Ron Eichmeier

Statement of Candidacy

Why do you want to serve on the Wheatsfield Board of Directors?

I grew up on a farm in north central Iowa, and have spent my entire career in the field of agriculture. Very early in my life I realized that our family was not raising corn, soybeans, oats, hogs, cattle, and lamb; but rather we were in food production. I understand and appreciate the difference between the commodity products sold in many food stores, as compared to the fresh, locally grown products like those sold in Wheatsfield. I personally continue to raise fruit, berries, and vegetables in my garden for family use.

As mentioned above, I retired after 37 years working for Farm Credit Services of America, which is a financial lending cooperative owned by the customers that do business with the co-op. I understand the cooperative structure from my years at Farm Credit Services and my years on the Wheatsfield board, and appreciate the advantages of being a member of a co-op.

Please describe any skills or experience (such as financial literacy, legal, strategic planning, communications, etc.) that you would bring to the Wheatsfield Board of Directors.

I was in a leadership role with Farm Credit Services of America for over 15 years, and prior to that was a Financial Officer for 20 years. I served as Wheatsfield Treasurer for 3-4 years, and am currently the Vice-President. My past work history required that I have a high level of financial acumen/literacy; and even though retired, still consider this to an area of strength. While not an attorney, I do have a strong working knowledge of many legal aspects, especially in the areas of commercial and real estate lending.

What are your hopes for the future of Wheatsfield and its role in the community?

My main goal for Wheatsfield is that it remain a viable and growing cooperative. Since I joined the Board 6-7 years ago, there have been many ups, downs, and challenges. The opening of Fresh Thyme and COVID are just 2 examples. While I won’t take any credit for it, Wheatsfield was able to survive the Fresh Thyme experience, and thrive through COVID. Thanks to your support, our Co-op is in a stronger financial position now than before COVID. Looking forward, continuing to increase the variety of fresh wholesome fruit, vegetables, meat, and fish can be an integral part in the goal of increasing both member numbers and gross sales.

Another goal I have is that Wheatsfield remains actively involved in our members’ communities, and that we have a safe and welcoming environment where everyone feels comfortable to shop.

Please share anything about yourself including hobbies, passions, family members, etc.

I grew up on a farm and graduated from Iowa State University with an Agriculture Education degree. I was a Vocational Agriculture Instructor for 10 years prior to joining the Farm Credit System. My wife Jean is a retired Physician’s Assistant. We have two adult children (April in Edina, Mn & Zach in Ankeny) and three grandchildren. In retirement, I am a volunteer gleaner for Food at First, and usher at many Hilton Colliseum events. Other areas of interest are gardening, attending grandchildren events, and following the Cyclones.

Maral Erol

Statement of Candidacy

Why do you want to serve on the Wheatsfield Board of Directors?

I am interested in issues of food justice, sustainability and food security, and I want to contribute to the Wheatsfield coop to develop a better understanding for the workings of the cooperative as well as giving back to the community. Since I arrived in Ames, Wheatsfield has been the place where I felt most welcome, and I want to be more active in supporting an institution I believe in.

Please describe any skills or experience (such as financial literacy, legal, strategic planning, communications, etc.) that you would bring to the Wheatsfield Board of Directors.

I have more than ten years of teaching experience that can translate into communicating knowledge on the cooperative, its values and activities to the community and other audiences. I also have some strategic planning skills, based on working as a department chair of a university. In terms of volunteering and non-profit experience, I have volunteered for the local food co-op in Istanbul for a year and have been organizing a seed library in Ames for the last six months. Finally, I have one year of direct experience with Wheatsfield because of my term with the Board of Directors.

What are your hopes for the future of Wheatsfield and its role in the community?

I am hoping that Wheatsfield will sustain its central place in Ames, with even increasing connections to the community. I think the co-op is already doing a great job at fulfilling the requirements of its core values, but I would love to see even better ties with local producers, and perhaps more ways to facilitate interaction between the local producers and the community.

Please share anything about yourself including hobbies, passions, family members, etc.

I am a social scientist from Turkey, and a relatively new resident of Ames. I’m passionate about issues of social justice, protecting biodiversity and egalitarian and fair communities. I am also a Master Gardener Trainee, and a gardener with a very experimental garden where I try growing both traditional crops from my land and native plants of Iowa. Most recently, have been actively involved in starting a seed library in Ames and am excited to see this project grow. Wheatsfield Co-op and Ames Public Library are two of my favorite places in Ames.

Chris Colvin

Statement of Candidacy

Why do you want to serve on the Wheatsfield Board of Directors?

Every business and volunteer organization needs a board of directors with a variety of experiences and backgrounds to ensure it stays on track, embraces new ideas, and enables everyone to maintain the core principles or provide guidance when situations change.   I would be honored to serve on the BoD and give my time and skills back to our members after being a customer or member since the store was on Douglas.

Please describe any skills or experience (such as financial literacy, legal, strategic planning, communications, etc.) that you would bring to the Wheatsfield Board of Directors.

My career in computer security has had been varied including ten years at a major bank, several in insurance, and now publishing as well as consulting for both large and very small companies. All of them have complex privacy and regulatory requirements and I have learned from each. I was deeply involved in complex budgeting and documentation process for multiyear projects. I grew up farming with my family and extended family as well as learning about commodity markets, logistics, and the importance of working well with people with different goals, missions, and ideas but in the same organization.

What are your hopes for the future of Wheatsfield and its role in the community?

I hope to contribute my skills and time so the store continues to be on solid footing to fulfill all of the principles of a co-op and the listed core values. Quality food at reasonable prices is a fundamental need in our relativity unique community. If our diverse customers have their required nutrition as well as the enjoyment possible in preparing and sharing meals they will be able to spend more of their time and energy with their families, community, careers, and other things that bring them joy. Everyone benefits from healthy food, water, air, and a vibrant community.

Please share anything about yourself including hobbies, passions, family members, etc.

My wife and I have a son at Ames Middles School. We have two cats, six chickens, and several pet tropical fruit plants. Much of my personal time is spent in our large garden, tending the fruit trees, enjoying cooking projects, reading, or at our family farm near Cambridge. I am a past president and treasurer of the ISU Alumni Band and am active in 4-H as a leader and parent. I have served as treasurer for the South Campus Neighborhood for many years. We are current members of Practical Farmers of Iowa and past members of Iowa Wine Growers.

Sarah S. Davis

Statement of Candidacy

Why do you want to serve on the Wheatsfield Board of Directors?

I am running for re-election to the Co-op Board of Directors. It has been an honor learning from fellow board members and co-op managers about the function of member-owned, food-buying cooperatives. When I was first elected three years ago, I was surprised by how much I did not know about the board’s stewardship role. The responsibility to review our fiscal and managerial policies, sustain our cooperative mission and values, and grow our positive impacts once felt daunting. However, month after month, through conversations with member-owners at co-op community events and the nurturing support of the Board, I have gained confidence in the process and in my ability to serve. Our Co-op benefits from a mix of new and returning board members, and I am excited to continue representing your aspirations and concerns.

Please describe any skills or experience (such as financial literacy, legal, strategic planning, communications, etc.) that you would bring to the Wheatsfield Board of Directors.

I am a collaborator. I can work with others in group settings to help coalesce multiple ideas and the input of many and help generate the internal documentation and external communications that will effectively communicate the Board’s efforts.

What are your hopes for the future of Wheatsfield and its role in the community?

I want us to be the go-to stop for anything from a quick bite to a weekly shopping list. I believe we should aspire to be even more inviting, accessible, and non-exclusive than we are already. While our “Everyone can shop” motto and the Co+op Basics products are examples of efforts in this direction, I would like to see us grow our non-member loyalty along with our membership. I’d like more of my friends and colleagues to not feel that the Co-op is a place to shop only for specialty items. I hope we will expand our appeal – possibly though adjustments in our design and/or branding, or other ways of being more adaptive to the whole city.

Please share anything about yourself including hobbies, passions, family members, etc.

I am a life-long daily bike commuter and avid outdoorsperson. I grew up in Berkeley, California where two of my sisters still live and are jealous of the high quality of life in the Ames community (especially My Co-op). I love slow-foods cooking, especially foods that call for spicy hot peppers, like Indian, Thai, Chinese, and Latin American cuisines. I garden, read, write, bike, run, dance, play disc golf, and love a good game of cribbage. While I competed for decades in Ultimate Frisbee, I now only coach the sport or play in the Great Grand Masters division upon occasion.

Sarah Huffman

Statement of Candidacy

Why do you want to serve on the Wheatsfield Board of Directors?

I see Wheatsfield as a valuable community resource, a grocery store, a friendly gathering space, and all-around welcoming environment for everyone in Ames. I have long had an interest in and passion for locally grown, sustainably sourced food, have spent years volunteering at and supporting local farms and environmental organizations, and even served as a volunteer on Wheatsfield’s Education and Outreach Committee. Wheatsfield is a place to be celebrated, and I am proud to be a member. I frequent Wheatsfield with friends and family so much that I want to give back in a meaningful and dedicated way.

Please describe any skills or experience (such as financial literacy, legal, strategic planning, communications, etc.) that you would bring to the Wheatsfield Board of Directors.

I would bring strong organizational and administrative skills to the board. I direct operations and logistics in programming for ISU grad students and postdocs seeking communication development skills from the center I work for on campus. I am very much a people person and enjoy interacting with members of our community from all walks of life. I would also bring strong communication skills to the board. I instruct research writing and science communication courses to graduate students at ISU, so have much experience creating messaging for a range of audiences.

What are your hopes for the future of Wheatsfield and its role in the community?

The board and staff at Wheatsfield are already doing a spectacular job, so I would want to be a part of seeing that grow. When I speak about Wheatsfield to friends and co-workers, however, some are unfamiliar that it exists. I’d like to see more people in Ames know about Wheatsfield. It would also be great to better profile the ways in which Wheatsfield supports its local community artists, farmers, artisans, musicians, non-profits, and citizens. Wheatsfield gives so much, but sometimes that isn’t always visible to those who support the co-op.

Please share anything about yourself including hobbies, passions, family members, etc.

I came to Ames 15 years ago for graduate school and stayed post-graduation because of the strong sense of a community I felt and many positive friendships I had established. I strongly believe in giving back to my world in whatever way I can. I enjoy volunteering, have served on the board of the Volunteer Center of Story County, and have volunteered at Wheatsfield many times over the years. I am the mother of a young child, and my husband and I feel lucky to live within biking/walking distance to local gems like Wheatsfield, Roosevelt and Brookside Parks, and downtown.

Leah Dunlay

Statement of Candidacy

Why do you want to serve on the Wheatsfield Board of Directors?

After moving to Ames in 2021, I fell in love with the fresh baked bread of Wheatsfield, but returned often as I felt a sense of community shopping there. After moving through three countries over the past decade, I have learned to value local foods for not only their cultural importance but also their sustainability and local employment opportunities. I would like to join the board in order to learn more about the connections between Wheatsfield, its members, and producers and to help strengthen and expand those links in the future.

Please describe any skills or experience (such as financial literacy, legal, strategic planning, communications, etc.) that you would bring to the Wheatsfield Board of Directors.

In my previous work at the University of Northern Iowa and John Deere, I developed skills in project management and data analysis. Additionally while working in my role at UNI, I developed and executed a summer camp and summer internship program for our lab and was responsible for interviewing and hiring student employees. I have lived, studied, and worked in three countries and am comfortable working in multicultural teams.

What are your hopes for the future of Wheatsfield and its role in the community?

I would like Wheatsfield to be known in the community for its high quality foods and to see Wheatsfield grow in a way to be sustainable financially to manage against any future competitors.

Please share anything about yourself including hobbies, passions, family members, etc.

My spouse, three small children, and I love visiting the butterfly house at Reiman Gardens and the Ames Public Library. I enjoy dabbling in garment sewing, gardening, and in learning ASL.