新一代的思想

Recruiting associate directors helps co-op board prepare for the future.

Ryan Mackenthun and Jake Rieke wouldn't argue with descriptions often used for people in their millennial generation: tech-savvy, 有公德心的, 拥有全局视野, 想要平衡工作与生活. The young farmers and their peer Phil Clark share an interest in community involvement that compelled them to accept positions as associate directors on the board of United Farmers Cooperative (UFC), 总部设在温斯洛普, 明尼苏达州.

The associate director role was created to help younger co-op members learn about cooperative governance and how decisions are made by the board. 作为无投票权的成员, 他们参加董事会会议和培训课程, and they talk with elected directors about their duties and time commitments. 

反过来, the cooperative benefits from new objective input from associate directors and by filling the pipeline for future open director seats.  

他在明尼苏达州布朗顿附近耕种., says he wanted to get involved for practical and personal reasons. “务农是我的生计, 而且由于我们的大部分投入都是从UFC购买的, it makes sense to get involved and know what's happening there. 农业是一种孤独的职业, even though I farm in partnership with my brother-in-law, 所以我喜欢和其他农民分享想法."

里克回到了他在明尼苏达州费尔法克斯附近的家庭农场., in 2010 with his wife, Kylie, after a two-year stint in the Peace Corps. He says becoming involved with the cooperative board seemed natural. "I have been impressed with the co-op's forward-thinking approach, 特别是使用新技术."

Clark works on his family's crop farm outside Young America, 明尼苏达州.，并担任农场信贷服务皇冠hga010安卓二维码的信贷主管. "I wanted to get involved in the cooperative to learn more about how it makes decisions and responds to member needs,他说, "and to develop my leadership skills and learn from other farmers. 

第二次是幸运的

UFC开始认真规划董事会接班人, 包括一个副导演项目, 十多年前. Several young cooperative members were chosen in that initial effort, 但接下来的几年出现了兼并和收购, which temporarily shifted board priorities and left less time for associate directors. The administrative dust has settled after the central 明尼苏达州esota cooperative's last merger in 2014, so last year the board decided to rev up the associate director program. 

Board Vice Chairman Jeff Manderscheid handles director elections, so he helped organize the search for associate directors. 第一步是问格雷格·佩顿, UFC销售执行副总裁, 在合作公寓的销售团队中调查候选人. "They came up with the names of about 30 people and we sent them information that explained the position and time requirements.曼德沙伊德说. "From that group, about a dozen members applied for three associate director openings."

Board members interviewed the candidates and were impressed with the whole group, he says. "We were looking for people with new ideas and a variety of backgrounds, and we certainly got that. Jake helped start a broadband fiber cooperative in the area and sits on its board. Ryan worked with other farmers in his area to form a machinery cooperative. 菲尔有银行和金融背景."

开始的好时机

Cooperatives of all sizes have been struggling to find qualified board members, 珍·麦卡宾说, 市场开发经理, CHS合作澳门皇冠赌场平台. "They're looking for ways to engage the next generation of members. Some have held roundtable discussions with younger members to learn more about their operational goals and interests. Others are running informal associate director programs covering business, 财务和领导方面的董事会服务. 关键是要伸出援手." 

"Involving younger members is an important part of board succession planning.," agrees Manderscheid, "and we were committed to getting the program up and running again."

Associate board members are asked to attend at least five monthly board meetings, 包括涵盖预算和审计结果的内容, 还有董事会的年度务虚会, the cooperative's annual meeting and the CHS annual meeting. And they're encouraged to attend outside training programs with the board. 

“在过去, it has taken new board members about two years to get up to speed with out business and to get comfortable with balance sheets and the terminology曼德沙伊德说. "This could smooth the learning curve for new board members and make being on the board a more rewarding, 为每个人提供富有成效的体验. 

了解更多: 看 video 与UFC领导人会面.