reason at all, please contact us.

The Board of Directors encourages owners to attend a board meeting.

View Agendas & Meeting Minutes

Want to get involved? Become a candidate for the Board of Directors!

Information for candidates Act now! Applications due by Sunday May 12. Please read through the following information. Below you will find the form to submit your application as well as an FAQ. Attend a meeting The next meeting is planned for May 15th at 5:30pm at Forest Hall inside Chatham Mills (next to the Co-op). Check the store website or contact any Board member for details. Information...

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Candidates for Board of Directors 2024

The Board is currently accepting applications for one board seat this year. Interested in applying? See our post on eligibility to learn more Below are our candidates from last year's election - 2023 There are three open seats on the Board of Directors this year, and we have three candidates. Every owner in good standing  gets to vote. Please review the candidates below and when you're ready,...

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2022 Board Election News

There are two (2) board seats open for this year's election and we have received three (3) applications. Every owner in good standing (active within a year - no balance or on a one year payment plan) gets to vote. Please review the candidates and when you're ready, use the button to cast you vote! Ballots will be accepted now through the Annual Meeting on Saturday, May 22 @ 1 PM.   Lindsey...

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About Policy Governance

The Chatham Marketplace Board of Directors uses a framework called Policy Governance to define the role and function of the Board and the General Manager. Policy Governance allows the Board to maintain complete accountability for the Co-op, but, insures that management decisions are left in the hands of the General Manager.

The principles at the core of the Policy Governance system are:

  • Governance is a function of ownership, not management;
  • Boards are the highest authority under owners;
  • Boards operate by consensus and speak with one voice;
  • Boards are accountable to owners for everything within the organization;
  • Boards need to empower those to whom they delegate authority while remaining fully accountable for the use of that authority.

Under the Policy Governance framework, the Board has defined Ends Statements, policies outlining our Governance Process, policies outlining the General Manager’s role, and policies defining the relationship between the Board and the General Manager. All owners are encouraged to read and understand our Ends and Policies

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Owner FAQs

Ownership is what you make it

Many owners just want to support a locally owned, community oriented business by paying their $100 equity share and shopping the store. We’re all busy – we get it. We’re happy to have you! The power of the co-op model however is that all owners have equal access to help drive the vision for our store. 

How can I participate beyond just shopping?

A great place to start is to come to a board meeting. They occur monthly and you can find information towards the top of this page on how to attend. From there you might decide to join a board committee or perhaps even run for the board in the future.

What is a patronage dividend?

Patronage dividends are assesed yearly by the General Manager and the Board of Directors. Essentially, when the co-op is profitable, we share that profitability with our owners. Every year, usually in May, we report to our owners on the financial health of the co-op for the previous year. If you’d like to learn more about this, keep an eye out for an invitation to the next annual meeting.

Should I use my owner number even when I'm not getting a discount?

Yes! For two reasons – when the co-op decides to pay a patronage dividend, it is distributed based on how much you use the store. An owner that spends $5 does not receive the same amount as an owner that spends $5,000.

Also, when you use your number, you are considered active. We track how many active owners we have closely and this information is reported to our board of directors. Lots of active owners means a healthy ownership. 

Where can I view the policy register?

View our Chatham Marketplace Policy Register here.

Where can I view the Articles of Incorporation?

Right here.

Where can I view the board's by-laws?

You can view the current by-laws here. By-laws are the responsibility of the board of directors and our by-laws were most recently amended January 2022.