What Board Leadership Looks Like:

• Serving on the Outpost Board is meaningful and rewarding. You’ll work with people who care about Outpost and its future, learn more about food co-ops, the grocery industry and our local food system, and bring your own experience and perspective to the conversation.

• Outpost has come a long way since opening our first small storefront on East Kane Street in 1970. Today, we’re a community-owned food co-op with four stores, a central kitchen, more than 24,000 owners and over $50 million in annual sales. Elected by our owners, the Board helps guide Outpost’s future by setting organizational policies and overseeing the CEO’s performance.

• The Board focuses on the big picture rather than Outpost’s day-to-day operations. Using a Policy Governance model, the Board sets policies, represents the interests of owners and monitors the CEO’s performance, with a focus on Outpost’s long-term direction and impact. Board members do not make decisions about store operations, employees, products or other day-to-day business.

• Directors have a fiduciary responsibility to Outpost and its owners. That means making informed, thoughtful decisions in the best interests of the co-op and its owners as a whole. Directors represent all owners, not their own interests or those of another group or organization, including an employer, union or other organization they may be connected to.

• Directors receive a quarterly stipend for their board service.

Who Can Run?

For your nomination to be accepted, you must:

1. Be an owner: Be an Outpost owner in good standing, with the primary ownership in your name, for at least 30 days before nominations close (on or before December 5, 2026).

2. Be 18 or older: You must be at least 18 years old when new directors are seated (May 18, 2027).

3. Meet licensing requirements: You must have no prior felony convictions, as required for municipal liquor licensing at our retail locations.

Election Timeline & Key Dates:

Board Meetings: Oct. 26, Nov. 23, Dec. 21, Jan. 25
Attend at least one meeting at 6 PM if you haven’t previously attended. In-person attendance is strongly encouraged. RSVP to election@outpost.coop at least five business days in advance.

Ownership Deadline:  December 5, 2026
You must be an active owner in good standing by this date.

Nomination Application Due:  January 4, 2027 • 11:59 PM
Submit your completed application. If you experience technical issues, email your complete responses to election@outpost.coop before the deadline.

Candidate Photo + Video: Early February • Date TBD
If nominated, you’ll participate in a photo session and brief video interview for election materials.

Annual Meeting:  March 7
Candidates are invited to attend Outpost’s Annual Meeting.

In-Store Election Events:  March • Dates TBD
Opportunities to connect with owners in our stores.

Voting is Open: March 25, 9 AM – April 8, 9 PM

New Director Orientation:  April or May • Date TBD
Mandatory orientation for newly elected directors.

First Board Meeting:  May 18
Newly elected directors are officially seated.

Campaign Rules & Governance

All candidates are expected to adhere to the following guidelines. Violation of these rules may result in involuntary removal from the ballot.

1. Property & Employees: Campaigning on Outpost property (including store premises and parking lots) or soliciting support from Outpost employees is prohibited. Campaigning is permitted only at Board-approved events.

2. Outpost Channels & Data: Candidates may not use Outpost’s website, email systems, or social media channels. The owner database is private and strictly off-limits.

3. Personal Channels: Candidates are encouraged to use their personal social media accounts or personal networks for campaigning. Candidates may tag Outpost’s social channels in their campaign.

4. Funding & In-Kind Support: Accepting outside funding or in-kind support from other organizations may violate Conflict of Interest policies. Any outside support must be reported immediately to the Board President. Unreported support is grounds for removal from the Board.

5. Code of Conduct: Submitting your application and conflict of interest disclosure constitutes your agreement and electronic signature to abide by the Outpost Board of Directors’ Code of Conduct.

6. Email Communication: All election communication takes place via email. Candidates are responsible for checking their inbox regularly.

Requirements for Elected Directors

If elected, directors serve a 3-year term and are expected to fulfill the following governance responsibilities:

• Time Commitment: Averages 8–12 hours per month, including preparation for, attending and participation in monthly Board meetings, committee work, member engagement, and recruitment activities.

• Training & Events: Attendance at the annual owner meeting and 2–3 weekend training sessions per year (overnight travel may be required for off-site co-op conferences).

• Technical & Governance Aptitude: Ability to read and understand financial statements, adhere to Outpost’s Bylaws and Board policies, and comfortably navigate digital tools (email, SharePoint, and handling large file attachments).

• Board Culture & Confidentiality: A genuine commitment to cooperative principles, maintaining strict confidentiality, and working collaboratively with mutual respect and accountability to support Outpost’s viability. 

To understand the typical duties of an Outpost Board Member, see: https://columinate.coop/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/CBLD-Field-Guide-Policy-Governance-Quick-Guide-1.pdf

Please answer all questions

Your full answers to all questions may be placed on the Outpost website during the time leading up to the election. You are giving Outpost permission to use your answers publicly. Answers should not exceed 150 words per question.

Tip: you can save your progress by clicking the "Save" icon at the bottom of the screen.

Director Code of Conduct

The Outpost Board of Directors commits to ethical, businesslike and lawful conduct. This Code consists of five major areas:

1. Personal Conduct

A. Directors will prepare for and attend all Board meetings and trainings.

B. Directors will ensure that their ownership remains in good standing and owner payments are current for the length of the director’s term.

C. Directors shall comport themselves with respect and civility, both during the conduct of Board business and when representing Outpost Natural Foods in any public setting.

2. Conflict of Interest

Conflict of interest arises whenever the personal or professional interests of a Board member are potentially at odds with the best interests of the Cooperative. Board members must fulfill this duty of loyalty to Outpost Natural Foods by avoiding even the appearance of impropriety.

It is the responsibility of the director with a conflict to disclose it to the Board in writing.

A complete and detailed definition of conflict of interest is to be found in the Outpost Natural Foods Board of Directors Conflict of Interest Policy, incorporated here by reference.

A. General Conflict Avoidance Requirements

1. Every director is responsible at all times for acting in good faith, in a manner which they reasonably believe to be in the best interests of the Cooperative, and with such care as an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would use under similar circumstances.

2. Directors will abide by and uphold the Bylaws and the policies set forth in the Outpost Natural Foods Policy Register, as such policies may be from time to time modified or amended.

B. Requirement of Loyalty

1. Directors must demonstrate unconflicted loyalty to the interests of the Cooperative’s owners. This accountability supersedes any conflicting loyalty such as that to advocacy or interest groups, membership on other boards or staffs, and the personal interest of any director acting as an individual consumer or owner. Directors may be requested to sever any relationship with any advocacy organization or group which has demonstrated strong and public opposition to Outpost policies or practices, if such organization’s or group’s positions tend to undermine the reputation of Outpost in the community.

2. There will be no self-dealing or any conduct of private business or personal services between any director and the Cooperative except as procedurally controlled to assure openness, competitive opportunity and equal access to “inside” information.

3. When the Board is to decide on an issue about which a director has an unavoidable conflict of interest, that director shall absent themself from the conversation and from the vote.

4. Any director who is also a paid employee of Outpost has the same duties and responsibilities as any other director, and has the additional duty of clearly segregating staff and Board responsibilities.

C. Financial Matters

1. Directors agree to disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest (by self or any Related Party* or person with whom a significant personal relationship is maintained) with respect to fiduciary responsibility, including but not limited to any employment or significant financial relationship with the cooperative, any current or potential supplier or distributor, any competitor of the cooperative or any organization that receives or is eligible to receive donations under any charitable program of the cooperative or any significant personal relationship with any employee of the cooperative.

2. Directors agree to disclose whether they or any Related Party is a participant, directly or indirectly, in any arrangement, agreement, investment, or other activity with any vendor, supplier, or other party doing business with Outpost Natural Foods which could result in personal benefit.

3. Directors agree to disclose whether they or any Related Party is a recipient, directly or indirectly, of any payments, loans or gifts of any kind or any free service or discounts or other fees from or on behalf of any person or organization engaged in any transaction with Outpost.

*For the purposes of this disclosure, a Related Party to the undersigned includes a parent, child, stepchild, brother, sister, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law of the undersigned or the undersigned’s spouse or domestic partner.

3. Adherence to Rules of Policy Governance

A. Directors may not attempt to exercise individual authority over the organization including:

1. When interacting with the CEO or employees, directors must carefully and openly recognize their lack of authority to speak for the Board.

2. When interacting with the public, the press, or other entities, directors must recognize the same limitation and the inability of any director to speak individually for the Board except to repeat explicitly stated Board decisions.

B. Directors will support the legitimacy and authority of the Board’s decision on any matter, irrespective of the director’s personal position on the issue.

C. Each director shall speak with one voice concerning all decided Board business, regardless of their personal opinion on that subject.

4. Confidentiality

A. Directors will respect confidentiality appropriate to issues of a sensitive nature and must continue to honor confidentiality after leaving Board service. Directors shall not disclose any confidential matters discussed in any Board meeting, Board committee meeting, Board retreat or special meetings called for/by the Board of Directors.

B. Directors will keep confidential all documents received or conversations engaged in, in the undersigned’s capacity as a Board member. This includes a prohibition against electronic or other forwarding of any such documents to any person not on the Board of Directors.

C. Directors will relinquish to the Board president or Board secretary upon the undersigned’s resignation or termination of services as a Board member, all documents, books, pamphlets, notes, reports, videos, and any other information or documents related to or concerning the undersigned’s service as a Board member. Directors shall not use any list of or information regarding Outpost owners for personal or private solicitation purposes.

D. Directors shall not photograph or audio record any proceedings or attendees of Board meetings without notice and the consent of all persons present.

5. Viloation of Code of Conduct

Any director who does not follow the Director Code of Conduct can be removed from the Board by a 2/3 majority vote of the Board, pursuant to Bylaws Sec. 4.9. 

Click Submit below to complete your Nomination Application