We've previously communicated, via multiple channels, our progress on securing the funds for our initial site at 109 S. Main Street in Lombard. In an effort to remain transparent, we wanted to provide the below update. 

Quick recap
In February 2021, we signed a tentative lease for a site at 109 S. Main Street.  Our projected costs for that development were $4.4M. Over the last year, we held two capital campaigns to raise the $4.4M needed to fully fund our store. By December, we secured $3.2M ($1.67M in owner investments, $300K in owner equity, and $1.2M bank loan). To bridge the $1.2M gap, we turned to the village of Lombard, DuPage County, and the State of Illinois for assistance. Both the village and county declined our request for funds, and while the state-funded grant is still being considered  we believe our chance of receiving any funds is low due to the competitive market and our lack of not-for-profit status. For more details, please read the update posted in March. 

What does this mean for our store?

It means that we keep at it!  We are officially announcing that we are searching for an alternative location for our community-owned grocery store in the Lombard area. While at first glance this may seem like a set-back, as JQ Hannah, Assistant Director at Food Co-op Initiative says, "it is not uncommon for food co-op startups to lose their first site, but the vast majority of those that do so still go on to find the right site, open to great success and become economic anchors of their community for decades to come."  And Prairie Food Co-op will do just this!

Next steps
Protecting our owner-members’ financial stake is our top priority and proper research as well as due diligence are keys to keeping with this goal. The Board continues to brainstorm ways to cut costs such as purchasing used equipment and evaluating lower-cost site options, but adequate store size, parking, accessibility and other considerations are important when evaluating a potential storefront. Any new site will have to match or exceed the standards set by 109 S. Main, and show an acceptable level of success as demonstrated in a similar, professionally-conducted market study. 

“We still raised a phenomenal amount of capital and are in a strong position to move quickly when we find a site that meets our criteria for success. We have all worked hard for 9 years to get to where we are today. Our store is right around the corner.” - Kathy Nash, Co- Founder and President of the Board 

Fall Community Investment Program
Co-ops are created to meet the needs of Owners through mutual self-reliance. A central, underlying concept, Cooperative Principle 3, states that Owners themselves are the primary source of capital, and Owners share common ownership and control of the Co-op's capital. As of today, 30% of our Owners invested or donated $1.67M - a strong financial commitment. However, while the total development cost will depend on the site selected, initial estimates indicate we do not yet have enough capital raised to fully fund our store.

To ensure we have the funding, we will hold one final Community Investment Program campaign in the fall. Over the next few months we will be connecting with our owners, seeking volunteers, and developing a solid strategy to ensure success in this final effort.  

We feel confident in where we are. We believe in our mission and in you, our Owners. Together, We Got This!

Don't want to wait until the Fall? Contact us now at [email protected] to volunteer and or invest! 

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Owner Number 789

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Why are you interested in serving on the Prairie Food Board of Directors?

I want to help PFC push over the line to become a real store as soon as possible!

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Employment: Please tell us about your past or present employment

I am the owner of Damen Jackson, a branding agency. I started the agency in 1998 and have recently moved our headquarters to Glen Ellyn.

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Volunteer: Membership/Affiliation/Leadership Past and Present:

I have primarily been leading my team over the past 24 years, so I haven't had much time for volunteer work. During my career, I have also closely collaborated with a non-profit fundraising consulting organization to brand major capital campaigns.

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Which of the following areas do you have expertise?

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What experience, education, and skills do you have that you feel will contribute to your effectiveness as a Prairie Food Director?

I have gained significant skills in collaboration, active listening and leading teams.

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What are your personal goals for Prairie Food Co-op?

I would really like to help realize the dream of opening the PFC at 100% of its original plan; to help the organization and store come to life without compromise.

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What experience (if any) have you had with cooperatives, food or otherwise?

My experience is simply from visiting coops and buying groceries there. I've been an early advocate for PFC because I enjoyed that experience so much.

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"I am a PFC owner and investor committed to furthering the success of PFC’s mission."

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Owner Number 560

Why are you interested in serving on the Prairie Food Board of Directors?

This is a very exciting time for PFC. I have been a member since moving to Elmhurst in 2015. I am in awe of the commitment that the PFC community has made to bring this vision to reality and I believe it is time for me to get more involved. I am interested in joining the board to really help with the transition from a working board to an oversight board and joining the board when it is still a working board will help me to get a sense of where I can best help. I serve or have served on a couple boards for non-profits that were more in the oversight capacity. This transition excites me. I am very committed to the PFC mission and I also believe that I can be of help as it relates to finances and audit.

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Employment: Please tell us about your past or present employment

I work for DBRS Morningstar, a credit rating agency. I lead the North American Commercial Real Estate team. I have been in this field for more than 25 years.

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Which of the following areas do you have expertise?

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What experience, education, and skills do you have that you feel will contribute to your effectiveness as a Prairie Food Director?

I have served on non-profit boards in the past. I think that gives me insights on how boards can work. I am a good listener as well and can translate ideas into actionable items.

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What are your personal goals for Prairie Food Co-op?

I would like to see continue on its mission to offer the community a place for locally sourced product and educational outreach. Wellness is so important and I believe that PFC is already rooted in this philosophy and I would just like to be a steward to continue to execute on that mission.

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What experience (if any) have you had with cooperatives, food or otherwise?

I have experience in finance relating to multi family cooperative housing loans.

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Back to Candidate Page

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"I believe you can't complain about things unless you are willing to do what you can to fix them. As an owner of PFC, I will support the mission. As a director, I can be even more directly engaged."

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Owner Number 1519

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Why are you interested in serving on the Prairie Food Board of Directors? 

My journey toward understanding healthy land, healthy food, healthy people started many years ago when I met my dear friend Christina Pirello and read my first Wendell Berry book, The Gift of Good Land. I continued reading everything I could find, but it was working with people like Christina in her efforts to “save the world, one meal at a time” and the DeWalds who are building a sustainable community at Serosun Farms in Hampshire, that taught me about the big and small ways that every person can contribute to ensuring their own health and that of our soil, water, and overall environment. Each day I have found new opportunities, both big and small, to create impact, from the basics of eating organic, composting, and recycling, to understanding where and how our products are produced and the impacts of those processes, to engaging at NIU’s Northern Illinois Center for Community Sustainability regarding food systems innovation, water resources, and environmental change. I am hardly an expert, but for me, Prairie Foods Co-op brings so many pieces together in one place, a place that supports a whole community’s healthier way of life. While I've gotten involved in many things over my life, this really aligns with my passion.

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Employment: Please tell us about your past or present employment

Co-Founder and Board Chair - First Women's Bank (Sept 2017 - Present) - launched the first new bank in IL in 13 years with a focus on growing the small business economy and elevating the role of women within it.

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President - IC Catholic Prep (August 2016 - July 2017) - created a business office and structured the role of President for a co-ed Catholic high school. Launched the search committee to identify the permanent person.

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Advisor to the CEO - Opportunity International (December 2015 - July 2016) - an organization that is working to create jobs as a way to end global poverty by providing small business loans, savings, insurance and training to more than 14 million people in the developing world. Assisted the CEO in transitioning the structure and strategy of the organization.

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JPMorgan Chase (and predecessor organizations) (1987-2015) - held numerous leadership roles across risk management, operations, sales, finance and technology including Head of Investor Relations, Chief Financial Officer of Commercial Banking, Head of Midwest Middle Market and Chief Credit Officer Business Banking.

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Volunteer: Membership/Affiliation/Leadership Past and Present:

President of the Board - Milaan Foundation (January 2016 - Present) - provides funding for educational and leadership programs for adolescent girls in India to use their voice to change longstanding cultural norms.

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Member of the Board and the Finance Committee - Gateway to Learning (March 2022 - Present) - provides educational and job training programs for adults with intellectual changes and developmental disabilities.

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President's Advisory Council - Northern Illinois University (2021-Present) - group of alumni, community leaders and business executives that offer guidance to President Freeman as she directs the strategic direction of the school.

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Dean's Advisory Council - Northern Illinois University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Board Member - Immaculate Conception Grade School

Board Member and member of Finance Committee - Maria High School

Board Member and Executive Committee - Goodman Theater

Board Member - All Chicago Making Homelessness History

Board Member and Chair Compensation Committee - United Way of Metropolitan Chicago

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Which of the following areas do you have expertise?

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What experience, education, and skills do you have that you feel will contribute to your effectiveness as a Prairie Food Director?

I have an BS in Technology from Northern Illinois University and an MBA in Finance & Accounting from University of Chicago. While I have never been involved in managing or leading an organization in the food industry, I have significant experience in managing teams and leading both for-profit and non-profit organizations toward a common goal. I am not a CPA, but have broad financial experience from my various roles at JPMorgan, as well as board and finance committee roles.

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What are your personal goals for Prairie Food Co-op?

That Prairie becomes a mainstay of Lombard, as well as the broader western suburbs, to help educate people on the tremendous benefits of sourcing local and eating healthy as a way to ensure a vibrant community.

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What experience (if any) have you had with cooperatives, food or otherwise?

While my only experience with cooperatives has been shopping at them periodically, I have frequented and worked at farmer's markets. Having the opportunity to meet the people that produce the food you eat creates a unique connection. Overall though, I am fascinated by the health implications of food and the concept of food as medicine. I know I'm preaching to the choir, but Illinois ranks 3rd nationally in productive farmland, yet only about 5% of the food we consume is grown here. The distance our food has to travel, as well as the depletion of nutrients in the soil due to current farming practices has had a huge impact on the taste, quality and health benefits of food. Through personal experience, I am a firm believer that good food, in the right combinations, can address many of the growing health issues our country faces. We as consumers have to be the ones to force a change.

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"Writer/editor, graphic designer, and enemy of plastic"

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Owner Number 1434

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Why are you interested in serving on the Prairie Food Board of Directors? 

A couple years ago, before I purchased a share, I had determined to reduce the amount of plastic in my life. In looking for ways to do that, I discovered the co-op and figured its success would mean I'd have bulk food available within biking distance of my home, so I bought in. This remains important to me so if I can contribute as a board member, I would be happy to do so.

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I think it's important for the planet that co-ops like this one take hold, spread, and compete in a serious way with the food retail giants.

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For myself, I am keenly aware that all I really do as a professional boils down to moving pixels around on a screen. What's missing is any kind of tangible result for my knowledge and effort. Serving on this board and helping to get the building built and the store in business would be the kind of achievement I think I have been missing.

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Employment: Please tell us about your past or present employment 

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I am a freelance presentation developer, which combines graphic design with writing and editing. The majority of my clients are businesses in the fields of marketing, consulting (management and supply chain), healthcare and pharmaceuticals. I have piled up almost 20 years worth of experience helping clients to expose problems in ways that generate solutions — and to then present those solutions in ways that lead to action.

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Volunteer: Membership/Affiliation/Leadership Past and Present:

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I served on my condominium association for two or three years.

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Which of the following areas do you have expertise?

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What experience, education, and skills do you have that you feel will contribute to your effectiveness as a Prairie Food Director?

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I can write, edit, and proofread text and am familiar with visual communication — pairing images with words to convey a message to a general audience comprising "readers" and "lookers" (who key on graphics first and only like read when the images compel them to). All of this came to my through my education, and during my career I've added project management skills.

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I would expect to contribute in the areas of marketing and community outreach, and perhaps grant-writing.

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What are your personal goals for Prairie Food Co-op?

I want to see the store open and running smoothly, and also in a position to advise and assist similar organizations coming to life in the city.

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What experience (if any) have you had with cooperatives, food or otherwise?

I spent the winter unloading trucks and stocking groceries at night in 1999.

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Back to Candidate Page

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"Plant-based chef driven to enhance our community through food via education, accessibility, & awareness."

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Owner Number 941

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Why are you interested in serving on the Prairie Food Board of Directors? 

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Employment: Please tell us about your past or present employment

I currently own Culinary Confidante (est. 2017) a plant-based culinary education business that provides in-home culinary coaching, cooking parties and workshops. I am currently taking time off from this to enjoy my third baby, who we welcomed last August.

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Prior to Culinary Confidante I worked at Northern Illinois Food Bank as the Child Nutrition Programs Manager and then as the Nutrition Center Manager. I have also worked in various roles within the restaurant and hospitality industry for over 20 years.

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Volunteer: Membership/Affiliation/Leadership Past and Present:

2019- present: PFC Ownership & Outreach Committee 2021: Northwest Community Healthcare- Research Dept assisting with Covid data collection

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Which of the following areas do you have expertise?

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What experience, education, and skills do you have that you feel will contribute to your effectiveness as a Prairie Food Director?

During my time on the Ownership & Outreach Committee I have proven my ability to effectively organize events, network within the community and work well with the PFC team. Examples of this include the knife skills workshop, a reusable produce bag sewing workshop, the Ask a Chef series on Facebook live and the virtual Eat Well Be Well workshop.

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Additionally, I hold a Bachelors in Nutrition, Dietetics & Hospitality Administration as well as a Personal Chef Certificate from Kendall College. 

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What are your personal goals for Prairie Food Co-op?

I can’t wait for Prairie Food to bring local and sustainable foods to our community. Not only will it be a great place to shop but to meet friends as well. I would love to continue to be involved in bringing workshops to our community through PFC.

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What experience (if any) have you had with cooperatives, food or otherwise?

In college I frequented the Duck Soup Co-op in DeKalb. I definitely loved the bulk bins. Carob covered almonds and glad corn were my favorites! My two older children have attended the Co-op Preschool in Lombard and my third will go there as well when he’s old enough. I love how involved the parents and the teachers are. It really feels like a community.

 

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"Natural foods industry professional with 25 years of experience in retail & sales. My journey began at a natural food co-op which sprouted my love of local & organic. Hoping to share this with PFC."

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I love Natural Food Co-ops! My first job in the natural food industry was stocking vitamins at The Outpost co-op in Milwaukee nearly 25 year ago. Supporting a thriving community market would be a wonderful way to give back to the community and to future generations of healthy eaters.

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Employment: Please tell us about your past or present employment *

I currently work for Impact NS Sales, a natural food brokerage as a business manager. Prior to that I was a founding member of Fresh Thyme Markets and served as the Senior Category Manager over the Vitamin, Body Care and General Merchandise department.

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Volunteer: Membership/Affiliation/Leadership Past and Present:

Outside of my day to day career and raising my kids I have not had the opportunity to volunteer. Now that my children are older I now have the time to serve my community.

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Which of the following areas do you have expertise?

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What experience, education, and skills do you have that you feel will contribute to your effectiveness as a Prairie Food Director?

I have held many different positions in my career with a focus on retail from merchandising, procurement, assisting in over 130 new store set ups, day to day operational management, as well as contract and promotional negotiations. I have also worked for UNFI and currently work closely with KeHE and understand distributor agreements and relationships.

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What are your personal goals for Prairie Food Co-op?

I want Prairie Food Co-op to be the best grocery store for local, organic, regenerative, non-GMO, and natural products in DuPage County! I am excited to see it closer to being funded and for opening day to become a reality.

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What experience (if any) have you had with cooperatives, food or otherwise?

I had been an employee and member of the Outpost Co-op in Milwaukee from 1997-1999. When living in Honolulu we often shopped at Kokua Market, the sole co-op on Oahu at the time.

 

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"A marketer, communicator, food-lover and wellness enthusiast with a soft spot for community engagement and bringing locally- and sustainably-made products to her neighbors."

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Owner Number 1197

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Why are you interested in serving on the Prairie Food Board of Directors?

Ever since I got more involved with PFC shortly after becoming an owner, I've felt this intense loyalty and dedication to the food cooperative movement and opening our community-owned grocery store. I've built fast, lasting friendships with some of the most multi-talented, passionate and forward-thinking people I've ever met, and have been able to tap into my skills in new and exciting ways. That being said - I want more! I continue to take on more responsibilities with PFC, and serving on the Board seems like a natural next step in putting my heart and soul (and sweat and tears) into what I am certain is going to change our community for the better. I know I can bring a fresh perspective and new energy to help the rest of the team continue to carry the torch and get us over the finish line - and beyond!

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Employment: Please tell us about your past or present employment

I've spent the last eight years in the Marketing world, with my first two roles being in the B2C and B2B Software-as-a-Service industries, specifically at an independent Internet Service Provider in Chicago (Everywhere Wireless) and then at a publicly-traded web content management and eCommerce provider (Bridgeline Digital).

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At the former, I was in charge of all things marketing as an Associate Director of Marketing. As ADM, I reported directly to the EVP of Real Estate and Strategy. My duties included:

• Website Management
• Social Media Management
• Corporate Event Planning
• Design of Promotional Materials
• Media Outreach
• Public Relations
• Advertorial Decision-Making
• Fundraising
• Management of Administrative Staff
• Sales Support and Contract management
• Leasing Staff Marketing On-boarding
• Developing Creative, Tailor-Made Marketing Strategies for 200+ Client Portfolio

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When I moved to Bridgeline Digital, I was initially hired to assist with the planning, implementation and evaluation of a new lead generation campaign and brand marketing strategy. After six months, I was promoted to Marketing Coordinator. In October 2018, I was promoted once again to Marketing Manager, reporting directly to the EVP of Product and Marketing and overseeing two employees.

• Website Management & SEO: Management of company website since rebrand in October of 2017, including overseeing a phased SEO project that utilized several departments outside of marketing. Efforts yielded a 27% increase in new users from organic search, a 36% increase in pages per session, a 51% increase in average session duration and an 11% decrease in bounce rate.
• Content Creation & Content Marketing: Management of company blog and resource library, which included the creation and management of content calendars, blog post authorship, copy and content editing of contractor-created materials, and overseeing the design and development of resource pages by other departments.
• Email Marketing: Planned, implemented and managed sales and marketing email campaigns on Autopilot and Hubspot platforms, including the creation of over 200 unique emails and a long-term lead nurturing strategy.
• Social Media Management: Management of company Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn accounts, yielding a 104% increase in referral traffic from LinkedIn and a 100% increase in referral traffic from Facebook.
• M&A Strategic Planning and Transitional Execution: Participated in organizational planning summit with executive leadership team to plan and implement the corporate strategy following two acquisitions.

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Currently, I am a Director of Marketing for Guaranteed Rate, a retail mortgage lender. My role oversees the content strategy and marketing activity related to the recruitment of VPs of Mortgage Lending (Loan Officers), VPs of Market Growth (Loan Officer Recruiters), operations personnel and IT personnel, as well as content creation for our Agent Advantage platform, across all GR companies and brands.

• Managed a team of three VPO/NHM specialists as they onboarded new VPs of Mortgage Lending and Market Growth
• Work with SVPs and VPs of Mortgage Lending and Market Growth to develop custom, hyper-local recruiting campaigns, and developed the first departmental content calendars for recruit- and agent-facing content
• Work with marketing team leads, SVPs/EVPs and C-suite to plan and implement large-scale, corporate-driven integrated marketing campaigns for recruitment/acquisition/referral partner channels
• Oversee multi-channel marketing projects from conception to execution, including those utilizing the social media, paid media, PR, print/direct mail and email mediums - Support the EVP of Marketing in the creation of presentation materials that serve as department-wide marketing updates to Sales leadership and the C-suite, as well as host one-to-one calls with recruits to discuss how our Marketing platform supports their business
• Provide regular enablement training to hiring managers to go over new marketing content and campaigns, as well as cover best practices for communicating the marketing value proposition and platform benefits for potential new hires

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I also briefly served as a part-time interim Director of Communication for Villa Park School District 45 from August of 2021 until January 2022, during which time I assisted with parent and community updates about events at the schools, COVID mitigation and update communications, as well as social media content creation. Additionally, I spent about two years coaching high school girls and women over the age of 50 in the sport of rowing for North Suburban Crew, based in Skokie, Illinois.

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Prior to my marketing career, I held a variety of customer service and retail positions, including those at: a concessions company that served a professional baseball team on Long Island in NY, Whole Foods in Evanston's specialty cheese and wine department, and several UPS Stores throughout Evanston and northern Chicago.

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Volunteer: Membership/Affiliation/Leadership Past and Present:

Shortly after becoming a PFC owner, I started helping with the CIP during Phase One to compile and send communications via email newsletter. That quickly evolved into helping manage the content calendar, and working with three other volunteers to regularly create and post social media content. I also serve on the Ownership & Outreach committee, which has allowed me to attend Farmer's Markets and other events on behalf of PFC, as well as assist with planning proprietary events in order to bolster our community awareness efforts in the hopes of gaining more ownership and support. I recently also hosted a Spring Into Wellness workshop on meditation and mindfulness, and would love to do more in the future!

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At Guaranteed Rate, I am a mentor for the Guaranteed Rate Organization of Women Employee Resource Group, as well as a co-chair for the Leadership, Equality and Development Employee Resource Group's recruiting and outreach committee. I also am currently in a small committee that meets with the District 45 Superintendent to go over issues of safety and creating a more progressive environment in our schools and serve as a Precinct Committeeperson for District 62.

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Which of the following areas do you have expertise? 

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What experience, education, and skills do you have that you feel will contribute to your effectiveness as a Prairie Food Director?

With my journalism, communications and marketing background, I feel that I have a lot to bring to the Board as a Prairie Food Director. Journalism school taught me how to be a deadline-follower, as well as how to prioritize efficiently and quickly learn new skills through research and getting my hands dirty. This, I feel, has translated really well into learning about the food co-op world, and managing the various volunteer roles I jumped right into pretty much as soon as I could.

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The roles I've held in the last eight years have also helped me hone my project management skills, as I've seen dozens of marketing campaigns from ideation all the way through to execution and implementation. This includes managing expectations for stakeholders, keeping track of multiple timelines in tandem with one another and being responsible for high-visibility deliverables across many audiences and mediums. I manage a team as well as work closely with creatives from other teams in my department, as a large part of my current role requires taking the ideas of executive leadership and bringing them to life in a manner that is efficient and effective. I am the only person in the department to have built out a year-long content calendar that we've followed incredibly closely for the last two years, and am told that we're the most efficient and high-volume team the creatives have worked with.

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With this role comes a great deal of experience with brand awareness and employer/recruitment marketing, and I work closely with leadership from all departments within our 11,000-person company to attract new talent. I also gained some similar skills during my time as a coach, as we only had three high school girls on the team when I first joined and by the time I left we had close to thirty. This means that I know how to build teams that retain well and grow in a natural trajectory, as well as put the "best foot forward" to continue organic growth that is sustained and scalable.

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My presentation and public speaking skills would also contribute to my effectiveness, as I'm very comfortable with speaking in both small and large group settings, creating and presenting slide decks and representing brands in a manner that is professional and polished. I'm very personable, and know how to be present and hold attention from my experience both in my current role and as a rowing coach and mentor. I'm also skilled at creating and nurturing new relationships, as my experience and education both taught me how to build rapport.

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I feel that all of this will directly and positively impact my effectiveness as a Prairie Food Director, especially in the coming years as we hire a GM and other staff, finalize plans for our store, and get across the finish line to opening our doors.

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What are your personal goals for Prairie Food Co-op?

It is my goal for PFC to be a source of pride and education for our community - for those who own work, and shop there to feel the impact of the food cooperative model and be its biggest advocates. I aim to help PFC grow more popular with millennials and younger couples/families, as well as see it used as a platform for community environmental, sustainability and wellness education for all demographics. This is only the beginning of a HUGE step in the right direction for our community and DuPage County at-large!

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What experience (if any) have you had with cooperatives, food or otherwise?

Only what I've stated above as my current experience with PFC.

Show your Owner pride with a yard sign and pique the curiosity of your neighbors.

You can be one short conversation away from recruiting another Owner!

We would like to see a sign in every yard, so we are gladly giving yard signs to every willing Owner. Each sign costs us about $10 to produce, so please consider making a donation on the next screen to help alleviate the cost to the co-op. However, if you can't pitch in right now, that's OK too. The important thing is helping us spread the Prairie Food word. 

Enter your address below and we will get a sign to your yard usually within a week!