Meet the 2025 Candidates
Read on to meet our candidates, then visit our electronic ballot page to cast your vote!
Antonio Adan
I am originally from Chicago, IL and graduated from the University of Michigan in 2008. After college, my wife Kristina Behrens and I lived and worked in a few cities including: Salt Lake City, UT Chicago, IL and Jersey City, NJ. Professionally, I have spent over 10 years working in Facility Management and working with teams across the country. Most recently, I carved out a role with Marquette County as a Project Manager and now the county’s first Housing Specialist and Land Bank Director. Community involvement is one of my strong suits. Kristina and I moved to Marquette in 2018 and decided to make the Upper Peninsula their home to establish roots. My wife’s family has lived in Manistique, which drew us to the U.P. initially.
I have served as a volunteer on multiple Boards including: Marquette and Ishpeming DDA, University of Michigan Alumni Club (Vice President), Connect Marquette (Executive Board), and the City of Marquette Housing Ad-Hoc Committee. We recently welcomed a newborn and a first Yooper of the family! A Marquette Food Co-op member since 2018, I am also passionate about local food systems and ensuring a safe and sustainable way to access to fresh produce and groceries. I bring a different perspective and have experience working in retail and a multi-cultural mom and pop grocery store back in Chicago. Diversity in clientele is also important to Antonio, and I will ensure that the Food Co-op remains an accessible place for anyone that wants access to the best sourced products in the Upper Peninsula. If elected to the Board, I will bring new ideas and help execute the vision of its members while growing the customer base further than it is today. My light bulb moment came when I personally gave a tour of the store to friends and realized I was acting as an ambassador of the brand and took pride to ensure anyone can have an experience worth telling to their friends. This is truly a community-led store with amazing staff. I have no significant or obvious conflict of interest.
Why would you like to serve on the Co-op Board of Directors?
I believe the strongest advocates of the Marquette Food Co-op are its owners. The leadership of the Board is vital to enhancing the voice of its members, and in order to continue to grow as a community in Marquette we need a diverse Board of Directors. I am a proud first generation Mexican American and have worked in a grocery store in Chicago. One of my first projects (in addition to cashiering, bagging, and stocking) was to help the owner of the store implement its first Point of Sale system as the store moved from traditional POS to digital. This experience gave me an appreciation for the vast number of products and cultural diversity the store brought to the community. Customers from Eastern Europe, West Africa, Greek, and Latino regularly shopped and brought ideas that shaped the character of the store. Overall, I want to join the Board because I think the Food Co-op can continue to improve and listen to its owners on ways to improve the experience. I am committed to bringing changes that will improve the store and work with the team to bring the vision to fruition.
While board experience is unnecessary, have you ever served on a board before? If so, what type of board, and how would you describe your experience?
I have served on several Boards including: Marquette and Ishpeming Downtown Development Authority, Connect Marquette, and the U of M Alumni Club of the Upper Peninsula. My experience has always been positive, and I have helped rebrand or expand Board offerings. For example, I was part of the Marquette DDA that supported staff to expand the Wednesday Farmer’s Market and close W Washington St downtown. That was met with tremendous support from residents, and it also improved the businesses and gave people another option to spend their dollars in the local economy.
Have you done any volunteer work or contributed in some way to this co-op, another co-op or similar organization in the past? If so, please describe.
I have volunteered in the Downtown Farmers Market and gotten to know a lot of local business owners. My experience with the Marquette DDA has allowed me to support a lot of the local festivals and try new ideas in order to shape and keep the downtown vibrant.
What strengths or talents do you feel you have that would be assets to the board?
I am very organized and have experience running meetings. I like to incorporate new ideas and am a huge data geek. I am not afraid to speak up and would also listen to the owners and bring new forms of revenue if the Board is open to it. One of my favorite activities is the annual owners meeting. I always make time to learn and become an advocate for those that want the Food Co-op to succeed. I am always available and will assist on committees that can help strengthen the offerings of the store.
What role do you see the Co-op playing in the community today? Over the next five years?
The Marquette Food Co-op keeps getting better and better. I want to be a part of the future expansion, ideas, and vision for the community. The store is bound for success, and it can continue to improve by having a support cast that sees the future direction of the needs of its owners. I have experience in Facility Management and can also be a resource to the Board in a lot of ways. Thank you for the opportunity.
Alex Berger
I got to know the Co-op in 2012 when it was still down on Baraga and my future wife worked as a produce clerk. I left Marquette for about nine years but moved back in 2021 because we wanted this to be our forever home. I love Marquette and I love the Co-op. Whenever I have visitors I take to the Co-op because it is one of the many things that makes me proud to live here. As a lawyer by profession, I have served on over a dozen boards, mostly for non-profits. Currently, I am the vice-president of the Community Action of Alger Marquette and am the chairman of the Board for Legal Aid of Wyoming. I know how to use my legal expertise to be a valuable board member. Further, I own and operate several successful businesses, so I have familiarity with the financial side of running an organization. I would love to put my skills and experience to work to make the Co-op even better than it already is. I have no significant or obvious conflict of interest.
Why would you like to serve on the Co-op Board of Directors?
I want to be a part of the Co-op and work to execute its mission because it is an integral part of the community I love.
While board experience is unnecessary, have you ever served on a board before? If so, what type of board, and how would you describe your experience?
I have served on thirteen non-profit boards. My experience with them was rewarding and sometimes challenging.
Have you done any volunteer work or contributed in some way to this co-op, another co-op or similar organization in the past? If so, please describe.
I have not worked with a cooperative organization in the past.
What strengths or talents do you feel you have that would be assets to the board?
I am a good communicator. I have professional experience in the areas of human resources and contracts. I have also served as an attorney to several organizations, including providing opinions to the board of directors. I am also very well versed in Robert’s Rules of Order and proper board governance, including providing board governance training to others.
What role do you see the Co-op playing in the community today? Over the next five years?
In my mind, the Co-op represents a physical manifestation of the special and rich community of Marquette. It is nothing short of a community hub and a source of the most nutritious foods available here. It is and should be a community leader. In the next five years, I would like to see more obvious outreach and giving to the disadvantaged and marginalized people of the community.
Eric Hagstrom
I am an Account Executive at ServiceNow.org, focused on organizations that serve our most vulnerable community. I have an entrepreneurial streak and have owned and operated several businesses since 2018. Focused on contributing to the Marquette community, my work in Harvey puts thousands of dollars in tax revenue back into the local economy. My most cherished time is spent with my two fur babies and wife in the splendor of the Upper Peninsula. I have no significant or obvious conflict of interest.
Why would you like to serve on the Co-op Board of Directors?
I am eager to serve on the board to further the Co-op’s vision for a cooperative business supporting local vendors and owners. Serving the Co-op community also creates opportunities to serve the broader Marquette community. Service in and for the community with a focus on ending food insecurity.
While board experience is unnecessary, have you ever served on a board before? If so, what type of board, and how would you describe your experience?
I have served as a board member on the City of McKinney Planning and Zoning Commission for two years. In that role, I was an outspoken advocate for the community. I was given the opportunity to align the long-term vision for the city with specific projects being brought forth by developers and residents. I also served as president on two separate HOA Boards.
Have you done any volunteer work or contributed in some way to this co-op, another co-op or similar organization in the past? If so, please describe.
I volunteer often and have supported organizations like Keep Growing Detroit and many food banks and pantries across the Great Lakes region as an Account Executive at ServiceNow.org.
What strengths or talents do you feel you have that would be assets to the board?
As a business owner, I have first-hand experience recruiting and evaluating the performance of key leadership staff. Annual planning sessions that included marketing, hiring plans, recruiting for staff, annual budgeting, and community outreach were typical in my duties as owner. My role as an account executive also connects me professionally with many of the food banks and pantries in the region. My role as a strategic consultant and ability to think about the impact of decisions on long-term plans for these organizations will translate into an effective voice for the board.
What role do you see the Co-op playing in the community today? Over the next five years?
The Co-op is unique in the ability to unite consumers and producers in more direct contact. The impact of commercialization in food production has removed the “human” from the equation and by continuing to partner closely with farmers and artisans in the community, we can encourage owners to get closer to the source of their food. The Co-op has a commitment to owners to provide quality products at reasonable prices. As recent inflationary pressures have shown, being prepared for quickly shifting macroeconomic environments is important to sustaining the long-term health of the Co-op’s finances and ability to meet its obligations to both producers and consumers.
Greg Hoffmann
Originally from Wisconsin, I am a Michigan Tech graduate. For the past seventeen years, I have worked as an environmental engineer for the Center for Watershed Protection, a non-profit based in Maryland that focuses on clean water solutions for communities throughout the country. About five years ago, my wife (a Negaunee native) and I moved back from the East Coast and live in Negaunee Township, where I now work remotely. When I am not in my home office staring at my computer, I love to get outside as much as I can, gardening, hiking, playing basketball, or cross-country skiing. I am hoping to serve on the Board of Directors for the chance to participate more closely with the Co-op, a great organization that has become a cornerstone of life in Marquette for me. I have no significant or obvious conflict of interest.
Why would you like to serve on the Co-op Board of Directors?
The Co-op is a unique and essential institution in Marquette. I have benefited greatly from it, both for the opportunity to shop responsibly and for the community the Co-op fosters. I have recently found myself with more time available for volunteering, so it may be my turn to step up for the Co-op and help it continue its work. Like I suspect many of us feel after last year’s election, I am feeling an even stronger pull to work harder at doing good, and to “act locally” while I “think globally”. And if serving on the Co-op Board also gives me the opportunity to meet and work with a group of like-minded people, all the better.
While board experience is unnecessary, have you ever served on a board before? If so, what type of board, and how would you describe your experience?
When I lived in Maryland, I was treasurer of the start-up Catonsville Cooperative Market for four years. As a start-up organization, with no paid employees, every board member was intimately involved in every aspect of running the small store, including sourcing products, stacking shelves, organizing volunteers, paying vendors, preparing financial reports, and planning fundraisers and member events. This experience gave me a thorough understanding of how a small store operates and created life-long friendships with some really great people. While the Marquette Co-op is a more mature business with a very different board role, I hope my previous co-op board experience will be a valuable asset.
Have you done any volunteer work or contributed in some way to this co-op, another co-op or similar organization in the past? If so, please describe.
As mentioned above, I have several years’ experience serving on the board of a small co-op. In addition, my day job as a program director at a non-profit has provided me with invaluable experience with organizational management. While the Co-op is not a non-profit, there are several similarities. Both are overseen by a Board of Directors with day-to-day operations run by a general manager/executive director, and both have a mission to fulfill while also staying solvent as a functioning business.
What strengths or talents do you feel you have that would be assets to the board?
I have several strengths to contribute to the Board: I have been described as level-headed and even keeled; I am good with numbers and familiar with basic accounting practices; and I am willing to both give and receive feedback and constructive criticism. My biggest strength is simply that I follow through on my commitments. Knowing that someone will do what they said they would do is an essential aspect of any volunteer group. Finally, I am a very detail-oriented person, but I have the ability to focus on the details while keeping the big picture in mind. In other words, I can see the trees without missing the forest.
What role do you see the Co-op playing in the community today? Over the next five years?
The most important role for the Co-op now and in the future is to continue to do what it does so well – provide high-quality, unique, and sustainable products to the Marquette community. Any efforts toward growth or change need to keep this main mission as the number one priority. The Co-op is more than just a great store, however. The Co-op, as both an organization and a physical location, can be a forum for togetherness and fellowship that is becoming more rare in today’s world. Having a “third place,” outside of home and work where a person can relax and connect with others is important to individual mental health and the overall health of a community. The Co-op already provides this to some degree, with cooking classes, events, and outreach efforts, but I believe there is room for the Co-op to grow in this capacity and create more opportunities for connection amongst members and the community.
Josh MacIvor-Andersen
I am a writer, editor, and academic who has taught at NMU, UNC-Wilmington, University of Arkansas-Monticello and, most recently, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College where I was a tenured Associate Professor of English. I made the difficult decision to leave that position specifically to return to Marquette and reconnect with a community that has nurtured our family of five since 2011. Serving on the board of the Co-op would provide a perfect locus for a variety of relational, professional, and communal interests, including helping to steer an institution that has been central and life-giving to our family since our arrival in Marquette nearly 14 years ago. I both believe in its mission and desire its ongoing vitality. I have no significant or obvious conflict of interest.
Why would you like to serve on the Co-op Board of Directors?
Much of my success as a teacher, editor, and professional writer has resulted from the practice of listening. Listening to clients, to students, to stakeholders and colleagues in a variety of institutional and personal settings. But from the listening stage I also practice synthesizing what I’ve heard and developing plans of action. This is the kind of posture that serves committees well, and it is one I would hope to bring to the Board (and the variety of voices it represents).
I also desire to participate more actively within a Co-op community that has provided sustenance, relationships, warmth (no better place to unfreeze fingertips during the UP200), education (delicious cooking classes), and even delight for my children (Colin’s hastily folded origami cranes while checking out at the register). I love our local Co-op and want to translate my member ownership into a deeper level of service.
While board experience is unnecessary, have you ever served on a board before? If so, what type of board, and how would you describe your experience?
I have served on a variety of professional committees and boards, including the following in my roles as a community member and academic:
Rank, Promotion, and Tenure Committee, SMWC (Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College); Diversity Council Member, SMWC; College Conduct Board Member, SMWC; Faculty Representative to Board of Trustees, SMWC; Alumni Awards Selection Committee, SMWC; Kappa Gamma Pi Selection Committee, SMWC; Commencement Student Speaker Committee, SMWC; Career Development Center Advisory Board, SMWC; A.S.P.I.R.E. Speaker Series Advisory Board, SMWC; Rooney Library Advisory Board, SMWC; Brand Taskforce Committee, SMWC; Grievance Committee, SMWC; Curriculum Committee, SMWC; Communications Committee Member, Terre Foods, Terre Haute, IN; President, Evolve MQT (Marquette’s Creative Chamber of Commerce); Committee Chair, Marquette Creative Residency; Student Grievance Committee, NMU (Northern Michigan University); Graduate Thesis Proposal Committee, NMU; Working Conditions Committee, NMU
Before leaving Marquette to direct a writing program in Indiana, I was a founding member and eventually president of Evolve, the branch of the Marquette Chamber of Commerce focused on growing the creative economy. In that role I helped earmark state funds to build the U.P.’s first cooperative working space, Ampersand, and chaired the Artists-in-Residency program that for two years brought nationally-known artists from different disciplines to work, live, and produce in Marquette for three months at a time.
In every committee role and board membership I’ve sought to bring a spirit of generosity, empathy, and good humor to my interactions while always keeping the ongoing needs of the institution in laser focus.
Have you done any volunteer work or contributed in some way to this co-op, another co-op or similar organization in the past? If so, please describe.
We lamented the loss of our vibrant Marquette Co-op community when we moved south in 2019, but once there I quickly connected with Terre Foods, a group of like-minded folks in Terre Haute, Indiana committed to launching the city’s first food cooperative store front. During our initial meetings there was no brick-and-mortar building or price codes; just the vision to one day create a co-op that would serve a diverse citizenry with lots of local, organic, and ethically-produced food. I used my experience as a storyteller to produce member profiles and campaign content that resulted in the purchase of a building and solid growth in membership.
What strengths or talents do you feel you have that would be assets to the board?
I work best as an integral member of a dynamic team. That means I would bring energy, creativity, a spirit of collaboration, and all of my skills as a content specialist and professional writer to the board table, as well as a long view – I have a strong desire to see the institution flourish for my childrens’ children and on down the line. After all, we’re calling this place Home with a capital H.
What role do you see the Co-op playing in the community today? Over the next five years?
The Co-op currently anchors access to good food, vital connections with growers and producers, and community enrichment to the region. I want these roots to continue to deepen for the next five years, further strengthening food systems in the Upper Peninsula while providing economic stability for citizens of Marquette, Michigan. I would like to play a role in cultivating these roots for the next season and believe I could bring insight, levity, and a storyteller’s eye to the board’s activities for the next three years.
Tom Rulseh (incumbent)
Although I still regard myself as a newcomer to Marquette it feels very much like home after living here just five years. Previously from the Northwoods community of Three Lakes, Wisconsin I enjoyed an active outdoor life of running, biking, hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, paddling, sailing and swimming. Fortunately, all of these and more are available here in Marquette. Back in Wisconsin, when not engaged in these pursuits I devoted my post-retirement attention to serving my community as an active board member of four different non-profit organizations. Since moving to Marquette, I have been a volunteer with the Noquemanon Trail Network and the North Country Trail. I am also currently serving on the board of our neighborhood homeowners association and the Marquette Food Co-op. Board work for the Co-op is especially important to me as we guide policies and set future goals for the good of Owners, Staff, Management and the community at large. Supporting beneficial community services is a top priority for me and I look forward to doing more of it. I have no significant or obvious conflict of interest.
Why would you like to serve on the Co-op Board of Directors?
The Marquette Food Co-op is one of our best community assets. The Board can effectively guide policies and future plans for the benefit of all. I have enjoyed the privilege of being an active member of the good work performed by the Board and I hope to continue in that process.
While board experience is unnecessary, have you ever served on a board before? If so, what type of board, and how would you describe your experience?
I have served for 15 years on a school board, 14 years on a cooperative educational services agency, 15 years on a county wide non-profit organization that supported development of pedestrian pathways and bike routes, 15 years on a board that developed, enhanced and maintained a 12 mile inter community biking and walking trail and 14 years on the board of a family-owned community bank. All of these were very rewarding as we worked together to benefit the communities served.
Have you done any volunteer work or contributed in some way to this co-op, another co-op or similar organization in the past? If so, please describe.
Since moving to Marquette, I have been an active volunteer for the Marquette Chapter of the North Country Trail and the Noquemanon Trail Network. I have also served as a board member of our neighborhood homeowners association and the Marquette Food Co-op.
What strengths or talents do you feel you have that would be assets to the board?
I have a solid track record of being consistently reliable in working collaboratively toward established goals, bringing creative solutions to issues of concern and promoting the development and completion of progressive future plans.
What role do you see the Co-op playing in the community today? Over the next five years?
The Co-op is a welcoming source of organic, local and wholesome food. It strives to operate in an environmentally sustainable manner while it supports other beneficial community organizations and sets a positive example of community engagement. Over the next five years the Co-op should continue its strong presence in the community while expanding its role as a source of affordable, nutritious sustenance.
Carole Touchinski
My husband and I have been so very lucky to have had the opportunity to raise two extraordinary children who are now adults. During our 34 years together, we have also raised four wonderful labs that we have spoiled rotten. I work for NorthCare Network as a Grants Coordinator. We allocate funds to organizations who help people with substance use disorders. I have been in the nonprofit field for several decades and each experience complements the last as well as the next. I enjoy working, I enjoy community change and lining up systems to support our citizens. I currently sit on a few boards, UPAWS Board of Directors, National Epilepsy Association Advocacy Committee, and the Parks and Recreation Committee for the City of Marquette. Additionally, I volunteer a significant amount of time for the Maritime Museum and for several events and clubs in the area. I have no significant or obvious conflict of interest.
Why would you like to serve on the Co-op Board of Directors?
There are several reasons I would like to serve on the Co-op Board of Directors. I believe the Co-op brings new skills through the community through its educational sessions. Learning to properly use foods and combine foods to create new and wonderful dishes is a gift. I also believe that our citizens deserve the opportunity to purchase fresh foods, discover new foods, and enjoy the community that is the Co-op. I am currently learning about trauma-based nutrition and I believe that the Co-op can choose to help people heal through sharing these concepts from an educational perspective and showing how the food at the Co-op is in line with healing through proper nutrition. Something I love about the Co-op that might seem a little strange; is the section that has cards and stickers and some goofy stuff like that. I find neat things for my struggling niece every time I go there.
While board experience is unnecessary, have you ever served on a board before? If so, what type of board, and how would you describe your experience?
I have served on nonprofit boards for 25 years. I have served on boards at the local, state and national levels. All non-profit organization boards with a variety of missions to somehow make life better for people. I love helping on a board. I have a great deal of experience to share from other boards and I have a great deal of experience working in the nonprofit field that helps me help the Board make the best decisions possible for the physical plan, the staff and the community. All organizations are in business to help under their own mission. If we put these organizations into a system of care wonderful things happen.
Have you done any volunteer work or contributed in some way to this co-op, another co-op or similar organization in the past? If so, please describe.
I am a member of the Co-op. I encourage people to shop at the Co-op. I think the Co-op could really take advantage of this new information that is coming out about trauma informed care. I have been studying the organizations I work for and looking for logical connections for the Co-op. Healing people with nutritious food seems the most logical.
What strengths or talents do you feel you have that would be assets to the board?
Systems thinking, strong leadership skills, and strong presentation skills. The ability to connect programs and systems. Grant writing/technical writing skills. I am a collaborative thinker, supportive and respectful of other’s thoughts. I believe in the Board process and the best answers come from the group.
What role do you see the Co-op playing in the community today? Over the next five years?
I would like to serve on the board and learn how to better advocate for the Co-op. I would like to, over the years, take this idea of trauma informed nutrition and work with the Co-op to become a thought leader in this topic area. The Co-op can actually help people heal from past trauma through the products it already sells.
Stephanie Weaver
My name is Stephanie Weaver, and I am a grant writer and former college professor. I am originally from a rural part of Tennessee, where my grandparents raised cattle for beef and owned/operated the only grocery store in town. I grew up with hands-on experience in many steps of the food cycle, everything from putting out grain for the cattle to plastic-wrapping the steaks. After living in Ohio, Kentucky, and Oklahoma for education and work, my husband (originally from the Traverse City area) and I settled in Marquette in summer 2023. I have a PhD in Rhetoric and Writing Studies, and after ten years of teaching writing at the college level, I shifted to working as a grant writing consultant. I work with non-profit organizations around the country to prepare, write, submit, and manage grants at the local, state, federal, and international level. This work involves researching needs/gaps, interviewing stakeholders, drafting and revising budgets, and developing strategies for measuring impact along with writing, revising, and editing — skills that I would like to contribute to the Co-op Board of Directors. I’m an avid reader, a knitter, a newbie hockey player, and a burgeoning camping enthusiast. I care deeply about the connections between climate change, agricultural policy, and access to food, and I see serving on the Co-op Board of Directors as a way to leverage my strengths to positively impact those issues as well as contribute to the community I’m excited to call my new home. I have no significant or obvious conflict of interest.
Why would you like to serve on the Co-op Board of Directors?
I care deeply about the connections between climate change, agricultural policy, and access to food, and I see serving on the Co-op Board of Directors as a way to leverage my strengths as a grant writer and former college professor to positively impact those issues. Additionally, I’m looking for opportunities to contribute to the Marquette community, and I think that serving on the Co-op Board of Directors aligns well with my skills.
While board experience is unnecessary, have you ever served on a board before? If so, what type of board, and how would you describe your experience?
While I have not been on a board before, I have experience working with boards through my career as a grant writing consultant.
Have you done any volunteer work or contributed in some way to this co-op, another co-op or similar organization in the past? If so, please describe.
In Oklahoma, I worked as a technical writing consultant for Fertile Ground Cooperative, a worker-owned cooperative that focused on sustainable waste-collection and composting. I assisted them with preparing to pursue federal grant opportunities, applying for state and city permits/licenses, and website copy.
What strengths or talents do you feel you have that would be assets to the board?
I have a strong background in research and writing, in particular grant writing, as well as some experience in program planning and evaluation. Additionally, I’m a skilled facilitator when it comes to discussions around values, mission, and actions. For example, when I lived in Oklahoma, I facilitated meetings for my religious congregation as we revised the church constitution to better reflect changes in positions, values, and practices since its previous revision (including explicit language regarding our support for and inclusion of LGBTQ+ individuals in all areas/positions). I also have a decade of experience as a college-level writing instructor, giving me some insights into the needs of the NMU students that are part of our Marquette community.
What role do you see the Co-op playing in the community today? Over the next five years?
When I first moved to Marquette, I was excited to have a Co-op that made it easy for me to connect with local producers, even as a newcomer, and I hope to see the Co-op continue to provide a bridge between local farmers/producers and Marquette residents. I also believe that all people deserve access to healthy, delicious, and comforting food, and I believe that the Co-op serves and should continue to serve as a hub to assist people in meeting this basic need. I also acknowledge that I’m still a relative newcomer to the area, and I want to learn more about the needs and gaps in the Marquette community from long-term Co-op members — rather than having big plans myself, I want to support the efforts and ideas of those with more experience.