The Wheatsfield Board approved a slate of four candidates for the Annual Board Election at their August 26th meeting. Because there are four candidates for the three open board seats, there will be an election this year. The election will begin on October 1st in the store and through our online election runner. The four candidates will each have an opportunity to speak to members about their vision for Wheatsfield and voting will conclude at the Annual Meeting.

View each candidate’s statement below to learn more about why they are running for the Wheatsfield board!

Anand Balasubramanian

Statement of Candidacy

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

As a Wheatsfield member-owner and regular customer, I value the Co-op as much more than a grocery store. It is a welcoming place where people shop, learn, connect, and support the local community. I would be honored to contribute my experience and perspective to help Wheatsfield remain financially strong, responsive to its members, and true to its cooperative values. I am also excited by the opportunity to learn more about cooperative governance and work alongside fellow members to help guide an Ames institution I genuinely value.

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 bring experience in strategic planning, marketing, communications, technology, customer engagement, partnerships, and organizational growth. As a product marketing leader, I regularly translate complex information into clear decisions, develop business cases, evaluate investments, and collaborate with executive leaders and cross-functional teams. I am also an entrepreneur who has built and launched a consumer technology business, giving me firsthand experience listening to customers, managing limited resources, and testing new ideas. I would bring curiosity, financial awareness, thoughtful communication, and a practical growth mindset to the Board.

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

I hope Wheatsfield continues to be a financially resilient, welcoming, and distinctly local institution that serves both longtime members and new generations of Ames residents. I would like to see the Co-op deepen member engagement, strengthen relationships with Iowa producers, and find thoughtful ways to make healthy, locally sourced food accessible to more people. Wheatsfield can also continue evolving how it communicates and connects with the community while preserving the cooperative values that make it special. My hope is that it remains a place where everyone feels welcome to shop, learn, gather, and participate.

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

I live in Ames with my family and enjoy endurance sports, fitness, technology, entrepreneurship, and community involvement. I am a former triathlete and continue to train regularly—often stopping at Wheatsfield for a protein smoothie after a workout. I am also the founder of Warmly Cards, an Ames-based digital greeting-card platform created to help people build stronger human connections. As a parent of two daughters, I care deeply about helping make Ames a healthy, welcoming, and vibrant community for the next generation.

Chris Colvin

Statement of Candidacy

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

I will be honored to continue to serve on the Board of Directors. The last three years I’ve taken the skills I’ve learned in other organizations and applied them to the finance committee. Last year I was glad to volunteer to fill out a year on the board. Now that I have those experiences as well as my background in IT security, banking, and insurance from my career I feel like I can really hit the ground running in my own term on the board. We face several challenges ahead and I want to help the co-op not just survive but thrive.

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 experiencing as a producer ag markets, logistics, and the importance of working well with people with different goals, missions, and ideas all in the same organization. I also now have three years of experience with Wheatfield’s finances and a year of board membership.

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 financial footing to fulfill all of the principles of a coop and the listed core values. Quality food at reasonable prices is a fundamental need in our relativity unique community. If our diverse customers and members have their required nutritional needs met with the value added enjoyment possible in preparing and sharing meals with others 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 High School. We have two cats, five 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. I am also a licensed drone pilot.

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 my third term on the Co-op Board of Directors. It has been deeply rewarding to learn from fellow board members and co-op managers about the function of member-owned, food-buying cooperatives. Starting out six years ago, I swiftly discovered the significant role the board’s stewardship plays in sustaining the Coop’s relevance and vitality. The responsibility to review our fiscal and managerial policies, sustain our cooperative mission and values, and grow our positive impacts once seemed daunting. However, year after year, through conversations with member-owners at co-op community events and collaborations with the diversely talented Board and Wheatsfield staff, I have come to trust the process and believe 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 Coop 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 Coop 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.

Alex Ludolph

Statement of Candidacy

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

Serving as Wheatsfield’s student board member over the past year has given me a greater appreciation for the cooperative model and the role the Board plays in supporting Wheatsfield’s future. I have enjoyed learning about cooperative governance, participating in thoughtful discussions, and working with people who bring different experiences and perspectives to the table. As my student term comes to an end, I would love the opportunity to continue contributing as a full board member. I believe in Wheatsfield’s mission and would be excited to continue supporting an organization that has made me feel connected to the Ames community.

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 year as Wheatsfield’s student board member has given me firsthand experience with the Board’s responsibilities, discussions, and decision making process. I also bring a background in sustainable agriculture, research, education, and science communication, which has taught me how to evaluate information, communicate complex topics, and work with people with different perspectives.

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

I hope Wheatsfield continues to be a place where people come not only to shop, but also to connect with local food, producers, and the Ames community. I would like to see the co-op continue strengthening its support for local producers and environmentally responsible practices while finding new ways to engage members and introduce more people to the cooperative model. I am particularly interested in creating stronger connections with students and young community members. Wheatsfield has a unique opportunity to educate people about where their food comes from while remaining a welcoming and sustainable community resource

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

I recently completed my master’s degree in Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University, where my research focused on nitrogen management and agricultural sustainability. I am passionate about agriculture, conservation, education, and connecting people with the science behind our food and farming systems. Outside of work, I enjoy puzzles, baking, spending time outdoors, traveling, spending time with my friends and family, and attending Iowa State sporting events.