A South Bay resident for over 35 years, I’ve built a strong connection to this community. Originally from Seattle, WA, I graduated from Hilltop High School and Southwestern College with an Associate’s in Business Management. My career spans 15 years in hotel facilities maintenance, including the Hotel del Coronado, where I met my amazing wife. Transitioning to the alarm industry, I now own my own business and serve on the board of our local Alarm Association. I’m deeply invested in the South Bay, having served on the Otay Mesa Nestor Community Planning Committee for 9 years and actively volunteering with local charities. I’m passionate about bringing a quality, locally owned, and sustainable grocery store to our community

I’m a life long resident of imperial beach 41 years. My occupation is a executive pastry chef, I’ve been in the industry for 17 years. I love gardening, cooking, movies, family and biking riding. Work at the lodge at Torrey Pines for 6 years, gave me a passion to pursue education to individuals about our food sourcing.

My vision for SunCoast is that it is a local hub that brings education to the community about food, where it’s sourced the benefits of local farm to table in your home, and how to create dishes from the ingredients the market has seasonally.

I was born and raised in the mid-west, the land of grocery co-ops! My professional background is in healthy living and health promotion, I have a Masters degree in Health Psychology. I am a strong advocate for less chemicals in our foods and products, and would love better access to local and organically grown foods for my family. I grew up around a variety of foods. One side of my family grew most of their food on a several acre farm while living on a tight budget. The other were Hungarian immigrants, of which I am first generation. I was raised with homemade, home-grown, self-preserved foods and appreciate all that is required for that privilege. I’m excited to help bring SunCoast Market to life because co-ops offer such a unique and community-focused shopping experience and bring the ingredients that a diverse community needs to prepare their favorite meals. Imperial Beach is the perfect place for a cooperative store!

I’m a 3rd generation Mexican-American born in So Cal and have lived in San Diego County since 1984. My family’s roots are in East L.A. and I was the first in my family to go to college. Although my mom made the effort, we weren’t adventurous eaters growing up. When I got a job as a baker at my UCSC college coffee shop, I was embarrassed to find out after 2 weeks that I had been sautéing romaine lettuce for the quiches instead of spinach because I didn’t know the difference! I’m glad to share that I know the difference now and my husband and I grow both in our garden. As a founding Board member of SunCoast, and current Board President, I have visited food co-ops across the country and love the direct connection co-ops provide between our food and the farmers that grow our food. I am a passionate advocate for SunCoast and excited that we are so close to opening South Bay’s first food co-op. I represent SunCoast in several local organizations including the I.B. Chamber of Commerce, the I.B. Collaborative, and the LiveWell San Diego So. Region Leadership Team. I have a master’s degree in public administration from SDSU and was honored to be recognized as one of 50 distinguished alumni during SDSU’s School of Public Affairs 50th anniversary celebration.

I lived in Alaska most of my life. Went to high school, got married and completed 20 years in the Postal Service. When the kids graduated from high school, we left Alaska and traveled. We bought a place in Imperial Beach in 2010. I didn’t know anyone except the people I worked out with. One of those being Anna Kirsner. She mentioned working with a group of mothers wanting to provide better nutrition for their families. I thought it was a great meaningful project, a way to meet people in the community, and a better grocery store was direly needed in Imperial Beach. So I joined the group and have been working to get a co-op in Imperial Beach for the past 3 years. I’ve been using my extensive bookkeeping experience for SunCoast Market.

Eligibility and Expectations

Per our Bylaws, a nomination committee will develop the process and materials for each election. Eligibility:

• Member of a household or business/organization that has been a SunCoast owner-member for at least six months prior to date that voting opens
• Only one individual per ownership is eligible to serve on the Board of Directors at a time
• Eighteen years of age or older
• Must be able to use email, Internet, and basic technologies for Board communications
• Is committed to a 3-year term

Below are the expectations for anyone running for a board position:

• Please be aware that this is a very busy season for SunCoast. We are a working board (meaning we act as both staff and directors) so you should be prepared to dedicate an average of 5 hours per week or more to attend meetings, participate in committee work or special projects, and attend trainings. There are also urgent tasks that require prompt response times.
• Candidates must understand the requirements for a Board of Directors position. Once elected, the Board will also elect officers, including President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Position descriptions are available in the Candidate Packet.
• Candidates must agree to and sign the Code of Conduct provided in the Candidate Packet.
• To protect the interests of the co-op, candidates agree to maintain strict confidentiality on certain matters.
• Each candidate is expected to complete the application, including a short personal statement and photo that will be posted on this website for owner-members to view when voting.
• Candidates may receive a call from the nomination committee to discuss their candidacy.
• Each candidate is expected to attend at least 1 board meeting prior to election.

Think you’d be a valuable addition to the board? Consider running for a seat in the election!

Application Process:

1. Download candidate packet below
2. Review all materials
3. Complete and submit application
4. Attend a board meeting
5. Complete an introductory call with the Elections Nomination Committee
6. An interview may be requested

Interested in being more involved but not in a board position? Consider joining a committee and attend our monthly board meetings.

Voting

All owner-members receive an email (at their email address on file) announcing elections. Voting is available by mail and online. Please note: if you unsubscribed from our mailing list, you are missing important owner information. Please re-subscribe yourself here.

If you need to vote by mail, please email info@suncoastmarket.coop