Directors Elected to the Board in 2020
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Robin Harris
I am Robin Harris and I have served as a Fiddleheads Board Director for the past year as the Vice President. This organization is an important asset in our community and I have thoroughly enjoyed providing my support. My previous experience includes service on multiple Boards dating back to 2004. Professionally, I have worked in the financial industry for 20 years. That experience helps me to understand financial reporting and to support the financial management of the organization. In the future, I believe my training skills will help me support our other Board members become successful in an Executive Role should they so desire. Each of us has the power to make a difference in the world. It is my belief that one should dedicate a portion of their time to support organizations that they believe in. I believe FIddleheads is an important asset to our community. As such, recommending Fiddleheads to others, sharing and attending their events, and shopping in the store are all part of my service to help keep the store successful. Joining the Board has been a pleasure, and I enjoy using my time to support our Co-op. |
Sehar Mahmood
What do you bring to the Board (experience, skills and abilities) that make you an effective Fiddleheads Board Director? I bring to the board over 10 years of experience as a Project Manager in IT in the healthcare industry. I have deep expertise in managing large-scale technology projects. Having strong organizational and leadership skills are key components of my day-to-day job and would make me an effective Board Director. I am a strategic thinker, fluent communicator and have the ability to deliver on a plan from start to finish. I currently work at Pfizer, managing the development of innovative technologies that are used by patients in clinical trials. I also devote a part of my life to community service and volunteering (I currently volunteer for a crisis hotline and have also been a volunteer at Coogan Giving Garden) I’ve been a devoted member of Fiddleheads for the past 2 years. I also attended the CLBD Board Leadership 101 training/conference in early January in Keene, NH. What does the Co-op mean to you? The Co-op to me means supporting collaboration to attain a set of ends, standing for food justice and upholding the 7 co-op principles. Having autonomy and independence and control by members are key differentiators for co-ops in comparison to the traditional business model. Having shopped at the co-op for the past few years (and becoming more and more averse to traditional grocery stores) - I feel I’ve made a choice to support a sustainable food culture and am doing my part to support the local economy, local farms and small businesses. Why do you feel called to/compelled to serve on the Fiddleheads Board? I have always had a passion for giving back to the community and having a higher purpose in my life aside from a job that gives me a paycheck. Serving on the board would allow me to volunteer my time for a greater good, make an impact in my community and also contribute to ensuring that Fiddleheads remains a successful co-op which continues to grow in the years to come. |
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Liam Powers
What do you bring to the Board (experience, skills and abilities) that make you an effective Fiddleheads Board Director? My wife and I reside in New London—my hometown—with our three young children. We moved here from Lancaster, Pennsylvania four years ago, where I worked as a wholesale manager for a farmer’s cooperative. My job was to oversee the sales, fulfillment and delivery of local organic produce and humanely raised and pastured animal products to retail establishments, co-ops, restaurants, and institutions in the Mid-Atlantic region. We have been Fiddleheads members since we moved here, because we feel strongly about making sure our family has access to wholesome and nutritious foods, while also supporting local farms. I continue to work in the food services industry here in Connecticut, and I feel that my background and experience make me a great fit for the Fiddleheads Board of Directors. I have worked for more than eighteen years in both the large corporate environment as well as in the nonprofit cooperative sector. The first half of my career was in sales and the second half has been in supply chain. This experience has given me a clear understanding of what it takes to operate a successful food business. I have a strong business acumen with expertise in sales, purchasing, management and food production. I have worked with large and small farms and food producers around the country. As such, I understand the extreme challenges of the food business, especially for a small cooperative like Fiddleheads, and I feel that my professional background and expertise will help the Board to make intelligent, fact-based and strategic decisions. What does the Co-op mean to you? Co-op means democratically building an organization with common values and ideals. It means not waiting for someone to do something for you and instead working with a group of people to create something with economic, social and cultural benefits for the community. Why do you feel called to/compelled to serve on the Fiddleheads Board? I feel compelled to serve on the Fiddleheads Board because of the food experience that I bring to the table. Also, I love how the store focuses on natural, environmentally friendly and local products that are beneficial to its members. I appreciate how it’s owned by the community and how the hard-earned money our members spend, stays in our community. I feel my background working for a cooperative and my food industry knowledge might bring some real-life experience to help continue the positive development that has been happening at Fiddleheads. |