This article was filed under Co-ops
IOWA CITY, Iowa (May 27, 2009) – Robynn Shrader, chief executive officer for National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA), has been elected to the board of directors of NCB, a national banking cooperative dedicated to strengthening communities nationwide through the delivery of banking and financial services, complemented by a special focus on cooperative expansion and economic development.
NCB focuses on industries that support vibrant communities: housing, education, healthcare, cultural centers, local businesses, natural food cooperative grocers and social services. Elected to the NCB board in April, Shrader will serve through 2012 and join the 13 other board members in providing strategic direction and leadership counsel.
As CEO for NCGA, Shrader is involved daily with the challenges and opportunities facing retail food co-ops of varying sizes across the country. She works directly with a variety of industry organizations and foundations that serve the natural, organic and cooperative communities.
“It is more important than ever to directly invest in and help strengthen community-minded businesses, entrepreneurs, organizations and endeavors,” Shrader said. “I’m proud to be a part of this organization which does just that.”
Shrader has 20 years of experience in cooperative marketing, brand management and organizational development. She was the first and only staff person of NCGA during its formation and development and led the organization to its current status as a national association with nearly 40 staff positions in 10 states and the District of Columbia.
Shrader also represents food co-ops within the National Organic Coalition, a national sustainable agriculture coalition dedicated to the preservation of organics, family farms, rural development and animal welfare. She is a director of New Pioneer Cooperative, a natural foods co-op with more than 12,000 member-owners in the Iowa City/Coralville, Iowa area, and was named one of the “Top Women in Grocery” by Progressive Grocer magazine in 2007.
National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA), founded in 1999, is a business services cooperative for consumer-owned food co-ops located throughout the United States. NCGA is owned by 111 food co-ops operating more than 140 stores in 32 states with combined annual sales of over $1 billion. NCGA helps unify natural food co-ops in order to optimize operational and marketing resources, strengthen purchasing power, and ultimately offer more value to natural food co-op shoppers everywhere. For a map of co-op member locations, visit www.ncga.coop/member-stores. To learn more about NCGA, click here. To learn more about co-ops visit www.go.coop.
