Truth-telling rocks Food Front leaders

They tried to kick her off the board; then she bared her soul

Food Front board member Kate Fulton addresses a standing-room-only crowd on July 1 at Friendly House.

Testify is not a word ordinarily used in journalism other than referring to official proceedings.

Yet I used the term to describe what Kate Fulton did last week to publicly bring down the authoritarian cabal that had been controlling Food Front Cooperative Grocery’s board for the past a year.

Testifying has religious connotations, and suggests a solemn declaration of personal experience, often transformative. It’s about deep truth-telling without self-justification or sugar coating.

Fulton had only her truth as defense when she spoke at a special co-op meeting on July 1 before a standing-room-only crowd of about 100 members at Friendly House.

With an anxious but earnest voice, she read from a 2,000-word prepared statement, each word seemingly flowing from memory as she looked into 100 sets of eyes.

“The current board iteration is completely unfit, and unwilling to acknowledge the fundamental democratic principles that this cooperative is based on, including transparency to member/owners and the responsibility to present all viable options to members for a vote on major decisions, such as the sale of the property,” she said.

No board member has spoken like this before. Fulton’s courage was obvious, but few in the room knew her vulnerability. The targets of her condemnation, the board president and vice president—both sitting a few feet away—had been trying for days to vote her off the board, which she had conceded was inevitable. She eluded the chopping block by claiming schedule conflicts so that a quorum of three could not be achieved to take official action.

The audience sat in stunned silence as details flowed for about 15 minutes. Few were checking their watches. I was trying to record the high points and found each peak higher than the one before.

“The only decisions that can be made for the co-op must be in alignment with our owner/members’ wishes. … Therefore, I feel it is an obligation of my position to inform owners of recent events that have been intentionally obscured by board members Roman Shvarts and Sanela Ruznic. Democracy dies in darkness, and members deserve to know the goings-on of the board that has been elected to represent them.

Food Front Vice President Sanela Ruznic did not want to be photographed.

“Each of your presences here represents a light, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have enough illumination here in this room for the truth to shine.

“In a member survey distributed in December 2023, prior to my joining the board, it was determined through feedback that owners had a few strong priorities:

1) They did not want to reopen Food Front.

2) They wanted a grocery store in the space and

3) They did not necessarily care about getting top dollar for the property sale.

“These facts were explicitly acknowledged in an email by [board president] Roman Shvarts dated Jan. 16, 2024.”

Fulton then described in detail a process in which members were never given the opportunity to approve a plan most of them favored—selling to Market of Choice—while the board stopped the clock for 20 months to explore general schemes by two other contenders that did not fulfill those goals.

“In the past week,” Fulton continued, “this friction has become unbearable, which brings me here today. Once this meeting was scheduled, Roman and Sanela made it clear that they absolutely would not present any other options but the highest price. Again, I think highly of this bidding individual, but I am committed to my responsibility of ensuring that members have a choice in the outcome of the sale. I knew that MOC was putting together an offer, and that Roman and Sanela were attempting to rush the process to avoid the possibility of an additional option.”

Shvarts and Ruznic called a meeting for June 26 to approve by executive action a sale to local property manager Mark New of Development Company of the West, Property Services, Fulton said.

“Roman and Sanela vehemently refused to consider the membership’s priorities,” Fulton said.

“They spent the best part of two hours publicly screaming at me at the food carts on Northwest 23rd Place. I have never in my adult life been so verbally assaulted. Sanela … shouted, ‘There is no democracy in this co-op! Democracy is dead! We make all the decisions here!’”

Fulton said the attacks were so personal, criticizing her voice and appearance, that she left the meeting in tears. She tried in vain for days to find someone who overheard the fracas and perhaps had taken photos or videos. In the end, she was her only witness, but that was enough.

“Their behavior was so egregious and unacceptable that passersby started recording the incident. I was shocked and disgusted by their behavior. I am still exasperated thinking about it. I have lost every shred of respect from this incident, and demanded that they designate replacements and resign, as dictatorial leaders do not belong anywhere near a cooperative board. They have refused.

“Since that incident on [June 26], Roman and Sanela have threatened me via email and phone; they have held multiple secret board meetings that do not meet the quorum minimum of three members, and have done so without recording minutes or content.

“They illegally added an additional board member without my attendance, knowledge or approval. This board member resigned less than 12 hours later after being informed of their plans.

“They have indicated to their friends that we are able to ‘donate’ the entire co-op property, despite the nearly million-dollar lien against it. These directors are out of touch with our members, and frankly, out of touch with reality.

“I cannot work with these unfit and deceptive unprofessionals who are unwilling to acknowledge their mistakes, and I should not have to endure a toxic and hostile environment simply because I am trying to do my job and listen to members and act democratically. The whole reason this meeting was made a last-minute ‘unofficial’ meeting—which I formally objected to—without record or remote access is another attempt to oppress membership and subvert their ability to choose and play a role in their co-op.

“This co-op belongs to the members, not the board of directors. There have been so many public, valid, continual and repeated criticisms of the board that I don’t think I have to go into too much detail to make this clear: We have a problem.

“Therefore, I am publicly and formally asking you, Roman and Sanela, to resign.”

And what does a congregation do when they have heard someone testify from the heart?

They say, amen.

Watch … and listen.

Addendum

A Food Front meeting will be announced in the next few days to act on purchase offers and add new members to the board.