Empower Your Co-op's Future: Learn about your Board of Directors!

Breadroot is a cooperative, meaning we’re owned by members and run by a Board of Directors. As a cooperative, every individual who chooses to become a Member-Owner has a stake in our success. Our cooperative is run by a dedicated Board of Directors, elected by our membership, who work to ensure that Breadroot reflects the values and priorities of our community. Each year, we hold a Board Election for Member-Owners to elect representatives. If you want a prominent role in shaping the future of your Co-op, want to chair a committee, and want a nice in-store discount for your service, we’d love to hear from you. Applications will be made available on our website and at the Co-op around January each year! 

FOR QUESTIONS RELATED TO BOARD MATTERS, PLEASE CONTACT OUR BOARD PRESIDENT, TIFFANY, AT PRESIDENT@BREADROOT.COM

MEET YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

       Hello fellow cooperators! My roots to Breadroot run deep, I have been a member since Breadroot opened in 2001 at the Columbus Street location. I volunteered at Breadroot for 12 years, doing everything from moving the store three times, placing orders, running the till, opening and closing the store, helping write the mission statement, as well as serving on the board for many years. The Co-op is a magical place for me, I love and appreciate the community that continues to grow and I look forward to being able to keep the growth in the direction of making healthy food affordable to everyone, growing our connections with local producers, educating the public, and strengthening our community. I’m in Breadroot at least 2 to 3 times a week, if you see me, please introduce yourself and feel free to ask me any questions, about how I can best represent you. This is our store, Breadroot is member owned, I look forward to representing you!

        Diving deeper into board membership at Breadroot Natural Foods Co -op seems like part of a natural progression for me. My belief is that I have an obligation to serve our local and global communities. Joining the board will positively utilize my training, experience and interest in the world around me. My early upbringing in NYC as the daughter of a small businessman afforded me a very direct insight into the challenges and rewards of running a retail storefront. Leaving NY to attend college in Madison, Wisconsin provided me with my first exposure to the concept and reality of belonging to a food coop. Back then, members all had a work requirement at the Coop. This hands-on membership provided a venue for talking about food and what it meant to us as part of our present and future. So many years later, food is still central to the policies and discussion of everything in terms of health, nutrition, environment, culture, justice and equity. Since those college days, I’ve worked in the intersection of small scale agriculture, community and economic development and environmental sustainability. I’ve been a university educator, community extension specialist and a program coordinator. I’ve enjoyed in-depth opportunities to learn from reading, research and interaction with people in a wide variety of situations. I relish talking with people about their experiences and how it shapes their viewpoints. In June 2022, I retired from my position with SDSU. Although I still maintain interest and activity in some of my former commitments, retirement has allowed me to select and prioritize how to best allocate my time.
        On a personal level, my husband Mark and I have been married for 41 years. We have 2 wonderful sons who grew up in Valentine, NE. and now live on opposite sides of the country in Los Angeles, CA. and Atlanta, GA. Mark and I moved to the Rapid City area in 2019 with our dog Sparky. We enjoy the amazing outdoor activities available to us at home in the Black Hills. We hike, ski, boat, ride bikes, bird watch, and generally explore together. We also love to travel to destinations near and far. (Ask me about Antarctica!) I’m also a gardener, forager, swimmer and fiber arts enthusiast.

          My name is Jamin Andreas Hübner and I currently serve as a professor of economics for the University of the People, a Research Professor of Philosophy, Religion, and Economics for LCC International University, and a property manager and home renovator here in Rapid City.I previously served as a Director of Institutional Effectiveness in higher education and an economics instructor at Western Dakota Tech. I grew up on a farm in Southeastern South Dakota and moved to Rapid City in 2010 to fall further in love with my partner Jessica, who is a licensed therapist in town. Both of us enjoy hiking, reading, coffee and tea, and playing with our two rescue dogs Shosta and Zoay. I also play table tennis with a club in town and play drums for several jazz/funk bands. 
         I’m passionate about cooperatives, effective organizations, and ethical living. I’ve enjoyed serving on the Board for the past several years and on the bylaws committee to prepare Breadroot for the next chapter.

      Born and raised in Rapid City, I have a deep commitment to my community. After obtaining my bachelor’s from Black Hills State University, I am now pursuing a master’s degree in Community Development at South Dakota State University. During some of my undergrad years, I worked at Breadroot, where I developed a strong appreciation for cooperative principles and a community-centered workplace. As a committed member of Breadroot Natural Foods Co-op, I seek to join the board to continue contributing to its growth and connection with the community.
        Since departing from Breadroot after embarking on my new career, I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to continue contributing to the co-op through my current work. During this time, I have been able to contribute data on local and national market conditions to the co-op in order to provide the foundation for evidence-based decision-making as we overcome new challenges. In addition to my professional skills and experience, I also hope to use my insight as a former staff member to improve member engagement.I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to continue contributing to Breadroot’s continued success and positive impact on our community!

        I am interested in serving on the board because I have been passionate about food justice, sustainability, and food security for over two decades and Breadroot Natural Foods Co-op plays a vital role in those fields for our membership and community. Breadroot provides its membership and community healthy foods and goods in a welcoming space for all of us. I am immensely interested in making sure the board operates with the voice of the membership at its heart. The power of any co-op is in its membership and to me there is no better way to represent the people than to serve on the board of directors. An integral part of serving on the board is listening, debating, executing proposed ideas, and dedicating the time required to do a thorough in-depth job. The board position also means that we keep the budget and finances of our Co-op in line with our mission and values. I feel that my knowledge base, skill set and personality are well-suited to communicating with our community, our membership and reaching sound decisions with board members and management.

        As a wellness coach, I believe in being a part of my community and supporting organizations like Breadroot that offer a much needed resource. I refer my clients to good quality food as their first line of defense for good health and believe in the mission of this organization.I am an ideas person and strategic thinker. I look forward to continuing to offer my experience, insights, and energy towards moving the mission forward. It has been a privilege to be a part of the board these last 2 years! I have enjoyed working with the other board members and management to create vision and make the decisions needed for continued growth and impact on our community.
        As we continue to set ourselves up for a greater impact, we need a strong board to lead the way, and I believe my skills and understanding knowledge of health and wellness, leadership development and teamwork are necessary qualities of an active board member. If re-elected I will continue to give 100% to support the vision of Breadroot, together we can positively impact our growing community!

         Jan and I have lived in South Dakota our entire lives. I have a ranch/farm background and currently serve as manager of the Voight Scatterwood Reserve that is part of my Grandfather’s Homestead. My professional career has been in the State of South Dakota as a public school teacher, coach, principal, superintendent, University Adjunct and Assistant Professor at SDSU. I have board experience at the local, state, national, and international level. I provided leadership training in consensus building and strategic initiative design at the non-profit and for-profit world. I worked with the Gates Foundation to define and assess effective leadership in the design of a Leadership Assessment Center. For the past 20 years our family has been involved with Breadroot Co-op. I would continue to be engaged in the growth of Breadroot in service to the community.

          Hi! Hej! Olá!
          I’m Kristie. I’m new to Rapid City. My husband grew up here and we decided to move back from Portland Oregon last year. The Black Hills are magical and I’m so happy with our decision. I grew up in Boston, MA, went to school in Stockholm Sweden, and was nomadic for a long time. I am so happy to set roots here! One of the first things I did when we were deciding where to move was seek out a local grocery co-op – Breadroot. Bingo!
          Professionally I work in regulatory compliance in biopharma developing mental health treatments that address the unmet needs of patients, primarily in clinical-stage psychedelics. I’m also a Chaotic Good Rogue (+charisma), IYKYK. If anyone plays Dungeons and Dragons (v 3.5), reach out!

          I am a North Dakota native who committed the cardinal sin of moving to the “other” Dakota, and I have shamelessly loved every minute of it! I work as a public relations consultant for a civil engineering firm, and I am currently finishing up a master’s degree in Community Development through Kansas State University. My husband and I spend much of our free time romping around in the woods with our two rescue dogs. I love the Black Hills and all the activities they have to offer – hiking, biking, camping, and rock climbing in particular! I also enjoy working on projects around our home, cooking, and reading. This summer, I am also planting a garden for the first time, so I hope to be able to enjoy some hyper-local vegetables soon!
          Along with a background in public relations, fundraising, and event planning, I had the pleasure to serve as the Market Day Manager for BisMarket, a weekly seasonal farmers and makers market in Bismarck (ND), for its 2020 season. This position introduced me to the world of local foods and created a passion for hyper-local anything. My favorite local food in the Black Hills is wild raspberries (Pro-tip: add them to your campfire s’mores!).
          My current coursework in Community Development has furthered and expanded my knowledge and passion for local foods, which has ignited a desire to be involved in creating better food systems in my own community. My degree coursework emphasizes the connection between livability issues such as land use/zoning, food systems, walkability, and recreation with injustice and inequity, while looking at how proper democracy and representation can reshape communities. I have learned that sustainable change starts at the bottom, not the top, and places like Breadroot are where ideas catalyze into movements that better our community.
          I am interested in joining the Board of Directors because I am passionate about local food and healthy living, and I want to see Breadroot have a long-lasting legacy in our community. I see myself living in Rapid City for years to come, and I want to be part of building a community that future generations can thrive in. While my career currently lies in the private sector, much of my previous job history was spent in the public and non-profit sectors. I have a deep appreciation for non-profits and community-centered organizations because I have first-hand experience of the difference they can make in communities. There are a lot of reasons to love Rapid City, but there is also potential to create a more equitable, inclusive, and thriving community. Local foods are only part of the puzzle, but it is certainly a great place to start.
          Thank you for taking the time to learn more about me, and I hope our paths cross again soon!

Board meetings are regularly held on the third Monday of every other month, and are open to all Member-Owners to attend.

Read the meeting minutes from our previous board meetings. Some of our minutes are not available, as confidential information regarding relocation was discussed. 

Our bylaws state how our cooperative will conduct business, they’re like the owners’ manual of the Co-op.