Co-ordinating Body Elections – AGM 2021

We at Dublin Food Co-op believe that every co-operative is only as good as its members. If you are interested in a leadership role that will have an impact across our whole community while serving the needs of our members, then getting nominated to serve on the Co-ordinating Body (the Board of Directors) could be just what you are looking for. This is an exciting opportunity to be involved in the leadership of a vibrant food co-operative with a strong track record and big plans for building a more sustainable world!

Five CB seats will be up for (re-)election at our next Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 23rd June 2021. If you believe you could be fill one of these seats or if you know someone suitable, then get nominating and fill in the enclosed form and return it to Co-op before noon on 16th June 2021.

Role of the Board of Directors

In summary, it is to ensure that all legal and financial obligations are met and that Dublin Food Co-op effectively serves its members and the wider community as per its vision, mission and strategy as adopted by its members.

Specific Responsibilities of Directors

1. Commitment to the success of Dublin Food Co-op, support for its values and co-operative principles

2. Attendance at all Board meetings: 12 x two hour meetings per year are the norm.

3. Strategy development and shaping.

4. Monitoring that the management of our co-operative is consistent with Dublin Food Co-op vision, core values and strategy.

5. Membership in sub-committees as required – Board members are usually on one sub-committee which meets four times per year.

6. Work co-operatively with others to represent the whole membership rather than the interests of any specific stakeholders.

7. Represent Dublin Food Co-op within our wider networks and broader co-operative movement.

In addition, the legal duties of Directors may be summarised as:

8. To act in the best interests of Dublin Food Co-op as a whole.

9. To ensure the co-operative is not run in a negligent or reckless manner.

10. To ensure that Dublin Food Co-op complies with ongoing legal and other requirements.

Tenure

• 3 years.

• All Board members will be Directors of the co-operative society Dublin Food Co-operative Society Limited; an industrial and provident society registered with the Registrar of Friendly Societies.

Criteria for Board membership

 
In order to be considered eligible for membership of the Co-ordinating Body of the Dublin Food Co-op, nominees must:

1. Commit to attend all board meetings and trainings, unless they have a reasonable excuse

2. Be a paid up member of the Dublin Food Co-op for at least six months on the date of the AGM

3. Be demonstrably committed to the advancement of the values and vision of the Dublin Food Co-op.

All nominations will be reviewed by our Nomination & Governance committee before approval is given to run on the ballot sheet.

Election Process

1. Opening of nominations process to members: 25th May 2020

2. Nominations can be made through the online form (you can get a paper form by emailing secretary@dublinfood.coop)

3. All nominations must be registered with the Dublin Food Co-op by noon on Wednesday 16th June 2021.

4. All nominees to be reviewed by the Nomination and Governance Committee of the CB on 17th June 2021 and a list of eligible nominees is compiled.

3. If there are more eligible nominees than vacancies on the Board to be filled, a ballot paper and accompanying list of eligible nominees with a brief summary of their experiences to date (taken solely from the nomination form) will be circulated to the Dublin Food Co-op’s voting members before Wednesday 23rd June 2021.

4. The conduct of the election is the responsibility of the Returning Officer who will rule on all issues relating to it. The Dublin Food Co-op’s Returning Officer in 2021 is the Co-operative Secretary, Sam Toland.

Current and retiring Board members of the Dublin Food Co-op.

Retiring/Rotating members are denoted by “R”. Maureen O’Donnell and Filipa Ferraz are required to seek re-election under our rules, and will be standing for re-election. Filipa Ferraz is stepping down early and will not be seeking election.