Meet Your Newest Board Members

by Dan Smith – Board Member

The Medford Food Co-op’s (MFC) Board of Directors is comprised of up to nine democratically elected co-op owners and plays a vital role in the success and sustainability of MFC. The Board’s role is primarily oversight and visionary, not operational. They work on a variety of projects and tasks throughout the year, some routine and some new.

Say hello to Jen Smith, Cec Gallagher, and Daren Gomez

A new project recently completed by the Board was to update the candidate application and screening process. Each year, if positions are open for Board membership, MFC owners may submit applications for a seat on the Board. Once the application is completed, candidates must then attend a board meeting and be interviewed by current directors. This provides a chance to become better acquainted and gives candidates a first-hand experience of what Board meetings are like. Next, the Board selects approved candidates for placement on the annual ballot. Finally, candidates are democratically elected by MFC’s owners. Newly elected board members are announced at the Owner Meeting in May.

Board terms are typically three years, but occasionally vacancies happen and adjustments need to be made. In addition to elections, the bylaws allow the Board to fill vacancies by appointment. Those appointed serve until the end of the pertinent term. Having a full Board not only brings more voices to the table, it facilitates the bylaw goal of electing approximately 1/3 of the Board each year.

In 2024, three new Directors were added to the Board through both methods bringing the Board membership to its full nine members. Jen Smith was appointed in February to fill Noah Pinck’s term. Cecily (Cec) Gallagher was elected in May, along with incumbents Peggy Leviton and Dan Smith. Daren Gomez was appointed in June to fill the one-year remainder of Sarah Calhoun’s term.

Jen works for a land management agency and is a long-time resident of the Rogue Valley – she was born and raised in Ashland. She values being part of a community effort to prioritize local, organic food, and to support local farmers. Jen loves shopping at MFC where she enjoys the staff and can find everything she needs. She also appreciates the community experience of shopping at MFC.

Jen has many other interests including camping, reading, and baking.

Cec is a retired nurse of 43 years and originally moved to Southern Oregon when she was 19. After living in Ashland, she moved to Medford and missed having a co-op nearby. When the grassroots effort to bring a food co-op to Medford was initiated, she was delighted to support the process. She was drawn to serve on the board of directors out of a desire to help maintain and improve the community’s accessibility to healthy food.

In her spare time, Cec likes to sew quilt tops and is learning to play the piano.

Daren works for Child Protective Services with the Oregon Department of Human Services. He joined the Board with an interest in supporting and connecting with local farmers who supply the region with organic, nutrient dense food. He’s relatively new to the Rogue Valley after having lived and worked in many places around the world.

When he’s not serving on the BASE of Southern Oregon’s Racial Equity Police Liaison Committee, Daren enjoys relaxing and playing board games with friends.

It’s no surprise that Cec, Daren, and Jen all enjoy cooking tasty organic food for friends and family, shopping at MFC, and spending time outdoors. The MFC Board and community are grateful for their willingness to serve as directors.

For more information about serving on the Board of Directors or one of its committees, or if you would like to attend a Board meeting, please contact board@medfordfood.coop.