General Managers' Report                                                              1/24/08

●      As they say, “New Year, New You.”  HR Manager, Kimalee, and HABA Manager, Rani, are collaborating along with other staff members to brainstorm ideas for a Wellness Program for the staff.  Goals for the program include creating a community of support for staff members looking to develop healthier lifestyles, networking with other organizations in town like the YMCA to develop mutually beneficial relationships for both organizations, and reaching out to community members who work in the health, nutrition, and wellness fields to contribute to the creation of a healthier quality of life for all Co-op staff members.

●      Sales for New Year's Eve turned in a less than stellar performance.  We had our doors open until midnight, but not much sales activity after our scheduled entertainment wrapped up around 10pm.  In order to fairly compensate staff for the late evening (our Floor Managers and Maintenance staff were here until 2am!), we paid out holiday overtime for all hours worked after 9pm.  While it appears that our participation in New Year's By the Bay received a positive community response, we determined that in future years, we will plan to be open only until 10pm, as the cost effectiveness of staffing the store sufficiently enough to deter shoplifters can't be reconciled with the minute number of sales late in the evening.

●      Management Staff from all levels pitched in their time earlier this month to help move useless junk out of the basement in order to make space for an employee breakroom.  Thanks to Phil's (Facilities Co-ordinator) tireless efforts over the past year (sorting through the useable and useless), it was a relatively quick process.  We were able to donate a few things, recycle a few things, and throw a few things away.  And now we have a space, although not visually stunning, where staff can get away for lunch or tea and enjoy meals “not at our desks.”  The hope is that other staff members will pitch in for the interior decorating part in order to make it feel more inviting.

●      We had a great presence at the recent Agricultural Trades show in Augusta.  In attendance were Education Co-ordinator, Fran, Produce Staff members Tom (Manager) and Chris, and Board Staff Rep, Kate.  Networking took place between our staff and growers/producers, policymakers, fellow food activists, and members of the big box grocery world. Congratulations to Hannaford Bros. for being awarded the State's “Most Supportive of Local Agriculture” award.

●      Kimalee and Erica are bringing some of the fruits of our labors from Rising Stars to our Department Managers in the form of a 13-week supervisory training course geared specifically towards our own needs.  We'll focus our discussion around what our role and responsibilities are as leaders, and the training will commence on January 24^th.  We've been able to pull material from diverse sources including the materials we got from Rising Stars, articles from the Co-operative Grocer, materials from USM, policies from other Co-ops, and materials from our Employee Assistance Program.  By the end of July, all staff with supervisory responsibilities will have completed this valuable training.

●      Membership update:    As of our last board meeting, we have gained a total of 25 new members.  The finance office is still trying to work out an easy system for keeping track (monthly) of the number of members who have been suspended due to non-payment, the number of members restored to good standing due to payments on account, and the number of members requesting cancellation of their accounts or equity refunds.  Stay tuned!