Whitney Peterson
Multi-Department Clerk, she/her
Hello! My name is Whitney and I’ve been a worker at Seward Co-op Franklin since September of 2022. I’ve resided in South Minneapolis since my move to the “big city” from North Dakota in 2010. I’m a homebody who loves to create; my talents include adding half-mastered hobbies to my toolbelt, including crocheting, cooking, and gardening. My role as Multi-Department Clerk, a position designed to flex between different departments, has increased my cooperation, communication, adaptability, and general knowledge of the whole store. I work directly with co-workers across store departments and skillsets, giving me a bird’s-eye-view of the co-op’s floor and functioning. This unique and firsthand perspective is what I will bring to the Board of Directors.
Before working at the co-op, my career was spent in caring-oriented roles, specifically with preschoolers. When I decided to leave that field, I wanted somewhere I could participate in collaboration with others and that measured up to my morals and ethics. Spoiler – the co-op fit the bill! The co-op’s focus on local products, sustainable waste management, catering to its diverse clientele, and it being a union shop all sold me on it being the place I wanted to contribute my time and labor to.
During my time here, I’ve been a member of the Bargaining Committee for the 2023 contract negotiations, the Labor and Management Committee, and I continue to be a Steward for our workers’ union. I believe there’s a way to solve nearly every problem with enough communication, creativity, honesty, and empathy. Owners, workers, neighbors, and management all have vested interests in the co-op’s success. I find incredible fulfillment in advocating and making sure each of those voices is understood.
Food is a uniting force around the world and as a cooperative entity, Seward Co-op is in position to do great things and set new precedents in the coming years – I want to be a part of planting those seeds.