The Georgia Organics Governance Committee is excited to announce that nominations are now open for Georgia Organics Board Members. This is a process whereby Georgia Organics members (click to become a member) submit names for the individuals across Georgia who they feel would serve the farming and good food community well through a leadership voice with Georgia Organics.
The Governance Committee (pictured above) is comprised of Georgia Organics Board Members Rebecca Williams (Chair) of the Rodale Regional Resource Center at Many Fold Farm, CheFarmer Matthew Raiford of Gilliard Farms, Joe Reynolds of Love is Love Farm at Gaia Gardens, and Eric Simpson of New Eden Ecosystem.
Georgia Organics members are encouraged to submit nominations by August 1. If you are a Georgia Organics member and you did not receive the email for nominations (with the nominations link), please email Mary Elizabeth, Georgia Organics Communications Manager, at maryelizabeth@georgiaorganics.org. If you would like to become a member and to participate in the nominations process, click here to become a member; you will receive reminders leading up to the August 1 deadline to submit your nomination.
To better understand the role, value, and responsibilities of Georgia Organics Board Members, we heard from Governance Committee Chair Rebecca Williams of Rodale Regional Resource Center at Many Fold Farm:
It's that time of year again, our Board nominations are open! We are prioritizing racial equity to add more Black voices to our Board of Directors, and we'd love your help in identifying candidates to help shape the future of Georgia Organics.
The work of non-profits is important to the overall health and well-being of communities everywhere—they do the good work in the world other organizations can’t. All non-profits that are strong and effective have one thing in common: a strong and effective board. Governance is the work of selecting and managing a non-profit board so that the best voices have a seat at the table and those voices can be put into action. I love the work of seeking out great people and developing practical ways of engaging them on behalf of an organization I believe in. That is why I agreed to chair the Georgia Organics governance committee in 2020.
One of my primary duties (with my esteemed committee members pictured above), is to guide our board election process and provide you, as a member, with a voice in shaping the leadership of our organization. Our members are the bedrock of our organization. We always want to hear your voice. As a member, you have the power to nominate candidates for the board of directors. This is one of the most important ways to make Georgia Organics an organization that serves you in our mission to grow healthy foods, farms and families.
Board members meet quarterly, serve on committees and shape the strategic direction while helping us connect with new people, partners, and members. Do you know somebody who works hard every day to benefit organic agriculture, farm fresh food access or farm to school in Georgia? Do you know someone who has amazing leadership skills, political savvy, or who is gifted with outside-of-the-box thinking around food systems? You probably do and we want to know them too!
As you start to scroll through your contacts, please consider what the board has identified as our top five priorities for the 2020-2021 election cycle:
1. Farmers: We can’t be a farming organization without farmers on our board.
2. Racial Equity: We are digging deep to support racial equity and food justice and are prioritizing more voices of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) from across Georgia.
3. Geographic Diversity: We get it, not everyone lives in Atlanta.
4. Fundraising: No funds, no non-profit.
5. Legal: We have contracts and agreements to review.
If you are a Georgia Organics member and know of someone who meets one or more of these priorities and might be interested in serving, we would love to hear from you (deadline is August 1). Now, truthfully, not everyone will make it to the final slate, so we will also explore committee service as a starting place with your nominee. That is yet another way a person can serve the organization with skills and talents and be part of a great leadership team.”
Rebecca Williams
The Rodale Regional Resource Center at Many Fold Farm
Chair, Governance Committee
Georgia Organics Board of Directors
We spoke to Governance Committee member Joe Reynolds of Love is Love Farm at Gaia Gardens for a quick Q&A about what it means to them to be a Georgia Organics Board Member:
Joe Reynolds of Love is Love Farm at Gaia Gardens (photo courtesy Love is Love Farm)
What do you think is the most important role you play in the success of the organization?
I have loved supporting Georgia Organics as we created more opportunities for direct services to farmers. It has been great to serve while our Farm to School work has continued to thrive with statewide partnerships and half of all school systems participating. Schools are teaching each other place-based strategies!!!
What are three characteristics that make a good board member?
I believe commitment to community, a desire to learn, and participation are great characteristics in a board member.
What has been your favorite aspect of being a Georgia Organics Board Member?
I have enjoyed being more aware of the good food work taking place across Georgia.
What do you most look forward to for Georgia Organics in 2021?
In 2021, I look forward to us pushing our organization, continuing to strengthen our mission, and growing our impact.