BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Lynn True

Board President

I grew up a military brat so I lived in many places including Europe. I graduated high school in the Twin Cities and then joined the US Air Force. Ten years later, after becoming a Registered Nurse, I moved back to Minnesota and have lived in the region for more than 35 years now. I currently live in Mora.

I became an owner of City Center Market about 15 years ago when I moved to Isanti. In high school, I participated in a working co-op (my favorite thing to do was package and price cheese from the giant wheels) and I have supported co-ops wherever I’ve lived as an adult. It’s very important to me to have access to clean, fresh foods.

Serving on our Board of Directors has been a very rewarding experience; I see how it makes a positive difference for a lot of people. My goal as President has been to help build an even stronger foundation from which City Center Market can grow, so we can be way-showers to the new economy. Keeping our co-op thriving is extremely important to me because my wellness-oriented lifestyle also involves managing multiple food and environmental sensitivities—in other words, I “walk the walk” and I want to contribute to the health and success of our community.

Other things I do include owning a small business, facilitating a writers’ group, engaging in a business incubator startup, developing seminars I want to teach, and assisting two small nonprofits that support our local libraries. My eclectic background and being a lifelong learner has given me a rather varied skill set, which I gladly draw from to build up our community.

I welcome anyone to talk to me about participating on our Board. It has been something I will never regret nor forget.

Kathryn Echols

Board Vice President

Kathryn is passionate about holistic health and consumes a vegan diet; a diet and lifestyle that shopping at City Center Market has supported over the years. She thoroughly enjoys cooking and baking new, healthy, and fun meals for her partner and young son and hosting “Meatless Monday’s” with her neighbors when she can. She wishes to keep her family and community healthy and vibrant and believes that this is achieved by mindfully eating and sourcing healthy food and products locally.

Kathryn works at a local non-profit serving children and their families and values volunteering and being active in the community which is how she found the co-op in 2009 through the Round it Up program and the classes City Center Market provided. Kathryn also appreciates and trusts that the food and products purchased at City Center Market for her family and home are not only good for them, but are also more earth-friendly.

Kathryn looks forward to serving on the board and providing her vegan perspective as well as meeting and getting to know more of the owners and shoppers over the years to come.

Carissa Elmstrand

Secretary

Carissa Elmstrand lives on a farm outside North Branch with her husband and son. She raises animals on pasture and when not working on her own farm, works on her in-law’s strawberry and pumpkin farm. She has been an owner of City Center Market for two years. Before moving to North Branch she worked in customer service at the food co-op in Duluth. She was drawn to serving on City Center Market’s Board of Directors because she loves what the co-op represents in the community and wanted to be a part of that in a bigger way.

Paul Gearhart

Treasurer

As a lifelong resident of the area I have been fortunate enough to be a customer for 25 years and an owner of City Center Market for 11 years. As a father of three young children, I am proud and grateful for the positive, healthful impact City Center Market has had on my family and the community. I remain dedicated to serving the co-op through the Board of Directors so that it continues to thrive as it provides the community access to healthy organic food that is locally-sourced, and produced, through regenerative farm practices.

City Center Market has undergone a tremendous amount of growth and change the past few years and it is aiming its sights even higher! I want to be a part of that venture. Additionally, I see the Board as a vehicle to drive policy and education focused on health/wellness such that the community can make responsible choices what to eat and the reason behind eating it.

Aside from time spent working on the Board, I continue working within the Information Technology (IT) division of a leading health insurance company focused on health/wellness. This combination has resulted in me being an analytical person, good with numbers, but also someone who sees the bigger picture of holistic wellness. I am adept in formal documentation/communication and work on a daily basis with project teams across the country as well as overseas.

I see the co-op as a place where folks come to nourish their minds and bodies. Folks can purchase organics at a multitude of places these days. We need to focus on what differentiates the co-op from these other places. This means continuing to source from local farmers, educating consumers on the vital role food plays in vitality, and encouraging people to CARE MORE about the food they put into their bodies.

Gary Moss

Board Member

Originally from the Minneapolis suburb of Robinsdale, I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Minneapolis College of Art & Design. I moved to the Cambridge area in 1976, after serving two years in the Marines (Vietnam) and working for 3M as an Art Director. I became a City Center Market owner shortly thereafter. At that time, to be a member, you had to put in volunteer work hours at what was then called MOMS Food Co-op in Grandy, even helping physically move the co-op at least three times. I have also been involved with the Isanti County Environmental Coalition since the early beginning stages.

Since moving up here, I have pursued my ambition and career as a professional artist. My work is also my hobby (sort of). It involves some travelling to do research photography, one of the fun parts of my “job”. Being self-employed in this career has given me different insights into different areas, which is why I was asked to be on the Board of Directors.

Being a part of the Board of Directors has proven to be enlightening in the realization that the only way to affect what happens to anything one is concerned with, is to get involved.

– Meet Our Board –

Lynn True

Board President

Kathryn Echols

Board Vice President

Carissa Elmstrand

Secretary

Paul Gearhart

Treasurer

Gary Moss

Board Member

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