January 2024 Council News
from Marilyn Chase, Council President
GreenStar Council News for January 2024
Council’s Fall Retreat
Council convened in mid-December for their Fall Retreat, which was facilitated by Kim Wunner, an Ithaca-based Coach and Consultant. The focus of the retreat was on cultivating a “Culture of Concern” within Greenstar, emphasizing how the Co-op cares for its community through its environment and actions, which in turn inform its product line and store offerings. The retreat aimed to open perspectives on inclusivity versus diversity and to raise awareness of individual intersections and those of others. Participants attended with authenticity and full engagement, looking forward to a developed and realized Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) action plan. There are plans for a Spring Retreat to expand on the conversation and further develop the DEI action plan.
Highlights from the January Council Meeting
At its January regular meeting, Council listened to a brief introduction to Ithaca ReUse, GreenStar’s January Partners for Change recipient and received the General Manager’s Monthly Report
January is the start of the Council year, and a time to reset. We shared our thanks and said goodbye to outgoing Council members Deborah Rhea and Yvonne LaMontagne, and seated the newly elected Council members: Pat Sewell, Diane Hillmann, and Yalverton Luckain. Council then elected Officers for the 2024 Council year as follows: Marilyn Chase, President; RJ Isley, Vice President; Diane Hillmann, Treasurer; and Pam Coleman, Secretary.
Council approved the following proposals:
- Member-at-Large committee reassignments
- Amendments to Policy C.7-Council Committees
You can find details on these items by reviewing the January Council Agenda, available on the Council Documents page of the greenstar.coop/ website, or by reviewing the meeting minutes, which are posted to the website upon approval from Council (typically at the following month’s Council meeting).
Next GreenStar Council Meeting: Tuesday, February 13th at 6:30 PM
Member-Owners are always welcome to attend! Meetings are held online. Email boardadmin@greenstar.coop for instructions on how to attend. Meeting agendas are posted online 6 days before the meeting at: https://greenstar.coop/council-downloads
Come early for pre-meeting engagement with Council!
From 6:15 – 6:30 PM GreenStar members are invited to join Council members for an opportunity to engage in conversation. This 15 minute period is an “open-mic” format and will be recurring – taking place ahead of the GreenStar Council meeting every second Tuesday of the month. Email boardadmin@greenstar.coop for instructions on how to attend.