Meet the Abundance Board of Directors
The Abundance Board of Directors is what makes Abundance Food Co-op a democratic form of business.
The Board is made up of shareholders who are elected by fellow shareholders to represent their interests.
Term limits, regular meetings, and other conditions outlining how the Board works can be found in the Abundance Food Co-op By-laws.
The vision for the co-op outlining it’s purpose is contained in the Abundance Food Co-op Global Ends Policy.
OUR MISSION
The Abundance Food Co-op exists to provide safe, healthful, nutritious food and other products at a reasonable price to the Rochester community.
We strive to operate our business in a manner which supports a sustainable food system, sound ecological practices, responsible corporate practices, and just employment procedures.
We strive to be a community center which provides reliable food, education, and extraordinary customer service benefiting our shareholders, our shoppers, our neighborhood, and the whole community.
Meet the Board of Directors
Max Gianniny
President/Treasurer
Term: 2018-2020
Committees: Linkage, Board Dev, Governance
Max is a Rochester native currently working in property management. He became interested in Abundance because of an interest in both healthy food and cooperative ownership. A new location would allow much greater access to the store and help Abundance stay ahead in a fast-changing industry.
Peter House
Vice President
Term: 2019-2021
Committee: Governance
Peter has lived in Rochester since 1990. He was a member of the former Genesee Co-Op Food Store, and has been on the Abundance Board for most of the past 10 years. He is a special education teacher, and a minister, serving as the Summer Minister at the First Universalist Church. Peter has sung with the Rochester Gay Men’s Chorus since 1990, serving several terms on that organization’s Board of Directors. Peter and his partner Michael, an avid gardener, live in the Upper Monroe neighborhood with their dog Ollie, and their cats Lauren and Mary Beth.
Paula Hansen
Term: 2019-2021
Committee: Linkage
Originally from Long Island, Paula has lived in Rochester since 1976. She shopped a the Genesee Food Store on Monroe Ave and, with her spouse Susan, became a shareholder at Abundance soon after the move to Marshall Street. A retired Rochester City School District teacher, she continues to volunteer in an elementary school and loves working with students who are just learning to read. She has also been active with the Master Gardeners of Cooperative Extension, enjoys camping and kayaking around our area.
Jon Greenbaum
Secretary
Term: 2019-2022
Committees: Linkage, Board Dev
Jon Greenbaum lives in the city with his family. This is his second stint on the Abundance board. He first learned about coops as a freshman in college and has been involved ever since. As the produce manager of the Foodstore on Monroe Avenue, Jon got baptized in the business and helped the effort to launch Abundance after the Foodstore collapsed (while working as a management trainee in the produce department of Wegmans). In addition to the Abundance board, Jon also served on the Mayor’s Owner Worker Network, an initiative focused on launching worker coops. Look for Jon on the 2019 Board elections ballot.
Philippa Proudfoot
Term: 2019-2022
Committee: Linkage
Philippa Proudfoot has been involved with Abundance Coop since its beginning and shopped at the old Genesee Coop Foodstore in the 1970’s. She served on the Abundance board of directors from around 2009 to 2013, early in the search for a new location. She lives in Rochester and is a clinical social worker in private practice. Look for Philippa on the 2019 Board elections ballot.
Melanie Popick
Term: 2019-2022
Committee: Board Dev
Melanie is a lifelong Rochester resident and has been a member of the Co-op since the beginning. She is a nutritionist by trade and Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardener, specializing in vegetable growing, composting, organic practices, straw bale gardening, raised bed gardening, vertical and container gardening. Melanie is passionate about the environment and access to clean, healthy food for all. She looks forward to applying the same standards used to nurture a healthy garden to grow the Co-op and its impact in the community.
Find Us:
571 South Avenue
Rochester NY, 14620
(585) 454-COOP
(585) 454-2667
Our Hours:
Monday: 10AM - 8PM
Tuesday: 9AM- 8PM
Wednesday: 10AM- 8PM
Thursday: 10AM- 8PM
Friday: 9AM- 8PM
Saturday: 10AM- 8PM
Sunday: 9AM- 8PM