Philip Bradley

Current Occupation: Retired early from a career in business management. Currently enrolled in the Masters in Liberal Studies program at the U of M.

Education: Harvard University - B.A., Political Science; Harvard University - M.B.A, Marketing

Special Interests: Books and literature, church and diocesan activities, food and cooking, travel, roller blading, theater, Italian language and culture, music.

Statement to Members: I live in Minneapolis (Seward), shop at the Wedge about three times a week, and am a long-time member of the coop. I also have a strong interest in organic and locally and sustainably-grown food. I feel that my 30-year career in business management, together with my experience providing leadership and working for several non-profits on complex and lengthy committee projects, could help me make a meaningful contribution to the Board. Early retirement is allowing me to spend more of my time in service works.

The retail food business has become increasingly competitive and sophisticated, particularly in the natural foods area. Every supermarket has an organic produce department. Moveover, new stores are planned for the Wedge's market area - Whole Foods downtown, and Lund's at Hennepin and 12th. Additionally, the Wedge has its own challenges, including an increasingly crowded store and parking lot. In this dynamic and changing environment, how can the Wedge serve its members even better while maintaining its national leadership in the organic food and co-op movement? I look forward to the opportunity of addressing these challenges on your behalf with other Board members, and if elected, I will do this work thoughtfully and energetically.

Valerie Geaither

Current Occupation: University Professor (Metropolitan State University).

Education: Marian College - B.A, Sociology and Psychology; University of Oklahoma - M.A., Human Relations; University of Minnesota - Community, work and family education, Ph.D coursework; Capella University - Human services, Ph.D. candidate

Special Interests: Community-university partnerships, community self-help and social enterprises, international communities, urban gardening, ecological design.

Statement to Members: I am excited about the opportunity to represent you on the Wedge's Board at this juncture in my life. My previous Board experiences, community involvement, 30-year affiliation with the Wedge and commitment to the preservation of the cooperative philosophy and principles situate me well to serve you in this capacity.

Over the next five years I would like to be part of steering the Wedge's continual evolution to help us, as a socially conscious institution, think seriously about the divide between those who can afford the increasing cost of healthy, organic food and those who cannot. I think the intentional support of urban gardening is one way to wrestle with this pressing issue. In so doing, we can be instrumental in making available premium, high quality food for the benefit of more citizens. At the same time, this effort will allow us to continue to provide sustainable, ecologically sound goods and services. Moreover, it will allow us to be mindful of the equitable distribution of such goods and services and extend our potential to do so.

I would be proud to help shape and continue the Wedge's legacy of concern and involvement in supporting a productive, healthy, diverse community.

N. Marcus Thygeson, MD

Current Occupation: Physician and Medical Director, HealthPartners

Education: University of California, Davis - B.S.; Harvard Medical School - Medical Doctor

Special Interests: Wellness & Preventive Medicine

Statement to Members: Should I be chosen to represent you on the Board of Directors, I will faithfully represent your interests. I believe that my background in both health care and business, combined with my strong interest in promoting healthy food that is sustainably produced, gives me an unusual combination of abilities that will be very useful in helping the Wedge be a successful business and fulfill its mission.

Over the next five years, I think the Wedge needs to continue to find creative but sensible ways to serve our members so as to differentiate ourselves in a market-place where large for-profit, multi-national corporations are adopting the trappings of "natural foods" stores. Opportunities to explore include expanding the scope of services and products available on our Internet site, as well as in our store.

I am eager to serve my fellow members on the Board of Directors, and I appreciate your support.

John L Schulz

Current Occupation: Semi-retired, formerly with Wilson's Leather as head of U.S. sourcing operations.

Education: University of Wisconsin - B.A. University of Wisconsin/Milwaukee - Graduate Study: Communications; University of St. Thomas - M.B.A work

Special Interests: Reading, gardening

Statement to Members: I would consider it a privilege to be on the Board of Directors for the Wedge. If I am chosen, I can bring my experience in retail and in sourcing to help guide the Wedge's vision over the next five years.

With increased commercial interest in organic foods and local production (like the growth of Whole Foods and SuperValu) competition will increase for some of the Wedge's core values. The future challenge will be to keep the Wedge's business healthy and prices reasonable. This can be accomplished through constant creativity and meeting member needs.

Larry Williams

Current Occupation: Plant Controller, Hormel Foods

Education: University of St. Thomas - M.B.A.; North Carolina Central University - B.S. Accounting

Special Interests: (no response)

Statement to Members: I've been a long time member and have a good understanding of the importance of having a co-op that provides a diverse selection of high quality, fairly priced natural food products. This is the primary reason I keep coming back. My efforts on the board will be focused on continuing this initiative. My professional background has been with two fortune 500 food companies, so I bring a wealth of food industry and financial experience to the board.

One of the areas to focus on is maintaining the Wedge marketing niche. As the natural foods category continues to grow a number of the products will become mainstream food items and also this category will become more competitive. It will be important to have a strategy in place to manage these changes as opposed to reacting to them. Many members pass several grocery stores to come to the Wedge. Finding the appropriate mix of price, quality, unique food items and service, ensures that current and new customers continue to pass grocery stores to shop at the Wedge.