2025 Board (Left to Right): Katharine Arnold (Director & Manager, Buffalo Mountain Food Co-op, VT); John Crane, 2025 President (General Manager, Portland Food Co-op, ME); Chris Whiton (Operations Manager, Littleton Food Co-op, NH); Mary Mullally, Vice President (General Manager, Hunger Mountain Co-op, VT); Michael Wells, 2025 Secretary (Director, Putney Food Co-op, VT); Cassandra Campbell (Director, Fiddleheads Food Co-op, New London, CT); George Touloumtzis (Director, Franklin Community Co-op, MA); Philip Trevvett (Director, Urban Greens Co-op Market, RI). Not pictured: Lucy Georgeff, Treasurer (General Manager, High Falls Food Co-op, NY)
Cassandra Campbell, (Director, Fiddleheads Food Co-op, New London, CT)
Cassandra Campbell has been passionately involved in different types of cooperative boards for over twenty years: she served as board director of an employee federal credit union, and as a board director of a residential property owner cooperative, both in Westchester County, N.Y. Today she resides in the seaport city of New London, CT. where she found a welcoming and purposefully driven community at Fiddleheads Food Co-op. She was elected to their board in 2023, she has served as the chair of the Finance, Nominating and Policy Equity committees, and is currently the Board’s Vice President.
Through her service on the NFCA board she looks forward ~ to contributing to the growth and development of member/owned and worker/owned type cooperatives ~ to providing peer education & technical assistance to regional co-ops ~ and working with others to achieve favorable cooperative legislation.
Susan Cutting (Board President, Belfast Community Co-op, Belfast, ME
Susan Cutting has been serving on the Belfast Community Co-op Board of Directors in Maine since 2021, and as Board President since 2022. She has been a member owner of that Co-op for 18 years, and of Co-ops in other locations previously. Her professional and volunteer backgrounds directing, managing and facilitating non-profit environmental programs has given her a deep appreciation for the power and inspiration in working with groups who share a common vision. Susan is passionate about the Co-operative economic model and believes the Food Co-op movement can help communities strengthen and become more interconnected. There is so much we share as Food Co-ops, and learning about each other’s work can be so valuable, especially important during these challenging times.
Mary Mullally, Vice President (General Manager, Hunger Mountain Co-op, VT)
Mary has worked at Hunger Mountain Co-op for over 20 years and currently serves as General Manager. Her time at the co-op has provided her with a sound natural food/co-operative retail background and further developed her project management and leadership skills. She particularly enjoys serving on the NFCA Board of Directors because she values working collaboratively to strengthen our cooperative economy and sustainable local food systems. She is especially proud to serve NFCA, because it works to build collaborative partnerships to make healthy food more broadly available while simultaneously supporting our local producers. She believes the more we invest in our community, the stronger and more resilient we become.
Lucy Georgeff, Treasurer (General Manager, High Falls Food Co-op, NY)
Lucy has served as General Manager of High Falls Food Co-op (High Falls, NY) since November 2020. Prior to this, she spent ten years at the Springfield Food Co-op (Springfield, VT), first as the bookkeeper, and then as the finance and human resource manager. She came to food co-ops after several years working on diversified livestock farms. In both fields, she has seen the holistic results of local ownership of food systems, and she believes co-operative structure is fundamental for healthy communities and people. Lucy has worked with NFCA throughout her time in both co-ops and is excited at the opportunity to continue contributing to the vital work they and our co-ops do together in growing the co-op movement.
Katharine Arnold (Director & Manager, Buffalo Mountain Co-op, VT)
Katharine has been involved in co-ops since the early 70s and continues to have a commitment and passion toward furthering the Co-operative Movement and the mission of NFCA. She has been part of the Collective Management Team at Buffalo Mountain Co-op for over 15 years and was originally hired to open and manage their café. My experience with helping Buffalo Mountain take on its next stage of growth has shown the value in being able to share information amongst our co-ops. I feel it is important that our NFCA board have representation from co-ops with both conventional and natural products and from co-ops of all sizes.
George Touloumtzis (Director, Franklin Community Co-op, MA)
A child of the ’60s, I have long had an underlying interest in collective and cooperative endeavors. When living in Boston for a number of years I was a member-owner of the Harvest Co-op (RIP) out of principle, though I was neither an active shopper there nor in any way involved in governance. But when I moved to Western Mass in 2002, I chose to live in Greenfield largely because of the presence of Green Fields Market (then Franklin Community Co-op’s only store) — in the heart of downtown — intentionally buying a home within walking distance. I became a frequent shopper and a working member (dishwashing on Sunday mornings). I also attended a few Annual Meetings. But it wasn’t ’til a crisis in 2013 (involving a GM turnover) that I became involved in governance, serving on the FCC Board for eight years (six as President). After a term-limit imposed one-year hiatus (during which I continued to attend Board meetings and serve on Board committees), I’ve just finished up the first year of another three-year term.
Beyond the confines of my home co-op, I’ve had a lot of opportunities to sample the broader co-operative ecosystem, attending many NFCA events and seven CCMAs, and partaking of numerous CDS/Columinate training/networking sessions. I have several times heard from co-operators in other parts of the country how envious they are upon hearing of NFCA as a regional entity, a co-op of co-ops. As a passionate fan of P6, it’s made me proud to know that FCC was a founding member. It would be an honor to serve on the NFCA Board and contribute in whatever way I can to the continued success of this organization, as well as utilizing my expanded knowledge and experience to enhance my service to FCC.
Philip Trevvett (Director, Urban Greens Co-op Market, RI)
After living in Washington Park, the West End, Olneyville, Smith Hill and College Hill over the past 20 years, Philip now lives in the Elmwood neighborhood of Providence. He works at Harvard Medical School in Harvard Catalyst’s informatics department. This work has helped him develop strong project management and team building skills that have been extremely useful during his time on the Urban Greens board. He has also volunteered over the years with a number of agricultural and local food system businesses and nonprofits.
Philip has served on the Urban Greens Board for nearly ten years and served 2 years as chair. He was one of the core board members involved in getting the co-op open: leading the effort to successfully raise over $1million in startup capital, as well as spearheading community outreach and member drive efforts prior to the store’s opening. Since the co-op opened in 2019, Philip has focused on the board’s internal development through both recruitment and internal governance training, as well as developing management structures for the relationship between the Board and the General Manager. Philip is excited to support the development of current board members and help ensure the long-term stability of the co-op.
Jennifer Wahlquist (Ownership & Outreach Coordinator, Blue Hill Food Co-op, ME)
The Blue Hill Food Co-op opened its doors in 1974 as a buying club in rural, coastal Maine. We have grown a lot since those humble beginnings over 50 years ago. Values such as self-help, self-responsibility, solidarity, democracy, equality, and equity which exist in the foundation of the co-operative model, resonate deeply for me. In 2003, I became an owner because I wanted to be a part of this group of people sharing responsibility and resources ensuring we, together, had access to organic and local food year-round on the Blue Hill Peninsula for many years to come. In time I became a producer. As a small scale farmer, I was selling vegetables, fruits, and flowers to the co-op exclusively. In 2016, I became an employee and today serve as the Ownership & Outreach Coordinator. I manage the ownership database, run the outreach program, coordinate store events & education programs, and manage the working-owners (volunteers). It is important for me to work for an organization that values honesty and openness, while practicing social responsibility and caring for others – shoppers, employees, board members, vendors, farms, neighbors, environment, and even extending to the global community for future generations. I’ve enjoyed working with our board over the last 6 years by assisting with the annual meeting planning process, sitting on the strategic planning committee, and attending board meetings monthly to introduce new Change For Good recipients and highlight new events/programs.
Our General Manager has been enthusiastically supportive of me learning, growing, and networking within the co-operative world – locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. Kevin Gadsby suggests co-operative events of interest and provides access for me to attend and contribute meaningfully. Currently, I am a certificate student in the Co-operative Management program at Saint Mary’s University, Nova Scotia and have traveled to Costa Rica with their study program. This trip was rich with connection and inspiration that radiates into my work at the Blue Hill Co-op. Continuing my co-operative enterprise education and collaborating with other co-operatives is very important to me. I’ve enjoyed attending national CCMA (Consumer Co-operative Management Association) Conferences (2024 and 2025), as well as local Maine cross co-operative P6 (Principle 6) gatherings from 2021-2025. I co-led a workshop at the 2024, P6 conference, titled “Community Connections: Engagement Strategies for Co-op Success.” I have attended innumerable virtual NFCA offerings since 2019. The educational materials from NFCA have been invaluable to me in growing my position and furthering co-operative education in my community. My General Manager suggested I attend the NFCA Annual Meeting in 2024 which was very worthwhile.Considering time as our most valuable resource, I appreciate the famous poet Mary Oliver, who poses the question, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild, and precious life?” Surely investing my time and energy into the local, regional, and national co-operative movement is a worthy endeavor! I offer myself in service to the NFCA board for the good of the co-operative movement, working toward shared goals both locally and regionally. I fully bring my passion, creativity, and kindness.
Chris Whiton (Operations Manager, Littleton Food Co-op, Littleton, NH)
Before coming to the Co-op community in 2010, Chris had a diverse twenty-year background in the conventional grocery industry. During that time, he moved from Front End management to store management, as well as performing duties as a district auditor and inventory management trainer for ten New Hampshire and Vermont stores. Arriving at the Littleton Food Co-op during its first year of business, he assisted in developing the procedures and structure for front-of-store operations, HR practices. As the store grew and expanded, he moved on to Store Operations management, helping coordinate the various departments with scheduling, ordering, and growth opportunities. When not at the Co-op, Chris enjoys maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Hiking, biking, and skiing are just a few activities he fits in between work shifts. His small photography business works to bring awareness to environmental concerns and sustainability. Being part of the co-op family has brought his focus on the need for accessible and affordable healthy food options for everyone. The support that we can lend to local growers and producers is immense, and in turn, this support will enrich our community and help promote the co-operative model.
Erbin Crowell, Executive Director
Erbin Crowell serves as Executive Director of the Neighboring Food Co-op Association (NFCA). Prior to joining the association, Erbin worked with the Cooperative Fund of the Northeast, New England and the Valley Alliance of Worker Co-ops and as an independent consultant. For more than a decade, he was a member of Equal Exchange, a worker co-operative and pioneer in the Fair Trade movement, and serves on the boards of the New England Farmers Union and the National Cooperative Business Association. Erbin holds a Master of Management: Co-operatives & Credit Unions from Saint Mary’s University in Nova Scotia where he serves as an adjunct professor.
Suzette Snow-Cobb, Associate Director
Suzette has been involved with food co-ops since the mid 80’s. Prior to joining our staff, she worked for Franklin Community Co-op for 20 years and served on the board of the NFCA. Suzette currently serves on the boards of the Valley Co-operative Business Association and FEDCO Seeds a multi-stakeholder co-op. Suzette holds a Master of Management: Co-operatives & Credit Unions from Saint Mary’s University, Nova Scotia.