Madeline has been on the Seward Co-op Board of Directors since October 2005, and she currently serves as the vice president. She works at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) in the Local Foods program. Before working at IATP, Madeline was an aide to Hennepin County Commissioner Gail Dorfman, where she focused on housing policy. Prior to Commissioner Dorfman's office, she managed a local homeless shelter. Madeline holds a Master of Public Policy degree from the Humphrey Institute and wrote her graduate thesis on organic agriculture and trade in Cuba. Madeline and her husband, Peter, own WhippleTree Hops & Crops farm.

For Madeline, being on the board of the Co-op enables her to think strategically about how Seward Co-op will continue to be an important community resource into the future, while also working to advance the cooperative business model.