A Director-at-Large for CWCF, Frank has been with Just Us! Coffee Roasters Co-op for over 16 years, and a member of its board of directors for much of that time. He has also served on the board of the Wolfville Farmers Market, a nonprofit co-op, for much of that time, currently serving as its vice president.
Frank’s experience with Just Us! has convinced him that membership in CWCF is an important part of its success. He’s found in connecting with nearby co-ops that they often have answers to problems Just Us! has faced, and he hopes to continue fostering this collaboration.
“Being in the Atlantic provinces and being in a small town, you can be very isolated,” he says. “Being involved in CWCF offers the opportunity to network and share resources with people and build on each other’s strengths rather than just try to do it ourselves.”
Frank believes he’s had opportunities in his community that would never have arisen were he not part a part of the worker co-op sector, and hopes to continue promoting co-ops as a strong business model, something he believes isn’t well understood by the general public.
“They are an incredibly successful business model and it is something that does work,” he says. “Often when you talk to people they don’t know anything about them, (but) it is something that works, has been tried and tested, and offers a level of engagement for employees that is quite fulfilling.”