Pronouns: she/her

Not currently a Board or NMEC member.

I currently serve on the Co-op Board and have valued the opportunity to contribute to collaborative, grounded decision-making. I bring a steady, people-centered approach, a respect for different viewpoints, and a commitment to clear communication. I’m running for re-election to continue contributing to a board that is thoughtful, transparent, and aligned with the values that make cooperative living meaningful. 

I’m a coach, art teacher, and HR professional, and across all of my work I’m drawn to helping people navigate change, express themselves, and build environments that are thoughtful and values-driven. I’m especially interested in alternative ownership structures like co-ops, where people share both responsibility and benefit. 

During my current term, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of how the Co-op operates, from governance and decision-making to the balance between member needs and long-term sustainability. I’ve also come to value the collaborative nature of the board and the importance of thoughtful, well-informed decisions. 

If re-elected, I’m interested in continuing to strengthen that work, contributing to consistent governance, supporting clear communication, and helping the Co-op navigate both current needs and future opportunities in a way that reflects our shared values. 

A big part of the work is listening, supporting the Collective Management, navigating complexity, and helping the Board move toward practical outcomes that serve the whole community. To me, strong governance is steady, collaborative, and transparent, with an eye toward both immediate needs and the long-term health of the Co-op. 

Finally, I bring a background in Human Resources, with experience in navigating complex people dynamics, Equity, supporting effective decision-making, and building strong, values-driven organizations. In my work, I focus on listening carefully, creative solutions, and collaboration. These skills are directly relevant to board service, whether in discussions, policy decisions, or group dynamics.

Pronouns: he/him

Not currently a Board or NMEC member.

I am a poet and non-profit leader. My writing is widely available online and in my books The Future is Antifascist, Micropoetry for Microplanets, and New Yesterdays New Tomorrows. I currently serve as President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association, where I was Secretary previously. I also volunteer to handle many of the tech needs for the organization. Data analysis is a skill that helps me contribute in other ways and gain financial stability. It comes from my background in neuroscience research, and I currently put it to use doing program evaluation for grant-funded projects. 

I am interested in running for the Board of Directors because intentional local engagement is important to me, and running for the board is one of the ways I'm making that effort. I hope that serving can be a way for me to meet more of my neighbors! I never know quite exactly what life is going to give, but I do know that it's better with other people. I can contribute to the Board in many different ways.  I am familiar with organizational governance through volunteering (literary and sports non-profits) as well as paid work (small IT company). Bylaws and policies are simply an agreed-on approach to how we collaborate, and I am well prepared to recommend revisions or new text.
I also believe that community spaces are foundational to life as social beings. As we all re-orient to a world that has been deeply impacted by Covid, I think the Co-op has a lot of opportunity to be part of the healing. I have always admired the Co-op's outdoor space, and was excited to know there is active discussion on the community room. We can find a shared vision for how physical spaces can support an active and connected community. 

I am most interested in People’s effort to support thriving cooperative and local economies, I appreciate that the co-op is a unique neighborhood resource and example. It is a beacon of resistance against the profit motive and monopolization. That's not to say that the co-op can ignore the need to exist in the economy that's anchored on money. But in decision-making, we get to decide what else is important instead of raw, self-serving finances.

Pronouns: he/him

Currently a Board member.

I am a Member-Owner and the current vice president of the Board. For years I have been an active volunteer/supporter of the Co-op. I also serve on the Nominations and Member Engagement Committee (NMEC) as well.

I am applying to run for the Board again. Because I am sincerely interested in doing my part to help fulfill the ends (mission) of the organization. I originally joined the Co-op and Board because it is a natural fit for who I am. The values of the Co-op are in alignment with my own. For me, shopping and supporting the Co-op. Is a form of advocacy and doing my part for community, society, and Mother Earth. 

I work as a professional volunteer/philanthropist and Yoga teacher. I have over 15 years of board of directors experience from many organizations. I also have many decades of experience in volunteering.  I am also a natural foods chef and plant based food advocate. I have over 25 years experience in teaching Yoga.

I approach the work of community through an inclusive lens. I cultivate and respect the work of race, equity, diversity, and inclusion.(REDI). As a disabled person who has been doing this work for many years. I understand its value. To do this work I will work with the People (pun intended). Which includes all the Member-Owners of the organization, the Collective Management, and the Board. 

Additionally, I have served on the Board of Directors of Reach CDC in Portland for over 11 years. Reach is one of the largest and most continuous affordable housing not for profits in the Metro area. And we have been doing the deep work of anti-oppression/ REDI work for about a decade. I integrate this work beginning within myself. And then I sincerely try to cultivate it in community and society.

In closing, I sincerely wish to thank Peoples Co-op and all the people who make it what it is. 

Thank you very much.

Pronouns: she/they

Not currently a Board or NMEC member.

Hello! I’m Jes Maran (she/they). I’m a life-long vegetarian, raised in a nomadic family. I’ve lived in big cities and small towns across the west coast and desert southwest. I’ve been in Portland since 2007 and currently live in the Brooklyn neighborhood with my grown child, pup, two cats, and a few other housemates. My first ‘job’ at nine years old was in the bulk food section at the local co-op—paid by a family discount. Since then, I’ve refinished wood work on boats, trained in philosophy, worked in landscape architecture/ urban design; marketing/communications; equity consulting/small business support; community engagement/facilitation. I am a ceramic artist, painter, and tactical gardener. 

My professional work spans project management, urban design, land use planning, and community engagement, with experience guiding complex projects that sit at the intersection of design, infrastructure, and public process. Rather than working within a single discipline, my role focuses on bringing teams together — aligning design intent, technical constraints, and community input to move projects forward. I also have experience as a Board Director with established organizations and with a new non-profit established to provide transitional housing and wrap-around services.

As a new Director with People’s, I would begin with inquiry and observation.. I look forward to getting to know the Board, Collective Management, Member-Owners (and potential future Member-Owners) and to learning about the ideas and momentum that are underway. From that basis, I anticipate that I would develop an approach that supports and expands others’ existing work. 

As a Director, I would be excited about the possibility of participating in the development of People’s first Strategic Plan. I will bring curiosity, a drive to ask useful questions that support clear-eyed progress, and willingness to put in the time to support People’s continued vitality.  I am not tied to a place in hierarchy and find joy in practical work. I believe that my skills, curiosity, and drive toward balance can benefit the challenges and opportunities facing People’s in the coming years. I would be honored to have the opportunity to serve on the Board.

Pronouns: she/her

Eudaemone is not currently a Board or NMEC member.

My name is Eudaemone Battilega. I’ve been a member of the People’s Co-op since 2018.  I believe that community engagement and participation is more important than ever before. As a person who would like to become more involved in a formal way, the position of the Nominations and Member Engagement Committee feels like a good place to become introduced in an official manner.  

I strongly believe in the values of the Co-op including a living wage, sustainability, stewardship, local economic impact, and collective management. I feel strongly that smaller, sustainable agricultural and economic practices within our communities are the only way forward. I would like to help participate by putting my efforts into helping the Co-op continue to thrive. I hope my skills and efforts will help the coop continue to impact so many lives in such a positive manner.

Pronouns: he/him

Christopher is currently a member of the NMEC.

I've been a member of the NMEC for a few years now, and have found the NMEC to be a good way for me to contribute to the co-op beyond being a regular customer. It's a reasonable match for my skills, interests, and availability. I hope for the group to do more community/engagement events and would like to participate/collaborate in that, while continuing to cultivate existing and new relationships. I'm also especially interested in horizontal and egalitarian relationships, transparency and multi-directional accountability, belonging and inclusion (beyond representation), examining and interrogating power, and ranked-choice voting.

Pronouns: he/him

Not currently a Board or NMEC member.

I’ve been a vendor in the farmers’ market and in the store, a Hands-On Owner for several years, and a Board Member for 6 years. I’m interested in
strengthening community and Member-Owner involvement in the store and the board, and am looking forward to serving on the NMEC with former Board and CM colleagues.

Pronouns: she/her/they

Not currently a Board or NMEC member.

You can see and meet me in person almost every Wednesday at the Farmer’s Market or in the store. Food-related matters take up a significant portion of my day, and I like to cook slowly, which for me is a form of resistance against the current imperative of doing everything fast. I don’t believe that we humans are to overcome or exploit Nature, but should relate to it horizontally, as good stewards of it.

I have a pluralist and polycultural worldview, and would like to apply these perspectives to my role as a member of the NMEC, representing you. One of the goals for me is not to reform but transform us out of the current capitalist system that encases our food system right now.

I am a candidate for the People's Nominations and Member-Engagement Committee because I’m very policy-oriented, have a lot of policy knowledge, and would like to be a part of and strengthen the participatory governance model the Co-op uses.

Reciprocity is important to me, and that is the approach I will take in my interactions with everyone at the Co-op and the community. That reciprocity would also be applied directly to, for example, two (among others) of the seven cooperative principles I would like to focus on: on education, training, and information, as well as the concern for the community.

To me People’s Board, which should represent the Member-Owners, is the steering committee making sure that the Co-op is being nurtured correctly by the collective management towards its Ends Statements. All of this must be consensus-driven. 

Although I have not yet worked with an organization engaged in anti-oppression work, I have previously learned how to apply Decolonizing Methodologies, which I applied to my research and findings on peasant farmers.

I’m a little shy but very approachable and genuine. I love the Co-op, and that is why I want to serve on the NMEC. Widespread member participation means a lot to me, and I hope to not just encourage it but foster more of it as a member of the NMEC.

Pronouns: she/her

Not currently a Board or NMEC member.

People’s Co-op has been close to my heart since 2007, when I became a member-owner. Over the years I have shopped here regularly and worked as a Hands-On Owner (HOO) in several capacities, including as an elections committee member and a perishable and dairy/non-dairy stocker. I am interested in serving on the NMEC now because I want to use my energy and skills to support the Co-op’s community-building efforts and long-term success. 

Growing up in a rural area gave me a deep connection to the food I eat and an appreciation for community and collaboration that have continued and expanded throughout my life since moving to Portland. As a child I learned to plant seeds, care for animals, harvest, cook, preserve food for winter, and share meals with family, friends, and neighbors. Now in Portland I still grow some of my own food, harvest fruit as a volunteer with the Portland Fruit Tree Project, and cook and share meals with others as often as I can. The co-op’s Ends Statement, which focuses on sustainability, human rights, and social justice, really speaks to me.

My professional background includes several years of work in the nonprofit sector, mostly in community outreach and engagement, marketing/communications, and education, and I currently run my own music studio in SE Portland. I am fluent in Spanish and passionate about communicating across cultural, generational, and other differences. I love bringing people together and am excited to find more ways to strengthen and develop the Co-op’s community, vision, and values.

Columbia Riverkeeper protects the Columbia River and its communities from fossil fuel infrastructure and water privatization. Their advocacy keeps our ecosystems and drinking water safe for future generations.

Learn more at columbiariverkeeper.org

The Feed’em Freedom Foundation (FFF) is dedicated to fostering resilient food systems for Oregon communities by empowering Black agriculturists to lead and own our land stewardship, regional food security, and economic prosperity.

Learn more at feedemfreedom.org

This volunteer-run nonprofit offers free hot showers and hygiene supplies to Portlanders experiencing houselessness.

Learn more at sunnysideshowerproject.org

The Center’s mission is to “enrich the health of the trans, queer, intersex and gender diverse communities through trauma-informed care, culturally affirming services and social justice advocacy.” They are facing harmful funding cuts that threaten their services.

Learn more at marieequi.center

PIRC supports immigrant rights through rapid response, community education, advocacy, and collaboration.

Learn more at pircoregon.org

An Indigenous-led nonprofit on Wapato Island (Sauvie Island), Wapato Table offers multigenerational ancestral skill-sharing programs. Funding would help grow their Ancestral Herbalism program, supporting community health and cultural restoration.

Learn more at wapatoislandfarm.com