Vanessa Perry
Board Candidate
Vanessa Perry
I have a passion for creating sustainable and resilient communities, and love the ability of food to bring people together. I am new to Winona, and am eager to be more involved and connected here. The member-lead principles of co-ops align with my personal passions and principles, and I would be honored to support Bluff County Co-op through Board service! Joining the Co-op was one of the first things my husband and I did when we moved to town, and it would be great to be more involved!
I have worked in natural resource management for nearly 25 years, with a particular focus on supporting individuals and communities as they navigate challenging resource issues, including water management and climate change impacts. I have a background in facilitation, strategic planning, supported decision-making, and project management. These are skills that I believe would transfer well to Board service.
I was a Peace Corps Volunteer supporting NGOs in Macedonia, Albania, and Northern Greece in the early 2000s, and more recently completed a virtual Peace Corps engagement with a University in the Southern Philippines working to integrate social sciences into their fisheries research program. This cross-cultural interest and experience also would serve me well in a Co-op leadership position.
Finally, I was a part-time lead front-end worker at a large co-op in the Twin Cities for nearly 2 years and also volunteered at a smaller Twin Cities co-op. During college, I worked on a small family farm and ran a farmers’ market stand on behalf of an Amish family that I was close to. This direct experience as a service worker will better position me to understand the day-to-day functions of the co-op and farmer relationships.
In my current professional work, I participate in and lead several partnerships tasked with cooperatively managing state and regional natural resources. I am trained in “co-design” methods and principles – the approach of designing processes and plans *with* people, rather than *for* people. Additionally, I have experience working and volunteering in food co-ops.
I recognize I am very new to the community, and want to stress that I would bring a learners-mind to Board service – I would be ready to contribute, but also ready to listen.
Stacey Huber
Board Candidate
Stacey Huber
I believe serving on the Bluff Country Co-op Board of Directors would allow me to contribute my expertise and passion for promoting sustainable, community-driven agriculture and local businesses. I’m dedicated to helping the co-op achieve its mission and support our community’s needs.
I bring a diverse range of volunteer experience and expertise to the Bluff Country Co-op Board of Directors. My background in accounting equips me with financial acumen, ensuring responsible management of the co-op’s resources. Additionally, my e-commerce expertise can help the co-op adapt to modern market trends and enhance its online presence. Furthermore, my previous role as the President of the PTA at Bluff View Montessori has honed my leadership and organizational skills, providing me with valuable experience in fostering community engagement and cooperation. I’m excited to leverage these experiences to benefit the co-op and its members.
My experience working collaboratively is well-demonstrated through my roles in various organizations. As the President of the PTA at Bluff View Montessori, I’ve successfully collaborated with parents, teachers, and administrators to organize events, address concerns, and improve the school community. This experience highlights my ability to lead and work closely with diverse groups of people. Furthermore, in my professional life, my background in accounting has required me to collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure financial transparency and efficiency. Combining this with my e-commerce expertise, I’ve engaged in collaborative efforts to develop and implement strategies for business growth. These experiences have honed my ability to work effectively with others, and I’m eager to apply these collaborative skills to the Bluff Country Co-op Board of Directors to advance our shared goals.
In addition to my financial, e-commerce, and leadership experiences, my deep commitment to sustainability and community development drives my desire to be on the board. I have actively volunteered for local initiatives, underscoring my dedication to creating a more sustainable and interconnected community. My passion for these values is not only a professional pursuit but a personal one, and I’m motivated to help the Bluff Country Co-op further its mission of promoting sustainable practices and nurturing a thriving, close-knit community. Being on the board would allow me to turn this passion into meaningful action and be a catalyst for positive change.
Brian Pruka
Board Candidate
Brian Pruka
Hello everyone. I would like to serve as a member of our Bluff Country Coop Board. I started working at BCC at the end of January 2022, first as a cashier and stocker, then as Receiving Coordinator, and for over a year now as “Chill Buyer,” – i.e., the guy who buys product for and stocks the Refrigerated, Frozen and Bread sections. I would like to help fellow Board members understand our co-op from an employee’s point-of-view.
I am interested in: 1) encouraging more Educational Presentations in our community room, 2) addressing Policy Issues, like how can we promote local growers who cannot afford organic certification 3) addressing Community Outreach issues, like how can we get new people to walk into our store for the first time, or how can we dispel the misconception that everything we sell in our store is too expensive for working class folks.
My skills include: being a newsletter writer and editor, writing a bi-weekly newspaper column for three small-town newspapers, and working two field seasons as a vegetable grower for CSA farms. I currently serve on three other boards/committees here in Winona – the River City Dancers, the WSU Arboretum, and the Winona Unitarian Fellowship.
My final and most important skill: I like to dress up in vegetable costumes as one of the co-op mascots.
Violet Yoon
Board Candidate
Violet Yoon
I’m an assistant professor at Winona State University. I’m new to this community and looking for opportunities to engage in the Winona community. Bluff Country Co-op has had positive impacts on the Winona area by providing quality products and facilitating a sense of community. I believe joining this board will be a good opportunity for me to get to know more about this area.
I’m a professor of Recreation and Tourism at WSU. I’m teaching how recreation and tourism programs can contribute to local community development and how to maximize this contribution. My expertise in this area can give the board insights into owner outreach program development. Besides, my research interest is destination marketing. My background in marketing can contribute to the Co-op’s strategic development.
I have lots of group work experience. Most of my research was done in a team. I have 4 administrative service experiences and 4 volunteer experiences for the community, and I have worked at about 10 different companies. All the teamwork experiences were great. It was a good chance for me to learn about human diversity, and it was always rewarding when we achieved the goal together.
I have various industry experiences as well. These include retail stores, movie theaters, wedding venues, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, and restaurants. This suggests that I have a sense of how business works in reality. These backgrounds will help me learn quickly about the Co-op operation.
Danelle Thoresen
Board Candidate
Danelle Thoresen
After my own family’s food-related health journeys, I have spent years independently researching our food system and have delved into the difference between healthy food and food that is marketed as such, AKA greenwashing. My family relocated back to the Winona area two summers ago for a sense of small-town community. Healthy local food and community are both things I am extremely passionate about, and I would love the opportunity to share my knowledge and experience with others.
Between my professional career and volunteering for a few special-events and committees, I gained a lot of great experience in event logistics and point of sale merchandising. One of my favorite volunteer experiences was with the Winona YMCA and Live Well Winona in 2013, helping put on an event called The Colors of Cancer.
Playing team sports growing up gave me a great foundation as I naturally gravitated towards professional positions including Operations Manager and Production Manager for small companies, wearing multiple hats day in and day out. Listening to feedback and adapting was crucial to the vitality of our business and would directly affect the success of the company and customer retention.
I have approximately 15 years of supervisory/management experience. My last two notable positions were with two small businesses that generated approximately three million in revenue. In addition to my core duties of operations, production, and project management, I am proud of my skillset in reviewing and re-working processes and procedures. I would be honored to be a Board member for Bluff Country Co-op!