Everything Co-op with Vernon Oakes

Vernon Oakes, host of Everything Co-op interviews Roberta MacDonald, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Cabot Creamery Cooperative. Vernon and Roberta discuss the 2019 Cooperative Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony, the ABC's of Cooperatives, and much, much, more! Roberta thrives on her 40 years of marketing experience. She and her much beloved fellow Farmer Champions throughout Cabot Creamery Co-op...

2019 Co-op Hall of Fame Inductee, Richard Ensweiler is interviewed on Everything Co-op on May 2, 2019. Vernon and Richard discuss his career, and the many contributions he has made to the cooperative movement. Richard Ensweiler's legendary, 50-year career in cooperative finance began in college, where he planned to score a career in basketball coaching. Instead, he took a summer job at State Centr...

Vernon interviews 2019 Co-op Hall of Fame Inductee, Anne Reynolds, Director of the University of Wisconsin Center for Co-ops, retired. Vernon and Anne discuss her career, and the many contributions she has made to the cooperative movement. In 1996, Anne joined the staff of the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives, as the center was beginning to transfer its internationally renowned coop...

2019 Co-op Hall of Fame Inductee, Richard Stammer is interviewed on Everything Co-op, a nationally broadcast radio show. Stammer is the former President and CEO of Agri-Mark Inc. and Cabot Creamery Cooperative. Vernon and Richard discuss his career, and the many contributions he has made to the cooperative movement. A leader in the U.S. dairy industry for half a century, Richard Stammer helped New...

Kristen Barker, Executive Director of the Cincinnati Union Co-op Initiative (CUCI, discusses how the Union Co-op has helped Cooperatives to Form, Grow and Transition from Employer to Employee owned businesses. Kristen Barker is a social entrepreneur. She is Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Cincinnati Union Co-op Initiative, and is a Co-Founder of 1worker1vote. She designs and leads partici...

2019 Co-op Hall of Fame Inductee, Terry Appleby is interviewed on March 28, 2019. Vernon and Terry discuss his career and many contributions to the cooperative movement. Mr. Appleby started his co-op career at Puget Consumer Co-op, in 1980. He worked in several areas at PCC, starting as a clerk, department and store management, merchandising director and general management, and also served two ter...

As Everything Co-op continues its celebration of Women's History Month, Julian Rowand honors his mother, Nancy Rowand, the first site manager of Beecher Cooperative, and other women who helped to establish the cooperative. Julian Rowand was a long-time member of the Beecher Cooperative and is now the cooperative’s site manager. He and Vernon also discuss the role women have played in the establish...

In celebration of National Women's History Month, Everything Co-op honors women in the cooperative movement. The 2019 theme for Women's History Month is "Visionary Women: Champions of Peace and Nonviolence." This week Vernon interviews a visionary woman, Dr. Jessica Gordon Nembhard, Dr. Gordon Nembhard is Chair of the Department of Africana Studies at John Jay College, City University of New York,...

LaKeisha Wolf, Executive Director of Ujamaa Collective discusses the history of the collective and its plans to expand. Vernon and Lakeisha also discuss the role that Ujamaa Collective plays in the community, and how it has incorporated the needs of the community to create other cooperatives, which is in keeping with the meaning of it's name. Ujamaa is the fourth of the seven Nguzo Saba principles...

Deb Trocha, Executive Director of the International Cooperative Development Center, and Stuart Reid, Executive Director of the Food Co-op Initiative, are interviewed Live by Vernon Oakes at the Up & Coming Conference on February 28, 2019. They discuss the sessions offered at the conference, the history of the conference and the different audiences that may benefit from the conference. Held each ye...

Debbie Trocha, Executive Director of the Indiana Cooperative Development Center (ICDC), is interviewed by Vernon Oakes. Vernon and Deb discuss the Up & Coming Food Co-op Conference on on February 14, 2019. The Up and Coming Food Co-op Conference is focused on helping communities start and launch their own food co-ops. This event also offers resources and workshops for co-ops in the first years of...

David Hincapie, Economic Development Specialist and Veteran Business Development Officer for the Washington Metropolitan Area District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration, and Debbie Trocha, Executive Director of the Indiana Cooperative Development Center (ICDC) are interviewed by Vernon Oakes on Everything Co-op, February 14, 2019. For more information on the Up & Coming Conference v...

Everything Co-op begins it's celebration of Black History Month by embracing the 2019 theme of Black Migrations, as declared by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History with Co-op leader and author David Thompson. David returns to the mick to discuss a different aspect of his upcoming book, Cooperatives and the Civil Rights Movement, by focusing on the cooperative affilia...

Mike Houston, General Manager of TPSS Co-op, discusses how the food co-op supported its members throughout the recent Government shutdown. Mike has been the General Manager of TPSS since August of 2018. Prior to joining the Co-op, Mike was Store Manager at Dawson’s Market in Rockville for six years. Not only does Mike have many years of management level experience in the natural food industry, he...

Anthony Demangone, COO of NAFCU (National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions) discusses how NAFCU members supported its members throughout the Government shutdown. He also talks about the benefits of co-ops, and invites listeners to consider co-ops as an option for their banking needs. Anthony Demangone is executive vice president and chief operating officer at the National Association...

Reverend Graylen Scott Hagler, co-chair of the Washington DC chapter of the Poor People's Campaign, and senior minister of Plymouth Congregational Church in Washngton, DC is interviewed by Vernon Oakes. Vernon and Rev. Hagler discuss the similarities between the Poor People's Campaign and the cooperative movement. They also discuss the history of the Poor Peoples Campaign, how people can become in...

Cornelius Blanding, Executive Director, Federation of Southern Cooperatives, Discusses the Impact Government Shutdown on Farmers on Everything Co-op with Vernon Oakes. Unfortunately there are multi-layered effects of the Partial Government Shutdown. Many Black farmers in the Southern Belt stand to possibly even suffer the loss of their land. For those farmers who need to process loans through USDA...

Michael A. Peck, Executive Director of 1worker1vote, Pat Conaty, Associate of Co-operatives UK, and Dr. Julian Manley, Chair of the Preston Cooperative Development Network are interviewed on Everything Co-op on January 10, 2019. Vernon and his guests discuss cooperative development in the UK, Belgium and Italy, and the role unions can play in the establishment of cooperatives.

Doug O'Brien, President/CEO; John Torres, VP Public Relations and Communications; and Val Roach, CFO of NCBA CLUSA Discuss Tragic Bus Accident in Uganda on Everything Co-op with Host Vernon Oakes Wednesday, December 19, a bus accident in Uganda claimed the lives of 18 project staff members from InterAction member organization NCBA CLUSA, and three other individuals. Fifteen staff members survived...

Jamila Medley, executive director of the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance (PACA)is interviewed on Everything Co-op on December 13, 2018 on Everything Co-op. Host, Vernon Oakes and Jamila discuss how PACA has used the cooperative business model to support businesses, and grow the cooperative economy. They also discuss the structure of PACA and how the organization continues to uncover ways to...

Appointed Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives in February 2018, Deputy Mayor Thompson is responsible for spearheading a diverse collection of priority initiatives. He oversees New York City's signature Pre-K for All program, which provides free, high-quality pre-kindergarten to 70,000 four-year olds each year, and the continued expansion of the nation's first-ever 3-K for All. He will al...

William Spriggs, Economic and Cooperative Development Director at the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation, is interviewed by Vernon Oakes on the Nationally broadcast radio show, Everything Co-op. Vernon and William discuss his plans to educate the Government and constituents of Bermuda about the value of cooperatives in all sectors. Mr. Spriggs is responsible for a wide range of small and med...

Vernon Oakes, host of the nationally broadcast radio show Everything Co-op, hosts the show's second Open Mic, to give listeners a chance to give Thanks for their Cooperative Blessings. Since the Spirit of Thanksgiving is all about showing gratitude for a person's good fortune and giving to those who are less fortunate. Listeners were encouraged to "Pay it Forward," and call-in to share how coopera...

Vernon Oakes, host of Everything Co-op Interviews Audrey Dickerson, a participant at the National Association of Housing Cooperatives (NAHC) 58th Annual Conference, Lighting the Way: Build for the Future. Each year, NAHC's Annual Conference brings together peers, colleagues and industry experts in cooperative housing to discuss issues and learn how to strengthen cooperative housing. The conference...

Mark Winston Griffith, Executive Director of the Brooklyn Movement Center BMC), and Board member of the Cooperative Economics Alliance of New York City (CEANYC) is interviewed by Vernon Oakes on Everything Co-op. Vernon and Mark discuss the role cooperatives have played in both economic development and ensuring economic justice in Central Brooklyn. They also discuss cooperative strategies he has u...