A Day in Maine to Get Organized and Energized to Sustain Local Economies

Our friends at Cooperative Maine are helping put together an inspiring one-day conference, "Creating and Sustaining Vibrant Local Economies in Maine" on March 22 (this Saturday), 9 AM-4 PM, Randall Student Center, Augusta. We like the goals for the day!

Goals for the Day

(1) What are Vibrant Local Economies in Maine now (find out what’s being done);
(2) What would vibrant local economies in Maine look like in the future (vision);
(3) Why is it important to have strong local economies?
(4) Learn the benefits of vibrant local economies;
(5) People leave at the end with action ideas/steps and energy to carry them out.

CDI staffperson Jessica Pooley will be in attendance to let people know about the work CDI is doing in Maine to strengthen local economies.

Maine's Newest Food Co-op is Opening in September in Portland

The Portland Food Co-op plans to open its doors this September. They currently have 1147 member-owners and need to reach 1400 to open, so are well on their way. They've had 100 new member-owners join in the past 10 days! Check out their new video: http://vimeo.com/87714644. CDI Board member and CFNE Outreach Officer Gloria LaBrecque gets the last word, talking about how the co-op is a way to strengthen the local economy.

Last two episodes of My So-Called Housing Cooperative released--heart-breaking and heart-warming

This is it!  The Season Finale of My So-Called Housing Cooperative!

I decided to release episodes 5 and 6 together, and once you watch them, you will probably understand why.  Thanks for watching and please forward to anyone you think would enjoy it.

Episode 5: No Chainsaws at Group Meetings (11 minutes) Annie's axe goes missing as she begins to uncover the true secret behind the supernatural occurrences in the building.

Episode 6: Returning the Favor (9 minutes) Crushing secrets are revealed and the new members must make their most difficult decision yet.

My So-Called Housing Cooperative is the story of young adults trying to live a life of cooperation and compassion... without losing their minds. Each month's webisode features a scripted parody based upon real life at the Faire Bande à Part Housing Cooperative (Faire-Op), a 3 story apartment building in Lewiston, ME.

You can see it on the Website, Facebook, Youtube, and on The Entertainment Experiment, a web site for Maine Made web series.

Episode 4 of My So-Called Housing Cooperative now online -- hijinks continue!

Episode 4 of My-So Called Housing Cooperative is now online. 

You can view it on Youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FJzF0JZG94

Episode Summary: While Joey and Shanna are packing for their big move, Craig freaks out when he feels the entire building shake. He frantically questions his housemates to get to the bottom of the inexplicable tremors, fearing that the foundational stability of the Faire-Op may be threatened.

My So-Called Housing Cooperative is the story of young adults trying to live a life of cooperation and compassion... without losing their minds. Each month's webisode features a scripted parody based upon real life at the Faire Bande à Part Housing Cooperative (Faire-Op), a 3 story apartment building in Lewiston, ME.

You can see it on the Website, Facebook, Youtube, and starting January 13th on The Entertainment Experiment, a web site for Maine Made web series.

I hope you enjoy it. More episodes to come.

My So-Called Housing Cooperative Episode 3: Rain of Mystery, now online

Happy New Year, everyone!

For your viewing pleasure, "Episode 3: Rain of Mystery" is now online! Thanks, Craig Saddlemire :)

You can view it on Youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV16tOAr95c

Summary: In this episode, Joey becomes concerned as he begins to sense paranormal activities at the Faire-Op. Are these experiences real? Or maybe harboring his big secret is just slowly driving him crazy... Watch episode 3 and find out.

My So-Called Housing Cooperative is the story of young adults trying to live a life of cooperation and compassion... without losing their minds. Each month's webisode features a scripted parody based upon real life at the Faire Bande à Part Housing Cooperative (Faire-Op), a 3 story apartment building in Lewiston, ME.

You can see it on the Website, Facebook, and Youtube.

More episodes to come.

Job posting: Portland Food Co-op seeks General Manager

Portland Food Co-op General Manager, Portland Maine

The Portland Food Co-op is seeking a vibrant community-oriented leader to serve as our first General Manager. The Portland Food Co-op plans to open a grocery store in September 2014, owned by members and open to the public, that will offer a wide selection of high quality and fairly priced local, organic, and natural foods and household products. We are dedicated to supporting local farmers and producers, serving our community and building the local economy.

The ideal candidate should have at least five years experience as General Manager or other senior management position at a food co-op. The General Manager (GM) will plan and oversee all co-op operations and be responsible for meeting all business and organizational goals. Candidates should have a solid understanding of business accounting principles, organizational budgeting and business planning, as well as margins, setting sales goals, pricing, product merchandising, and marketing. The GM will be responsible for hiring and supervision of all co-op management and staff and will report directly to the Board of Directors under policy governance. It is imperative that the GM value co-op principles and demonstrate ability to connect with the local community.

PFC is in the process of establishing a retail storefront, and the GM will have a direct role in decision-making for the store. Our goal is to have over 1400 member-owners and annual sales of $1.7 million in our first year of store operations.We are seeking a leader with demonstrated experience leading a team through a period of significant growth.

Portland is a city full of inspiration, where startups become local institutions.  Portland was ranked #1 Most Liveable City by Forbes Magazine in 2009 and is in the top ten for Greenest City, Best Farmers Market, and Foodiest Small Town.  Learn more at liveworkportland.org.

This is a full-time salaried position with health benefits and paid vacation. The target start date is April 1st 2014. To learn more about PFC please go towww.portlandfood.coop. To apply please send resume, cover letter, and three professional references to: info@portlandfood.coop.

My So-Called Housing Cooperative Episode 2: The Long Goodbye now online

Hi Friends,

Episode 2 of My-So Called Housing Cooperative is now online. 

You can view it on Youtube here: http://youtu.be/_tHXC6SHPN0

Episode Summary: Corbin tries to move out of the Faire-Op, but things get dramatic when Craig discovers an unapproved modification that Corbin made to his room.  Who knew one whale could cause so much fuss?

My So-Called Housing Cooperative is the story of young adults trying to live a life of cooperation and compassion... without losing their minds. Each month's webisode features a scripted parody based upon real life at the Faire Bande à Part Housing Cooperative (Faire-Op), a 3 story apartment building in Lewiston, ME.

You can see it on the Website, Facebook, and Youtube.

I hope you enjoy it. More episodes to come.

Launch of web series: My So-Called Housing Cooperative

Craig Saddlemire, film-maker and founder-member of Faire Bande A Part in Lewiston, ME, writes:

October is Co-Op Month and the perfect time to release the first episode in a short web series I'm producing called My So-Called Housing Cooperative.

Episode 1: The New Member(s) will be released Monday, October 28th on Vimeo , Youtube , and Facebook. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3NP20XgIvg

My So-Called Housing Cooperative is the story of young adults trying to live a life of cooperation and compassion... without losing their minds. Each month's webispode features a scripted parody based upon real life at the Faire Bande à Part Housing Cooperative (Faire-Op), a 3 story apartment building in Lewiston, ME. Founded in 2008 by four young idealists, the Faire-Op was Maine's first fully occupied housing cooperative. Since 2008, every month has brought about hardships, miracles, and mayhem. Rather than sell a glorified vision of cooperative living, members of the Faire-Op felt it would be more entertaining and informative to foreground the unique challenges they face. Each episode, the story is comprised of memories, premonitions, and exagerations of real events. All of the characters in the show are played by actual Faire-Op members, but the twist is that each episode, one member performs the role of everyone. My So-Called Housing Cooperative is not just a program to educate others about cooperative living. It's an opportunity for Faire-Op'ers to reflect on their home-spun experiment and consider - through roleplay - the perspective of their fellow housemates. After all, solidarity is no joke, but sometimes it can be pretty funny.

This project is an extension of the project, Household: Four Stories of Kinship and Curiosity, which you may learn about at the website http://householdmovie.org.

Job Posting: Maine Housing Program Organizer, part-time

Cooperative Development Institute (www.cdi.coop) is seeking a new hire to join its New England Resident Owned Communities (NEROC) Program. The main work of the program is to assist the residents in the nearly 1200 manufactured home parks in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont and Maine to purchase their communities and manage them as resident-owned cooperatives. The program is part of the highly successful ROC USA Network (www.rocusa.org).

This position will focus primarily on providing technical assistance to manufactured housing communities throughout the state of Maine. The successful candidate will be enthusiastic, a good communicator, a self-starter, ready to learn, able to travel and work on some evenings and weekends. The housing program work is part-time (20 hrs/week). A new hire may also have the option of supplementing this work by taking on fee-for-service cooperative development projects that the Cooperative Development Institute is working on outside of the NEROC program.

See job description below. Interested candidates should send a cover letter and resume with references to info@cdi.coop. This position will remain open until filled.

Job Title: Housing Program Organizer (Part Time).
Reports to: Executive Director, Housing Program Manager
Base Salary Compensation: $18-20/hour plus benefits (Exempt)
Part-time Position: 20 hours/week
Position Overview:Provides all manner of training and assistance to new and existing resident-owned manufactured home communities, both individually and in groups; helps members understand their roles and responsibilities in order to more effectively manage their resident owned community; fosters a sense of empowerment and community spirit. Occasionally assists the Housing Program Manager in organizing manufactured home park residents to form cooperatives to purchase their park.

Housing Program Organizer

Essential Job Functions

1. Assists in resident association board meetings, including preparation, agenda setting, running efficient meetings, follow-up, and review of minutes and financial statements.
2. Provides organizational, administrative and reporting assistance to the Housing Program Manager
3. Provides direct support and organizational training to cooperative board members, committees and residents.
4. In each developing co-op, trains committees and facilitates the production of:

• Bylaws
• Community Rules
• Membership committee policies and procedures
• Policies for general governance of Associations

5. Contributes to the development and implementation of workshops for board and community members on range of topics including: board and members’ roles and responsibilities, working in teams, infrastructure and planning for the future, best practices in managing contractors, community building, motivating volunteers, corporate finances and communication.
6. Work with co-ops to maintain meticulous recordkeeping and filing systems and ensure they are up to date on loan compliance responsibilities as well as other legal, financial and regulatory compliance responsibilities.
7. As needed, assists struggling cooperatives to assess their organizational health, identify problems, and develop goals and a plan of action.
8. Other tasks and special projects, as assigned by the Program Manager.

Organizational Expectations:

1. Responsible for conducting all activities within the prescribed policy and budgetary guidelines as set by the Board and administered by the Executive Director.
2. Functions as a participant in CDI's Cooperative Development Team, sharing information effectively to assist others in doing CDI's work. Builds positive and strong relationships with other CDI staff.
3. Demonstrates personal responsibility in job performance.
4. Responsible for role modeling professional standard of behavior. Takes this role within the organization, is consistently respectful and professional with staff and clients.
5. May be required to perform additional, related duties or functions of lesser or greater responsibility as negotiated to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.

Minimum Requirements

1. 3 to 5 years of cooperative business experience, including project management experience in for-profit, non-profit community or economic development organizations.
2. Experience with group facilitation, coaching a group through an autonomous decision-making process, and coping with conflict situations.

Knowledge Skills/Abilities

1. Advanced degree in related field welcomed, minimum of Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
2. Must be extremely well organized with exceptional recordkeeping skills.
3. Strong knowledge of fiscal management, strategic planning and general business practices.
4. Working understanding of budgeting, real estate and financing.
5. Strong knowledge of and commitment to cooperatives and cooperative development.
6. Well-developed partnership, process development and integration and planning skills.
7. Excellent communication skills, including public speaking, consensus-building and facilitation skills.
8. Proactive and team-oriented leadership required.
9. Ability to think critically and solve problems creatively with small and large groups.
10. Demonstrated experience working effectively on a team.
11. Demonstrated success in community building and organizing.
12. Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills.
13. Demonstrated experience in working remotely/independently.
14. Computer literacy required.
15. Ability to work with diverse groups of residents as well as attorneys, engineers, and other professionals.
16. Available evenings and occasional weekends.
17. Ability to travel.
18. Experience with cooperative governance structures and working with boards of directors preferred.
19. Experience with meeting process, property management, or contractor negotiations a bonus.

Characteristics

1. Well spoken and articulate.
2. Calm demeanor; able to perform under pressure during difficult interpersonal conflict.
3. Plans ahead, able to complete tasks and meet tight deadlines.
4. Able to understand and manage multiple complex tasks.
5. Works collaboratively, self-motivated, flexible, enthusiastic.

In accordance with Federal law and the U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discrimination on the base of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) To file a complaint of discrimination write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720-6382 (voice and TDD).

Brunswick park becomes co-op: press

This article ran this week in the Coastal Journal, distributed from Freeport to Camden and inserted in the Portland Press Herald.

http://www.coastaljournal.com/website/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3935:brunswick-mobile-home-park-purchased-by-residents&catid=58:regional-news&Itemid=100070

Nice work, NEROC!

Op-Ed: Cooperatives could benefit Maine residents

Our own Rob Brown has written a great Op-Ed for the Bangor Daily News for Co-op Month, highlighting the benefits that Resident Ownership through cooperatives could bring to people living in manufactured home parks in Maine.
Check it out:
http://bangordailynews.com/2012/10/11/opinion/how-trailer-park-cooperatives-could-benefit-maine/

October is Co-op Month: Events in Maine

October is Co-op Month

Each October, cooperatives all across America celebrate the role, accomplishments and contributions of our nation's cooperatives. Cooperative Maine will once again be sponsoring events and raising awareness about co-ops.  

Cooperative Maine is a network of co-op advocates around the state,
promoting support for existing cooperatives and encouraging the
creation of new ones. These can be consumer (such as co-op food
stores), producer (farmer or craft), worker (such as Fedco Seeds),
housing (several in Maine and now the purchase of mobile home parks
by tenants), electric (Eastern Maine Electric Co-op), and credit unions.

The annual celebrations play a key role in promoting cooperatives to
co-op members, the public and policy makers. Through a combination of
media outreach, member education, and interaction with policy makers,
co-op month events help raise the visibility of cooperatives as a way
of creating democratic workplaces.

Research shows that when consumers know a business is a cooperative
or credit union (which are financial cooperatives), they are more
likely to do business with it. And with consumer trust in co-ops
topping investor-owned companies, promoting a business as a
cooperative is a win-win proposition.

In Maine, there will be a variety of events taking place during the
month and stretching into the beginning of November, including Credit
Union Week, October 14-20, film showings, forums, concerts, and more.

For more information about Co-op Month and a directory of Maine
cooperatives, email info@cooperativemaine.org or go to
www.cooperativemaine.org.

EVENTS:

October: Co-op Month, with events highlighting cooperatives in Maine
throughout the Month. Cooperative Maine, 525-7776.

October 14-20: Credit Union Week celebrated by credit unions
throughout Maine. Credit Union Day will be on October 18. For local
events for more info: Jon Paradise, Maine Credit Union League,
jparadise@mainecul.org.

October 18: ""I Am" film shown in conjunction with Co-op Month, time
TBA, Public Library, Rockland. Good Tern Cooperative, 594-8822 or
teishagoodtern@hotmail.com.

October 21: "Concert for Cooperatives" performance w/Emma's
Revolution, 7 PM, First Congregational Church, 22 Tenney Hill, Blue
Hill. Blue Hill Co-op, 441-2785 or hearme@natisp.com.

November 1: "Building a Stable Economy Right in Your Own Community"
presentation/discussion, 6:30 PM, Public Library, Bangor. Cooperative
Maine, deborahhawkins!@gmail.com.

Job Opening: catering coordinator Local Sprouts worker co-op

Local Sprouts Cooperative, Portland, Maine's only worker co-op, is hiring for a catering coordinator/worker-owner.  If you ever thought of moving to Portland and you love catering, here's a great opportunity. 

Job Opening for Catering Coordinator at 
Local Sprouts Cooperative

Do you want to work in the local food movement? Do you want to work in a democratic workplace where your voice and ideas are respected?  Do you love catering and sharing food around Maine? 

Local Sprouts Cooperative, Maine's only worker-owned cafe and caterer is looking for a Catering Coordinator. Candidates should be able to provide detailed coordination of catering jobs from start to finish and feel comfortable both in kitchen and service roles. Duties to include meeting with prospective customers, menu planning and execution, details of service, delegation of staff on site, invoicing, and working with other coordinators to execute jobs. Must have flexibility in schedule, good communication skills, be able to work independently and with a team, be able to deal with stress, be able to work long hours, and want to work in a cooperative setting. Catering experience is necessary and job coordination or management experience is helpful.  

All regular workers at Local Sprouts Cooperative become worker-owners of our cooperative.  If you apply, you should want to become an owner of Local Sprouts and be prepared to put extra energy and commitment into your work.  All worker-owners are expected to invest time and money, and participate in at least one committee.  We have monthly worker-owner meetings where all worker-owners come together to discuss proposals and make decisions together.   If we have surplus revenue at the end of the year, all worker-owners share our profits.  Together we are building a great work environment where workers are respected, we practice positive communication and mutual support, and we cook and serve delicious local food for our community.

To read more about our cooperative go to www.localsprouts.coop or to read more about worker cooperatives you can go to www.usworker.coop.

Please apply by 9/14 and include a creative cover letter (it can be a picture, poem, song or a letter) and resume detailing your experience.
Please send emails to work@localsprouts.coop or drop-off at Local Sprouts Cafe, 649 Congress St. Portland, ME.

"Fixing the Future" documentary screenings July 18

In Fixing the Future, public media star David Brancaccio (of Marketplace and NOW on PBS) visits locations across America that are attempting a revolution: the reinvention of the American economy. By featuring communities using sustainable and innovative approaches to create jobs and build prosperity, Fixing the Future inspires hope and renewal amidst economic collapse. The film highlights effective local practices such as: community banking, local business alliances, time banking/exchange, worker cooperatives and local currencies. Following the film will be an exclusive onscreen discussion panel featuring Bill McKibben, Majora Carter, Mike Brady and David Brancaccio.


In each screening location, local groups working on implementing grassroots solutions to the economic crisis will facilitate a discussion and brainstorming session. 


Screenings are being held on Wednesday, July 18 in:

• Worcester, MA, co-sponsored by Worcester Roots (buy tickets)
• New York, NY, sponsored by the NYC Network of Worker Cooperatives (buy tickets)
• Portland, ME, co-sponsored by Hour Exchange Portland, Local Sprouts Co-op, & others 

...and loads more locations throughout the Northeast and the U.S. Find a screening near you!

Empowering Economics: How Worker-Owned Cooperatives and TimeBanks Re-Value Labor and Community

University of Southern Maine Sociology Professor Ed Collom will be speaking at Local Sprouts Café on Thursday, May 31st at 2pm on “Empowering Economics: How Worker-Owned Cooperatives and TimeBanks Re-Value Labor and Community.” Other speakers include Jonah Fertig and Heather Blersch of Local Sprouts Cooperative, and Orion Breen of Hour Exchange Portland. The event is being presented by  the University of Southern Maine Student Sociology Association.

Ed Collom’s research focuses on community currency (an alternative to the mainstream economy), home schooling (an alternative to the public education system), and workplace democracy (an alternative to bureaucratic control structures). A book by Ed Collom with Judy Lasker of Lehigh and Corinne Kyriacou of Hofstra entitled Equal Time, Equal Value: Community Currencies and Time Banking in the USA will be published this August through Ashgate Publishing. http://www.usm.maine.edu/sociology/ed-collom

Hour Exchange Portland creates an alternative local economy of neighbors helping neighbors. Neighbors exchange service cash-free and tax-free based on the currency of time, where everyone’s time is equal no matter what the service being provided. Over the years Hour Exchange Portland members have exchanged over 150,000 hours of community service and provided over 25,000 hours of free health care. Anyone interested in finding out more or joining Hour Exchange Portland can visit their website www.HourExchangePortland.org<http://www.hourexchangeportland.org/>

Local Sprouts Cooperative is worker-owned cooperative that provides local and organic food and holistic learning through cooking food for our community. They have a Cafe on Congress St, provide local and organic catering and learning programs in collaboration with non-profits and schools in Portland. www.localsproutscooperative.com The United Nations has declared 2012 International Year of Cooperatives.

WHO: University of Southern Maine Sociology Professor Ed Collom, Jonah Fertig and Heather Blersch of Local Sprouts Cooperative, Orion Breen of Hour Exchange Portland, and USM’s Student Sociology Association
WHAT: Empowering Economics: How Worker-Owned Cooperatives and TimeBanks Re-Value Labor and Community
WHERE: Local Sprouts Café, 649 Congress Street, Portland, ME
WHEN: May 31st at 2pm

For more info contact hourexchangeportland@gmail.com of call 207-619-4437.
http://www.facebook.com/events/348463738554653/
Also mentioned in this Portland Daily Sun article:
http://portlanddailysun.me/index.php/opinion/columns/6881-maine-needs-a-healthy-head-start-or-we-will-fall-behind

2 Job Openings at CDI: Housing Program Organizers

The Cooperative Development Institute is hiring for two part-time positions: housing program organizers in Maine and in Southeast New England. See job description below.

Cooperative Development Institute (www.cdi.coop) is seeking a new hire to join its New England Resident Owned Communities (NEROC) Program (www.cdi.coop/manufacturedhousing.html). The main work of the program is to assist the residents in the nearly 1200 manufactured home parks in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont and Maine to purchase their communities and manage them as resident-owned cooperatives. The program is part of the highly successful ROC USA Network (www.rocusa.org).

These two positions will focus primarily on providing technical assistance to manufactured housing communities throughout Maine and Southeast New England. The successful candidate will be enthusiastic, a good communicator, a self-starter, ready to learn, able to travel and work on some evenings and weekends. The housing program work is currently part-time (20 hrs/week), but is hoped to become full time within a year. A new hire may also have the option of supplementing this part-time work by taking on fee-for-service cooperative development projects that the Cooperative Development Institute is working on outside of the NEROC program.

See job description below. Interested candidates should send a cover letter and resume with references to info@cdi.coop. This position will remain open until filled.

Job Title: Housing Program Organizer (Part Time).

Reports to: Executive Director, Housing Program Manager

Base Salary Compensation: $18-22/hour in Maine, $20-25/hour in Mass., plus benefits (some paid time off and some reimbursement of health insurance) (Salaried/Exempt)

Part-time Position: 20 hours/week

Approximate Start Date: May 2012

Position Overview: Aids the Housing Program Manager in organizing manufactured home park residents to form cooperatives to purchase and manage their communities; provides training and assistance to existing resident-owned manufactured home communities, both individually and in groups; helps members understand their roles and responsibilities in order to more effectively manage their resident owned community; fosters a sense of empowerment and community spirit.

Essential Job Functions:

1. Assists Housing Program Manager with community organizing; includes door-to-door canvassing, community meetings and presentations, mailings, and incorporation assistance.
2. Provides organizational and administrative assistance to the Housing Program Manager to ensure that the various elements of the Housing Program are running smoothly; includes meeting facilitation, fundraising assistance, and fulfilling reporting requirements.
3. Provides direct support and organizational training to cooperative board members, committees and residents.
4. In each developing co-op,
• trains committee and facilitates the production of Bylaws.
• trains committee and facilitates the production of Community Rules.
• trains committee and facilitates the approval of membership committee policies and procedures.
5. Contributes to the development and implementation of workshops for board and community members on range of topics including: board and members’ roles and responsibilities, working in teams, infrastructure and planning for the future, community building, motivating volunteers, corporate finances and communication.
6. Coordinates support for and monitors progress of resident-owned communities, as assigned by the Program Manager, including monthly review of cooperative minutes and budget reports.
7. Assists both established and developing resident-owned communities with all aspects of their financial and loan compliance responsibilities.
8. As needed, assists struggling cooperatives to assess their organizational health, identify problems, and develop goals and a plan of action.
9. Other tasks and special projects, as assigned by the Program Manager.

Organizational Expectations:

1. Responsible for conducting all activities within the prescribed policy and budgetary guidelines as set by the Board and administered by the Executive Director.
2. Functions as a participant in CDI’s Cooperative Development Team, sharing information effectively to assist others in doing CDI’s work. Builds positive and strong relationships with other CDI staff.
3. Demonstrates personal responsibility in job performance.
4. Responsible for role modeling professional standard of behavior. Takes this role within the organization, is consistently respectful and professional with staff and clients.
5. May be required to perform additional, related duties or functions of lesser or greater responsibility as negotiated to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.

Minimum Requirements

1. 3 to 5 years of cooperative business experience, including project management experience in for-profit, non-profit community or economic development organizations.
2. Experience with group facilitation, coaching a group through an autonomous decision-making process, and coping with conflict situations.

Knowledge Skills/Abilities

1. Advanced degree in related field welcomed, minimum of Bachelors degree or equivalent.
2. Strong knowledge of fiscal management, strategic planning and general business practices.
3. Strong knowledge of and commitment to cooperatives and cooperative development.
4. Well-developed partnership, process development and integration and planning skills.
5. Experience with cooperative governance structures and working with boards of directors preferred.
6. Familiarity with public policy process and development.
7. Excellent communication skills, including public speaking, consensus-building and facilitation skills.
8. Proactive and team-oriented leadership required.
9. Ability to think critically and solve problems creatively with small and large groups.
10. Demonstrated experience working effectively on a team.
11. Demonstrated success in community building and organizing.
12. Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills.
13. Computer literacy required.
14. Ability to work with diverse groups of residents as well as town and state officials, attorneys, engineers, and other professionals.
15. Working understanding of budgeting, real estate and financing.
16. Available evenings and occasional weekends.
17. Ability to travel.

Characteristics

1. Well spoken and articulate.
2. Calm demeanor; able to perform under pressure during difficult interpersonal conflict.
3. Plans ahead, able to complete tasks and meet tight deadlines.
4. Able to understand and manage multiple complex tasks.
5. Works collaboratively, self-motivated, flexible, enthusiastic.

In accordance with Federal law and the U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discrimination on the base of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) To file a complaint of discrimination write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720-6382 (voice and TDD).

Co-op Learning Opportunity Round-up

In This Issue Spring, Summer and Fall Events Co-op Teach-In Worker Co-op Conference NASCO Institute An Ongoing Opportunity: Co-op Teach-in The National Cooperative Business Association has launched an exciting initiative to mark 2012, the International Year of Cooperatives. The Cooperative Teach-In engages campuses with the cooperative movement through the creation of events, programs, and projects on co-ops. Sign up as a participant today! Featured Event: 2012 National Worker Cooperative Conference This event takes place every two years and in a different part of the country each time. We're lucky to have it in Boston, in the heart of the Northeast, in this International Year of Cooperatives. CDI staff will be presenting a workshop on "Co-ops Seeding Co-ops" and participating in panels on conversions to worker co-ops, co-op learning academies, and digital platforms for sharing information, as well as the "ask an expert" panel. Register today! A Perennial Favorite: NASCO Institute Held by North American Students of Cooperation each fall in Ann Arbor, Michigan, theInstitute attracts hundreds of cooperators from the U.S. and Canada for two and one half days of comprehensive technical programs and discussions. The 2012 dates and program are not yet finalized, but be sure to keep it in mind! Master of Management - Cooperatives and Credit Unions Remember that the deadline for Fall admissions to this 3-year program is May 31! Cooperative Development Institute The Northeast's Center for Cooperative Business PO Box 422 Shelburne Falls, MA 01370 www.cdi.coop / info@cdi.coop Tel: 877 NE COOPS (toll free) / 413-665-1271 Fax: 413-541-8300	Plant some seeds of co-op learning!
	Dear Co-operator, Spring is the season to think about cultivating new skills, new relationships, and new ideas. There is a wealth of educational co-op events taking place in the Northeast and beyond, so mark your calendar now and get set to grow and learn! Spring and Summer Events March 27-28, Syracuse, NY: Northeast Cooperative Council Leaders Forum and Annual Meeting and CoBank's Northeast Regional Customer Meeting. A gathering of Northeast agriculture and producer co-ops. March 31, Syracuse, NY: 2012 Upstate Cooperatives Summit: Building our Economic Future. Upstate New York cooperatives - banking, grocery, housing, agricultural, worker - together at last. April 11, Manchester, NH: Co-op Speaker Series, Session 3: Consumer Ownership. Registration is free and open to the public. Featuring St. Mary's Bank and Hanover Consumer Co-op. April 12, Augusta, ME: "How to Talk Cooperative!" Free training for anyone who wants to make informal presentations about the benefits of co-ops, presented by CDI and Cooperative Maine. April 14, Holyoke, MA: Western Mass. Jobs with Justice Educational, Organizing, & Membership Conference. CFNE will be tabling, and we're intrigued by the workshop "Good Green Jobs ~ owned by union members?" April 21, Orono, ME: HOPE Festival and Green Expo. Cooperative Maine joins 70 social change groups and keynoter Bill McKibben. April 21-22, Warren, VT: The Art of Small Business/Re-Inventing Small Business. Founder of South Mountain Company worker co-op, John Abrams, offers a course based on Companies We Keep. May 1, New York, NY: Solidarity Economy Fair. Details to come, stay tuned! May 2, Washington, D.C.: 2012 Cooperative Hall of Fame. A fundraiser for the Cooperative Development Foundation and always an inspiration. May 12, Plattsburgh, NY: Cooperative Enterprises Build a Better Northern Adirondacks. A celebration of cooperatives young and old, and a community workshop, organized by CDI. May 12-July 7, East Coast: Cabot Community Tour. From Miami to Portland, check the schedule for a celebration near you. May 14-18, online: Financial Analysis for Cooperative Start-Ups.Session III in the premiere co-op development training byCooperation Works! June 2-5, Tuscon, AZ: Cooperative Communicators Association (CCA) Institute. For professionals who communicate for cooperatives. June 8, Burlington, VT: 10th Annual Employee Ownership Conference. For those who want to learn more about employee ownership as well as members of existing employee-owned companies; presented by Vermont Employee Ownership Center. June 13 & 14-16, Philadelphia, PA: Exploring Cooperatives: Economic Democracy and Community Development in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and Consumer Cooperative Management Association (CCMA) Conference. A cross-sector look at how to build great co-ops and networks, and how those help build great cities and regions; and the yearly gathering of food co-op participants. June 22-24, Boston, MA: National Worker Cooperative Conference.Day-long intensive on co-op development, films, tours, workshops, speakers, and a big party. Do not miss! July 8-20, Madison, WI: CUNA Management School. Professional development for credit union staff. See CUNA's other educational offerings as well. July 13-15, New Brunswick, NJ: Conference of the International Association for the Economics of Participation. A presentation and debate about research on democratic and participatory economic organizations. Fall Events Fall, Bronx, NY: Green Worker Cooperative Academy. For teams ready to turn their business idea into an eco-friendly co-op. Sept. 10-13, Kansas City, MO: Annual Conference for Purchasing Cooperatives. The only event by, for and about purchasing and shared services cooperatives. Sept. 17-21, Madison, WI: Effective Cooperative Business Development for Practitioners. Session One of the Cooperation Works! professional development training. Oct. 2-5, Seattle, WA: Annual Cooperative Conference. A cross-sector gathering of the nation's cooperatives. Oct. 6 -11, Quebec City, Quebec: The Imagine 2012: Conference on Co-operative Economics and International Summit of Cooperatives. A world-wide gathering of the cooperative community in our backyard! Oct 10-13, Reno, NV: 52nd Annual National Association of Housing Cooperatives Conference. The housing event of the year. Did we miss something? Drop us a line at info@cdi.coop! We will make sure to get the word out about your cooperative learning opportunity for 2012, the International Year of Cooperatives. Happy learning and growing!

4/12: "How to Talk Cooperative!" free training session

How to Talk Cooperative!

Learn how to conduct informal, effective, small-group presentations about the benefits of Co-ops in your community and beyond

- Consolidate your knowledge of Cooperatives

- Add Co-op to your development expertise

- Develop your speaking and meeting skills

- Grow the Cooperative Movement

- Convey your passion!

Thursday, April 12, 2012, 9:30am to 3:30pm. Lunch provided.

West Room, Viles Arboretum, 153 Hospital St., Augusta, ME

Reservations only, in advance: 207-525-7776 or

jmurphy@gwi.net for reservations, questions, directions

Welcome to a free, enjoyable training session for future speakers about co-ops. This guided instruction is for anyone wishing to develop skills in this area. Learn to speak confidently and competently about:

• What are Cooperatives? What is their history?
• Why the Cooperative Difference Matters
• Types of Cooperatives and hybrids
• Values and Principles that inspire Co-ops
• Examples of successful Co-ops
• Bylaws and governance
• Extent and diversity of the global movement
• Handling FAQs and resources
• Assistance with planning your presentation

Help your community to Celebrate: 2012 is the International Year of Cooperatives!!

Facilitators:

Lynda Brushett, Cooperative Development Institute

Jane Livingston, Cooperative Maine & Cooperative Development Institute

By Land and By Sea: Leveraging Co-ops for Business Success--Conference in Unity, ME Jan 19

Eat Maine Foods is sponsoring a one-day conference for Maine farmers & fishermen on the cooperative model of doing business. See http://www.eatmainefoods.org/events/coop-conference, and go to http://bylandandbysea.eventbrite.com/ to register.

CDI staff will be presenting a couple of workshops. One of the main organizers was CDI's board president, Erica Buswell.

More details:
Thursday, January 19, 2012 in Unity, Maine 9am to 5:30pm

• Learn exactly what a cooperatively-organized business is all about. What are the advantages, what are the different types of co-ops, and why might it make sense for your business? We’ll cover the nuts and bolts of co-ops.
  
• Connect with Experienced Co-operative Business People. What are the financing options for co-ops? What local resources are available for start-up, problem-solving and co-operative business development? Go home with connections and an action plan for moving your co-op business or idea forward.
• Celebrate 2012: International Year of Co-operatives. Hear first-hand stories from other farmers and fishermen about how they have implemented a co-operative business. What worked? What obstacles did they overcome and how?

Sponsored by The Eat Local Foods Coalition of Maine and its members: Putting more Maine food on more Maine tables more often!
With support from and participation of: Lobsters on the Fly, MOFGA, Maine Department of Agriculture, Penobscot East Resource Center, Maine Farmland Trust, Cooperative Maine, Island Institute, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Local Sprouts Cooperative, Cooperative Fund of New England, The Broadreach Fund, Cooperative Development Institute and more!