SPC Directors Call(ed) for Community Engagement

During the January 7 webinar, Board President Wei-Li was asked how Shareholders could influence the shape of large capital projects, to which he responded "the best way to to have input is to run for the Board". This statement led me to wonder what his position on this topic was when he first ran for the Board! Below are quotes from the campaign literature produced by a majority of our sitting Directors, as they pertain to community engagement and participation in large projects.

• Betsy
• Darcey
• Doron
• Kate
• Pietro
• Wei Li

Betsy's Campaign Statement

• From 2016 Candidate Statement:
   
  I am running for the Board because I want to ensure a “cooperative” decision making process. A process that will guarantee that all future decisions that impact on the quality of shareholders’ lives will be openly discussed before the Board votes on the matter. This will eliminate the divisiveness and mistrust rampant in our CO-OP, provide for much needed checks and balances, give a voice to all cooperators, and ultimately the Board may gain greater insight and have a better understanding of the matters before them.

Darcey's Campaign Statement

• Response to the 2014 SPBuzz 'Ask The Candidates' Question: Would you advocate any shareholder participation in Board decisions, and if so, please elaborate on how this might work:
   
  [...] That said, the Board should always conduct its business with integrity and transparency, given the trust bestowed upon it in this arrangement. Shareholders should always be informed, if not involved, and there is plenty of opportunity for everyone to be involved, be it in a committee, advocacy for a cause, or just voicing opinions and concerns.

Doron's Campaign Statement

• Response to the 2015 SPBuzz 'Ask The Candidates' Question: Using this year as a baseline, how are communications at our Co-op:
   
  [...] In addition to publishing reports regularly, Directors should be responsive and make themselves as available as possible. There is great talent among our residents and many have expressed interest in contributing or advising on issues. Communications at the Co-op should not only be about responding to complaints (although that is important), but also involve actively engaging shareholders in positive ways.

Kate's Campaign Statement

• From 2012 Candidate Statement:
   
  Part of working toward a common goal is to make sure residents have a voice, an opportunity to participate, and understand what decisions are being considered and made by the board. I want to hear from you on what your concerns, hopes, and dreams are for our community. All voices matter, and even when all don’t agree, we can still work together toward the common good.

Pietro's Campaign Statements

• From 2007 Second Candidate Statement:
   
  Over the years, I have volunteered as a shareholder for 5 different committees. The success of the recent hallway committee required my building high-functioning relationships with my fellow volunteers and our most effective board members. This showed me what is possible when the board reaches out and works with motivated shareholders, of which there are many. [...] It is my hope that my example will encourage more shareholders to volunteer for committees and run for a position on the board of directors.
   
• Response to the 2007 SPBuzz 'Ask The Candidates' Question: What processes for shareholder participation in board decisions do you advocate:
   
  First of all, shareholders need to know what is going on and what challenges we face. Then we should issue a series of communiqués to all shareholders outlining specific issues and offering shareholders the opportunity to become involved and donate their professional services. A series of meetings would then be held with one or more board members. At each meeting, a task force would be formed with shareholders to tackle a specific issue. The committees would report back to the full board, the full board would report back to all shareholders.
   
• From 2007 Candidate Statement:
   
  [...] recent history shows that when the board reaches out to shareholders, the response is very positive. On the hallway committee, I received a great response when reaching out to graphic designers. So I hope to really encourage shareholder participation and to utilize more of our coop’s extensive pool of knowledge and talent.
   
• From 2007 Campaign Flyer:
   
  [...] shareholders need to know what is going on and what challenges we face. Then we should issue a series of communiqués to all shareholders outlining specific issues and offering shareholders the opportunity to become involved and donate their professional services.
   
• In the context of opening of the until-then derelict Hester Street lot, Pietro's 2007 flyer proposed a way of engaging our community in such a complex project:
   
  I believe our community possesses more than enough collective skill and energy to come up with ideas for this property and to see them through. The Board Could:
  1. Hold an ideas competition open to everyone who lives here.
  2. Post all entries online and in one of our common areas.
  3. Let shareholders vote and award a modest prize to the winner.
  4. Put out a coop-wide request for people interested in being on a task force, people with specific skills or people who just care and have time to contribute.
  5. Have the task force develop a scheme, OR find an outside architect/landscaper to develop a scheme.

Wei-Li's Campaign Statements

• Response to the 2007 SPBuzz 'Ask The Candidates' Question: What processes for shareholder participation in board decisions do you advocate?
   
  Aside from reinstituting regular shareholder communiques, reporting on directorial activities, I envision renewed life for shareholder action groups […]. We need to call upon the depth and diversity of our human resources here at Seward Park, one of our riches, and get qualified people involved in helping the board make critical and well-informed decisions. Not only is it folly not to get expert input when it is readily available amongst our cooperators, but the board is elected to represent the shareholders interests — our collective interests — and there is little better way to understand how people feel than to get them involved.
   
• From 2016 Candidate Statement:
   
  I am running because recent events have made me reconsider my “retirement” […] the process by which the board leased our garage to a private valet parking operator, without communication or shareholder involvement (even if one agrees it benefits cooperators).