Everything Co-op with Vernon Oakes

Vernon and Judy discuss her involvement in the cooperative movement, trends in cooperative development, and how to effectively engage politicians in the cooperative movement. For over 40 years, Judy has been a champion for cooperative development, articulating a steady and unswerving vision about the power of cooperation, and persistently reminding cooperatives and cooperative institutions that they exist to empower people. Her incredible capacity as a strategist has resulted in cross-sectoral coalitions that have created critical infrastructure for the co-op community domestically and internationally. Ziewacz was instrumental in launching the nation's first statewide cooperative development center - now known as Cooperative Development Services. She also played a key role in establishing CooperationWorks!, a national cooperative development network, which is responsible for the creation of hundreds of co-ops, thousands of jobs, and serving hundreds of thousands of members. As the Executive Director of the Cooperative Development Foundation, she led the charge for the creation of dotCoop, an important branding tool for cooperatives in the internet age.

Vernon interviews Hall of Fame Hero Dr. Ann Hoyt. Vernon and Dr. Hoyt discuss her journey as a Cooperator, cooperatives in the Italian prison system, consumer cooperatives, economic justice, and economic Democracy.

Vernon and Doug discuss the programs, resources and events offered through NCBA/CLUSA. They also so discuss efforts to establish a food cooperative in Washington, DC's Wards 7 and 8, and resources that are available to assist groups with starting food cooperatives. They rounded out the show with a discussion about the work that is being done through the CLUSA International arm of the organization. Doug O'Brien serves as Executive Vice President for Programs at NCBA CLUSA, where he works with the cooperative community, both domestically and internationally, to deepen its impact on individuals and communities. NCBA is the primary voice for cooperatives in the United States for using the cooperative business model to empower people in their businesses and communities. Before coming to NCBA CLUSA, Doug led the work of the White House Rural Council and served in top positions at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development, an organization with over 40 programs and 5000 employees that annually finances more than 30 billion dollars in community economic development. O'Brien's experience in academia includes teaching, researching and writing at the University of Arkansas Agricultural and Food Masters in Law Program and Drake University Law School. In his role at the White House, O'Brien drove the work of the White House Rural Council, a group of cabinet members from across the federal government focused on breaking down silos so that government makes a more positive impact in rural places. O'Brien's projects at the council included the creation of Rural Impact, an interagency effort to break the cycle of poverty in rural areas. While at USDA, O'Brien led numerous innovative initiatives to help create opportunity and improve rural quality of life. He instituted new poverty targeting mechanisms that resulted in hundreds of millions of increased dollars for persistent poverty areas and served on the leadership team for USDA's priority initiative to support local and regional food systems.

Vernon Oakes, Host of Everything Co-op, Interviews Janis Hazel, ANC Commissioner and Director of Communications for Washington, D.C. Councilmember, Vincent Gray. Vernon and Janis discuss legislation introduced by Councilmember Gray, and how cooperatives can help to advance his agenda. Janis is serving a third term as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner (ANC 7D05) in Ward 7 of Washington, DC. She is the Director of Communications for Ward 7 Councilmember Vincent C. Gray and has served as Director of Communications in the Executive Office of the Mayor. She was appointed by the Obama Administration to manage the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of the Census Decennial operations for the District of Columbia’s 2010 Census and has served as the Director of Development and Communications for Howard University Television (WHUT-TV). A native of Detroit, MI and a political science major at the University of Michigan, she began her career in public policy with Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm (NY), and later worked for Senator Donald W. Riegle, Jr. (MI) and Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (MI). She has served as Director of Marketing for the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation and Events Marketing Manager for the Detroit Convention Bureau and was part of the team that won the bid for Detroit to host Super Bowl XL. She has served as Executive Director of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation producing Grammy events featuring Aretha Franklin, Prince, Bonnie Raitt, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton and other iconic artists. Janis can be seen in cameo appearances on the Emmy award winning Netflix series "House of Cards."

Vernon interviews Marcella Charles Casto, Assistant Principal and Career Technology Education Administrator at Mingo Central High, Vernon and Marcella the Simulated Workplace Program, other programs she administers at Mingo Central High School, and how cooperatives can be incorporated into the academic programs to further enhance them. The simulated workplace program is the brainchild of Kathy D'Antoni, assistant state superintendent of schools for the Division of Technical, Adult and Institutional Education, and it is going into its fifth year. Students must apply for a job, go through an interview, be subject to a random drug testing, and develop a portfolio of work projects and certifications. Ms. Charles Casto is dedicated to working with youth in this program. The program address common concerns that businesses have of today's youth. "Over the last three years, what we have heard from business and industry leaders is that kids don't understand customer service, they don't have a strong work ethic, and they don't understand real-world situations or processes," said Charles. "The purpose of this initiative is to change that.”

Vernon interviews Monique Rizer, Executive Director of Opportunity Nation. Vernon and Monique discuss Our Opportunity Nation, the 2017 Opportunity Index, and other research and reports being used to close the opportunity gap in America. Since September of 2015, Monique Rizer has been the Executive Director of Opportunity Nation. Under her leadership, the team has grown supporters by 35 percent and developed "Our Opportunity Nation," a national opportunity plan that was featured in the Washington Post, and garnered the endorsement of more than 130 organizations. Prior to joining Opportunity Nation, Monique served as the Chief of Staff for Be The Change, Inc., Opportunity Nation's parent organization. She also served as deputy director of military spouse programs for the Military Officers Association of America, where she founded Keeping a Career on the Move®, which earned the American Society for Association Executives (ASAE) 'Power of A' Silver Award. Monique is a national spokesperson on opportunity. She has been interviewed by the Wall Street Journal, Black Enterprise and NPR. She has also served as a speaker of choice for the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. She has also testified before the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, about the impact of deployments on military spouse careers. Monique is a proud first-generation college graduate, who frequently speaks about her experiences as a young mother, and the obstacles faced growing up in a low-income family.

Vernon Oakes, host of Everything Co=op interviews Charles E. Snyder, President and CEO of National Cooperative Bank (NCB). Vernon and Mr. Snyder discuss the impact NCB has had in the cooperative community, and the importance of the cooperative principles. Charles E. Snyder is the president and chief executive officer of National Cooperative Bank and leads its Executive Council, a team of senior managers representing business development units and functional areas across the company. Mr. Snyder joined NCB in 1983 as corporate vice president and chief financial officer. In 1992, he was named president and chief executive officer. Mr. Snyder serves on numerous boards, including the Consumer Federation of America, National Cooperative Business Association, a membership association representing every type of cooperative in America. In 2011, Mr. Snyder was inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame and in 2007 received the Jerry Voorhis Award, the National Association of Housing Cooperative's most prestigious honor. Both awards recognize Mr. Snyder for his longstanding work of promoting and preserving cooperatives.

Vernon interviews community organizer, Silvia Inéz Salazar. Vernon and Ms. Salazar discuss the role she has played in organizing cooperatives in Washington, DC, and how cooperatives can be used to solve community problems. Silvia Inéz Salazar has been organizing housing and worker owned cooperatives in DC for the past ten years. She serves as a Trustee for the Consumer Health Foundation and Board Member and was recently appointed Board Chair for the Latino Economic Development Center. As a volunteer organizer and Leadership Council Member for Cooperation DC, she is organizing worker-owned childcare cooperative in the District of Columbia called Co-Familia. In 2005, Silvia, along with her fellow founding members, decided to reach out to their neighbors in an effort to start a tenant association to fix ongoing maintenance problems and resist displacement to make way for condominiums. The combination of organizing actions, lawsuits, media coverage, and community support finally caused the landlord to sell the building to the tenants. Her efforts were instrumental in securing $9.7 million in funding from the District of Columbia Department of Housing and Community Development towards the purchase of the building. In 2011, Silvia and her neighbors converted the Norwood Tenant Association into an affordable housing cooperative. Silvia led the effort to reach out to District of Columbia government agencies, community organizations, and faith-based associations to prevent displacement and resist gentrification efforts. She is working towards addressing the lack of affordable childcare in her neighborhood by exploring partnerships and collaborations to find a location for the Co-Familia Childcare Cooperative. Silvia emigrated from El Salvador as an undocumented immigrant at the age of seven. She volunteers at the Smithsonian Museum of American History where she serves as a bilingual Spanish-English language docent that leads tours of the museum. In a professional capacity, she has worked for the federal government at the National Institutes of Health in the area of cancer social science research since 2003.

Vernon interviews Ellis Carr, President and CEO of Capital Impact. Vernon and Ellis discuss how Capital Impact effects systemic change - from social systems to government programs - so that all people have paths out of poverty. Ellis Carr has more than 20 years of experience in the financial services and mortgage industries. Mr. Carr served as Capital Impact's Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer from July, 2012 until his appointment as President and Chief Executive Officer in May, 2016. Prior to joining Capital Impact, he held various positions in the investments, capital markets, strategy and corporate finance areas within Freddie Mac and in fixed income fund management both domestically and abroad at Deutsche Bank. Mr. Carr is a trustee of the NHP Foundation; the Treasurer and Board member of Martha's Table and Housing Partnership Network (HPN); Vice Chairman and Board member of the Opportunity Finance Network (OFN). In 2015, he was recognized as one of the "Top 40 under 40" business executives by the Washington Business Journal. Mr. Carr graduated from Towson University with an undergraduate degree in accounting, and from Georgetown University with a master's degree in real estate with a concentration in finance.

Vernon and his guests discuss the evolution of housing cooperatives in Washington, D.C., the prospect of forming a federation of limited equity housing cooperatives, and the role cooperatives play in improving the quality of life for its participants. Ajowa Nzinga Ifateyo has been a co-editor of Grassroots Economic Organizing, (GEO) for more than 10 years. GEO, a 30-year-old publication, reports on cooperative developments around the world, and provides advocacy for alternative economic solutions. Her work with GEO has inspired her to research and think about ways to empower individuals to make personal changes to better organize and participate in cooperative/group entrepreneurial enterprises. Ajowa has nine years of experience on cooperative boards, including: Ujamaa Collective, the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives, and the Eastern Conference on Workplace Development. In 2000, she and four other D.C. residents co-founded an affordable housing co-op for community organizers, the Ella Jo Baker Intentional Community Cooperative, in Washington, DC, where she served as treasurer and secretary-treasurer for about six years. Presently, Ajowa is researching how to effectively incorporate spirituality in the work of organizing co-ops. Amanda Huron is an Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences in the Department of Political Science, History, and Global Studies at the University of the District of Columbia. She has conducted extensive research on cooperatives, and written several articles on the subject, including Creating a Commons in the Capital: The Emergence of Limited-Equity Housing Cooperatives in Washington, D.C. (Washington History, Fall 2014).

Vernon and David discussed the emergence of food co-ops, his new book, and the role of cooperatives in the Economy. This month marks the 2nd anniversary of Everything Co-op, and the celebration of National Co-op Month. Cooperative Network's 2015 Co-op Month theme, Take Ownership, celebrates how the cooperative model gives consumers a real stake in their economic destinies, because co-ops are owned and controlled by the people who use their services. Therefore, it is quite fitting to celebrate this milestone by bringing David Thompson to the mic again, to announce his new book being released this month, that focuses on food co-ops. Thompson, has worked for national cooperative organizations of the United States, Britain and Japan as well as the United Nations. He served as Vice President of the National Cooperative Business Association and Regional Director of the National Cooperative Bank's Western Office. He specializes in funding the capital needs of the cooperative development sector and nonprofit and cooperative housing. He was also inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame in Washington D.C. in May 2010.

Vernon and Melbah discuss the role women have played in the cooperative movement and in the facets of the movement that she has personally been involved with; and some of her experiences in working with groups to help form cooperatives and her personal experience of as a member of a local cooperative. Ms. McAfee Smith worked for nearly 40 years as a trusted co-op developer in some of the most impoverished areas of the country. She started her career with the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, returning to her home state to lead the Mississippi Association of Cooperatives and the Mississippi Cooperative Development Center. Her visionary leadership and hands-on, grassroots approach to building communities have helped bring health care, economic development, and social justice to people in need through the cooperative model.Mrs. Smith was inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame in 2009.

Vernon uses excerpts from President Obama's speech during the reenactment of the March in Selma on Bloody Sunday 50 years ago to draw comparisons to the core principles of cooperatives.

Vernon interviews Charles Gould, Director-General of the International Co-operative Alliance. Vernon and Chuck discuss the "Blueprint for a Co-operative Decade," the impact of cooperatives on the economy, Co-op Identity, and new initiatives of The Alliance.

ernon and David discuss his recently published article, "Thurgood Marshall, From Cooperative Apartment to Supreme Court," and his life work in the cooperative movement. During February, Everything Co-op celebrates Black History Month by focusing on the Association for the Study of African American Life and History's Theme. This year's theme is The Crisis in Black Education. Therefore, it is quite fitting to bring David Thompson to the microphone again, for a discussion about his article on Thurgood Marshall, and his upcoming book, Cooperatives and the Civil Rights Movement. An excerpt from Cooperatives and the Civil Rights Movement. At the epi-center of the cooperative movement in Harlem was a housing cooperative called the Dunbar Apartments. Filling an entire city block, this 511-unit housing cooperative was funded by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. as the first black housing cooperative in the country. When it opened in 1928, on the eve of the Great Depression, the Dunbar was the first home ownership opportunity for blacks in New York City. If the members paid the carrying charges for 22 years, they would own the apartment outright. Those who lived at the Dunbar were a virtual Who's Who of Black America: Countee Cullen, W.E.B. DuBois, Mathew Henson, Langston Hughes, A. Philip Randolph, Paul Robeson, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, and others. David Thompson, has worked for national cooperative organizations of the United States, Britain and Japan as well as the United Nations. He served as Vice President of the National Cooperative Business Association and Regional Director of the National Cooperative Bank's Western Office. He specializes in funding the capital needs of the cooperative development sector and nonprofit and cooperative housing. He was inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame in Washington D.C. in May 2010, and continues to work with cooperatives. Don't miss this informative discussion.

Vernon interviews Former Diplomat James Joseph. Mr. Joseph is a Professor of Public Policy Studies at Duke University. Vernon and Mr. Joseph discussed several initiatives and programs implemented by him, and the Spirit of Ubuntu, the Zulu principal that is said to be the reason President Mandela was able to forgive his captors, and eventually work with them.

Vernon interviews Esteban Kelly, educator, community organizer, and radical geographer. He's the current Board President of the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance (PACA). He works for the New Economy Coalition, and is also a founder and worker-owner of AORTA, (Anti-Oppression Resource and Training Alliance, a worker co-op of educators whose facilitation and consulting strengthens cooperatives and social justice groups.

Vernon and Ed discuss the democratization of wealth, how cooperatives are used to enhance communities and development, and democratic ownership. Ed Whitfield is co-founder and co-managing director of the Fund for Democratic Communities (F4DC). A long time social justice activist, Ed had been involved in labor, community organizing and peace work since the late 60's when he was a student activist at Cornell University. He was the chairman of the Greensboro Redevelopment Commission for 9 years and formerly board chairman of Greensboro's Triad Minority Development Corporation. He is currently helping to provide technical assistance to a group of people living in an urban food desert struggling to develop a community owned cooperative grocery store.

Vernon and William discuss his involvement in the cooperative movement, the Cooperative Hall of Fame, and his vision for the next phase of the movement. William Nelson's involvement in cooperative education began in the 1970s while serving as community education director for the Minneapolis public school system, focusing on connecting urban and rural schools around food and hunger issues. In this role, Nelson was first introduced to a new wave of food cooperatives in the Twin Cities. Nelson went on to spend 13 years at the University of Minnesota-Waseca, teaching courses on cooperatives, agriculture, entrepreneurship and leadership. Nelson is a founding member and director for the Ralph K. Morris Foundation. He has also brought stable leadership and financial support to the Association of Cooperative Educators. And through his long tenure as president of The Cooperative Foundation, Nelson helped expand support for cooperative development, extension, education and research.

Vernon interviews Esteban Kelly, educator, community organizer, and radical geographer. He's the current Board President of the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance (PACA). He works for the New Economy Coalition, and is also a founder and worker-owner of AORTA, (Anti-Oppression Resource and Training Alliance, a worker co-op of educators whose facilitation and consulting strengthens cooperatives and social justice groups.

Vernon interviews Ralph M. Paige, the former Executive Director of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives Land Assistance Fund (Federation/LAF). Vernon and Ralph discussed his illustrious career, and the role cooperatives have played in the economic recovery of many communities in the United States of America. Mr. Paige has played a major role in creating cooperatives encompassing credit unions, agricultural, housing and worker cooperatives and alternative agricultural development for minority farmers. He worked for the Federation for more than 45 years from 1969, and served as Executive Director for thirty years from 1985 to 2015. Initially, Mr. Paige worked as a field organizer developing cooperatives among family farmers and rural residents in Georgia and throughout the South. He led measures to secure new public and private resources to support cooperative development, and in the 1970s, he served as director of the Federation's Business Development Office. From 1977-1981, Mr. Paige served as director of the Federation's VISTA project involving over 100 volunteers at 60 cooperative and credit union sites. He then became the national field director of the Federation/LAF. During his leadership, the Federation received the Martin Luther King, Jr., Humanitarian Award; a United Nations award for significant contribution of shelter to the poorer segments of the community; and the first Fannie Mae "Excellence in Low Income Housing Development Award." Mr. Paige studied extensively at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He received his bachelor's degree in education from Fort Valley State University in Georgia. Mr. Paige retired as Executive Director of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives on February 28, 2015. Shortly after his retirement he received the 'Stanley Dreyer- Spirit of Cooperation Award' from the National Cooperative Bank (NCB) at their annual meet in in Washington, D. C. This is the highest award conferred by NCB for a person with a lifetime of achievement with cooperatives. Certainly his contributions shall be felt in the cooperative world for many years to come.

Vernon interviews Judy Sullivan, Government Relations Representative for the National Association of Housing Cooperatives. Vernon and Judy discuss the role she plays in advocating in the interest of housing cooperatives as it relates to Bill #HR3863, that addresses the need for disaster relief through FEMA for cooperatives, and ways that others can participate in efforts to gain equal rights for cooperative housing. They also discuss other legislation and news that is relevant to cooperatives. Judy has over 25 years of comprehensive experience representing the National Association of Housing Cooperatives (NAHC) covering issues including Department of Housing and Urban Development home equity conversion mortgages or reverse mortgages, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Disaster Relief; Homeland Security flood insurance, Department of Veteran Affairs benefits, as well as tax issues. She is responsible for managing all congressional and federal regulatory issues of interest to NAHC, and represents NAHC with cooperative, multifamily housing and tax coalitions. Judy was a 2010 recipient of the Jerry Voorhis award, NAHC's highest honor that recognizes significant leadership in both theory and practice. She is a graduate of De Paul University in Chicago, IL, and was formerly a Government Relations Specialist with VanNess Feldman LLC.

artist: Vernon Oakes title: Vernon Interviews Steve A;ves, Producer/Director of Food For Change album: Everything Co-op. year: 2016 genre: Speech (id 101) track: 9222016 Vernon and Steve discuss the film, the production of the film and how the film is being used to educate people about food cooperatives, and the history of cooperatives in general. Alves is an award-winning documentary filmmaker who graduated from the University of Southern California Film School. After working in Hollywood and New York City as a film editor for 10 years, he moved to western Massachusetts and started his own documentary company, Home Planet Pictures. Two consistent themes in Alves' films are the inter-generational ties, and the role of community in American life. Since 1997, Alves has written, produced, and directed six films about New England and what it means to have a sense of place. His 2001 production. Together in Time, won a CINE Golden Eagle, Best Short Documentary at the International Family Film Festival, and a Gold Award from WorldFest-Houston. Alves is also the 2015 recipient of the Austin Miller Cooperative Hero Award, given by the River Valley Market. Alves continues this trend in his current production, Food for Change, which tells the history of the co-op movement in the United Sates, and role food co-ops are playing in the development of local food systems.

Howard Brodsky, Co-founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of CCA Global Partners is interviewed by Vernon Oakes. Vernon and Howard discuss how he has used the cooperative business model to expand his cooperative partners, new ways to use social media to promote the cooperatives, and the organization he currently Chairs; Cooperatives for a Better World. Howard Brodsky is one of the leading cooperative leaders in America. He Co-founded CCA Global Partners with Alan Greenberg in 1984, and has never wavered in his commitment to expand his business, and promote the benefits of cooperatives. Brodsky is passionate about moving the cooperative business model forward to help bring power and equality back to local communities. Brodsky was inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame, which recognizes individuals and companies who make unparalleled contributions in advancement of the principles of cooperation. One of his more notable accomplishments was being inducted into the Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, along with such people as Michael Dell and Starbucks' Howard Schultz. Brodsky is Chairman of Cooperatives for a Better World, and on the Board of the National Cooperative Business Association. CCA Global Partners' cooperative business model has a proven track record of empowering thousands of entrepreneurs to succeed in a marketplace that is impacted by widespread consolidation. More than 2,800 retail stores in North America and abroad benefit from CCA's leadership through its 14 different businesses. CCA members and franchisees are engaged in: flooring, lighting products, biking, nonprofit and more.

Vernon interviews Gabe Snow and Laura Vogel, representatives from NRECA's (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association) Co-ops Vote team. Vernon and his guests discuss the resources that can be found on the Vote.coop website, the purpose of the site, and the importance of the upcoming presidential election. Co-ops Vote is a non-partisan project of America's Electric Cooperatives, designed to inform its members on key issues facing electric co-ops, and encourage them to vote and support their co-ops and the communities they serve when they go to the polls. The organization does not endorse or recommend any candidates for election, but offers access to information that will enable voters to make informed decisions when they vote. If you would like to review pertinent information about the candidates you will have an opportunity to vote for in the upcoming Presidential Election, but do not have the time to do the research, or just don't know where to begin, let Co-ops Vote do the work for you. The site features a Voter Resources page that offers links to voter information, including, but not limited to: a list of upcoming elections, Absentee Ballots, a polling place locator, and a list of Early Voting sites. If you want to find out if your name is still listed as eligible to vote, you can verify your eligibility right on the site. Visitors to the site can also review information on Presidential candidates, and all candidates associated with their voting districts. Co-ops Vote is your one-stop Vote site.

Vernon Interviews Paul Hazen, Executive Director, U.S. Overseas Cooperative Development Council. Vernon and Paul discuss his career in the cooperative movement; the Community Purchasing Alliance, and how OCDC brings together organizations committed to building a more prosperous world through cooperatives. Paul Hazen became executive director of the Overseas Cooperative Development Council in February 2012. Previously, he represented one of the member organizations and served as OCDC's board chair and as a board member. One of his most-recent initiatives with OCDC is the formation of its Research Group, whose mission is to research, formulate and share effective strategies for the development, performance and growth of cooperatives in developing countries. Throughout his career, Hazen has championed the U.S. cooperative system, which encompasses 29,000 co-ops; generates $654 billion in revenue; and creates more than two million jobs, representing $75 billion in wages and benefits. U.S. co-ops include Ace Hardware, Land O'Lakes, Inc., Sunkist, REI and the Associated Press. Hazen helped establish federal legislation promoting rural co-op development, formed a national network of co-op development centers and initiated national research into the impact of co-ops on the U.S. economy. Active in cooperative matters at many levels, Hazen is the one of the founders of DotCoop the top-level domain for cooperatives around the world. He also serves on the boards of the National Cooperative Bank, Capital Impact Partners and the Community Purchasing Alliance Cooperative. Past board service includes the International Co-operative Alliance, Consumer Federation of American, Cooperative Development Foundation, Cooperative Business International and NCB Retail Finance Corporation.

Vernon Oakes Interviews John Holdsclaw, Senior VP of Corporate Affairs at National Cooperative Bank (NCB). Vernon and John discuss the role cooperatives play in addressing critical issues in low to moderate Income communities, and the tools that are used to sustain them. Holdsclaw is NCB's first Senior VP of Corporate Affairs. He is charged with the development of new bank relationships and management of the bank's existing affiliations with Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs). He also promotes and advances social investment opportunities within the philanthropic arena and in product development, furthering NCB's commitment to mission banking. Prior to joining NCB, Mr. Holdsclaw served as the Director of Policy Development for Capital Impact Partners, a strategic partner of NCB. As Director of Policy at Capital Impact Partners, he was instrumental in the development and implementation of its government relations program, and building a respected brand with other CDFIs.

Monica Rainge, Esq, Director of Land Retention & Advocacy for The Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund is interviewed by host of Everything Co-op, Vernon Oakes. Vernon and Monica discuss Heir Property, and the services that are provided through the Federation of Southern Cooperatives Land Assistance Fund (FSC/LAF) to help to retain, and regain land in the communities it represents. Monica A. Rainge, an agricultural lawyer, serves as the Director of Land Retention and Advocacy for The Federation of Southern Cooperatives/ Land Assistance Fund. Attorney Rainge leads the development and implementation of regional land retention and advocacy initiatives which support and advance the membership of FSC/LAF. She has worked in the public and private agricultural sectors for over 20 years, and previously served as the Florida State Coordinator for The Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund. Attorney Rainge directs the Federation's Regional Heirs Property Center. This center was created to coordinate a collaborative and regional network of partnerships and resources to address the systemic problems of heirs property throughout the Black Belt region. Over the last 50 years, the Federation's overall mission has been to reverse the trend of African-American land loss and to encourage land based economic development. The Federation accomplishes its mission through cooperative development, land retention and advocacy, and Attorney Rainge plays an instrumental role in helping the organization to accomplish its mission.

Vernon interviews LaKeisha Wolf, Executive Director of Ujamaa Collective. Vernon and LaKeisha discuss her role as a leader in the cooperative movement; the evolution of Ujamaa Collective; and her development as a leader in the cooperative movement. As a first-generation Pittsburgher, LaKeisha Wolf has developed her roots across the community working at the intersection of social justice, arts, culture and entrepreneurship. She is a founding member of the Hill District based non-profit Ujamaa Collective, serving as Executive Director since 2013. In this role, LaKeisha focuses on the business affairs and cooperative development of emerging Africana women-owned craft industries. She has over 15 years' experience in community, organizational and leadership development, consulting with numerous organizations including Sankofa Community Empowerment, Inc., Community Human Services Corporation, The Legacy Arts Project, Inc., and the Alliance for Police Accountability. LaKeisha holds a Bachelor's Degree in Communications from Penn State University (2001) where she served as Black Caucus President, helping to establish the State of Pennsylvania's first Africana Research Institute at PSU. In addition, she's also a graduate of NASCO Institute's Emerging Cooperative Leaders Program. Ujamaa Collective Marketplace opened its doors in 2010, offering the high-quality and handmade goods of the women of the Ujamaa Collective, local and international artisans to the Pittsburgh Region. The idea was a simple one: Black women, entrepreneurs, acting in unity for the benefit of the individual entrepreneur, the collective and the community. Integral to this concept was the inclusion of a green marketplace that would benefit the Hill District community physically, economically, socially and spiritually.

Vernon Oakes and Ms. Haynes discussed her life work and experiences as a leader in the cooperative movement, and how Faith Community United Credit Union changed lives and addressed so many community problems during her tenure. Rita Haynes dedicated her nearly 60-year career to serving the financial needs of disadvantaged communities in Cleveland, Ohio. Her innovations transformed the credit union industry with the development of products to combat predatory lending and harnessed financial resources to support community development. Rita is recognized for serving over fifty years as director, manager, treasurer and CEO of Faith Community United Credit Union, Cleveland, Ohio. Through vision, collaboration and sheer grit, Rita led the transformation of a small credit union operating out of a church basement, into a 6000-member financial institution with $12 million in assets, all the while never losing sight of the financial needs of the credit union's low income members and their communities. A pioneer in faith based credit unions, she brought together credit unions and local government resources to create a revolving-loan fund to provide small business loans to minority contractors in Cuyahoga County, led the credit union effort to attain Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) certification from the US Department of Treasury, and successfully worked to have Faith Community United CU become a Small Business Administration lender.

Vernon and Michael discuss his White Paper, "MRAGA" - Make Rural America Great Again: An Infrastructure Road-Map for Rural America's High-Road Institutional Stewards. Michael Peck strives to overcome inequalities of wealth/income, opportunity, and social mobility by applying the sixty years of Mondragon experience and principles to form, transform, and transition worker co-ops and union co-ops. Since late 1999, Michael Alden Peck has served as the North American delegate for Mondragon, the world's largest industrial worker cooperative. On March 26th, 2012, the United Steelworkers (USW), Mondragon, and the Ohio Employee Ownership Center (OEOC) announced the union-coop template, to create worker-owner hybrid projects and businesses with the goal of revamping U.S. manufacturing through worker empowerment and ownership. In January 2014, Michael helped to launch 1worker1vote.org, a non-profit dedicated to building a national network of unionized worker-owned cooperative businesses to overcome opportunity, mobility, and income inequality. He is a dedicated advocate for the cooperative business model, and has made major contributions to the cooperative movement.

Vernon Oakes interviews Kim Koontz, and Mai Nguyen, Executive Director and Cooperative Development Specialist at the California Center for Cooperative Development (CCCD). They discussed the upcoming California Co-op Conference, which will be held in San Diego, and programs and many different programs and services offered through CCCD.

Vernon interviews Charles Gould, Director-General of the International Co-operative Alliance. Vernon and Chuck discuss the "Blueprint for a Co-operative Decade," the impact of cooperatives on the economy, Co-op Identity, and new initiatives of The Alliance.

Everything Co-op, is a radio show that airs on WOL, Radio One's premiere talk show station. The show features people who have influenced or participated in the advancement of the cooperative business model to change lives and/or help people to leverage cooperation, for the betterment of others.

Vernon and his guests discuss the evolution of housing cooperatives in Washington, D.C., the prospect of forming a federation of limited equity housing cooperatives, and the role cooperatives play in improving the quality of life for its participants. Ajowa Nzinga Ifateyo has been a co-editor of Grassroots Economic Organizing, (GEO) for more than 10 years. GEO, a 30-year-old publication, reports on cooperative developments around the world, and provides advocacy for alternative economic solutions. Her work with GEO has inspired her to research and think about ways to empower individuals to make personal changes to better organize and participate in cooperative/group entrepreneurial enterprises. Ajowa has nine years of experience on cooperative boards, including: Ujamaa Collective, the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives, and the Eastern Conference on Workplace Development. In 2000, she and four other D.C. residents co-founded an affordable housing co-op for community organizers, the Ella Jo Baker Intentional Community Cooperative, in Washington, DC, where she served as treasurer and secretary-treasurer for about six years. Presently, Ajowa is researching how to effectively incorporate spirituality in the work of organizing co-ops. Amanda Huron is an Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences in the Department of Political Science, History, and Global Studies at the University of the District of Columbia. She has conducted extensive research on cooperatives, and written several articles on the subject, including Creating a Commons in the Capital: The Emergence of Limited-Equity Housing Cooperatives in Washington, D.C. (Washington History, Fall 2014).

Vernon interviews Hall of Fame Hero Dr. Ann Hoyt. Vernon and Dr. Hoyt discuss her journey as a Cooperator, cooperatives in the Italian prison system, consumer cooperatives, economic justice, and economic Democracy.

Everything Co-op, is a radio show that airs on WOL, Radio One's premiere talk show station. The show features people who have influenced or participated in the advancement of the cooperative business model to change lives and/or help people to leverage cooperation, for the betterment of others.

Vernon interviews Charles E. Snyder, President and CEO of National Cooperative Bank (NCB). As Everything Coop begins its celebration of National Co-op Month and its 3rd Anniversary, Vernon explores this year’s theme of "Cooperatives Build." Vernon and Mr. Snyder discuss different types of cooperatives that are supported by NCB, and the importance of cooperative banking. Charles E. Snyder is the president and chief executive officer of National Cooperative Bank and leads its Executive Council, a team of senior managers representing business development units and functional areas across the company. Mr. Snyder joined NCB in 1983 as corporate vice president and chief financial officer. In 1992, he was named president and chief executive officer. Mr. Snyder serves on numerous boards, including the Consumer Federation of America, National Cooperative Business Association, a membership association representing every type of cooperative in America. In 2011, Mr. Snyder was inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame and in 2007 received the Jerry Voorhis Award, the National Association of Housing Cooperative's most prestigious honor. Both awards recognize Mr. Snyder for his longstanding work of promoting and preserving cooperatives.

Ron Hantz, Board President of the Network for Developing Conscious Communities, Appears on Everything Co-op. Vernon and Ron discuss how the organization uses cooperative principles to build economically sound and equitable communities. Hantz, has more than 25 years of experience in the development of affordable housing. When addressing the need for minorities to challenge the institutional barriers that impede the economic, social and leadership development in their communities, he said, "Our ultimate goal should be to learn how to replicate best practices, how to develop indigenous leadership and how to build collaborative community based partnerships." The Network for Developing Conscious Communities was founded 2014 as a 501 © (3) non-profit community development membership organization. Through implementing the principles of conscious community development, the organization seeks to build economically cooperative and equitable communities through transparency, inclusiveness and collectivism. NDCC successfully works to improve financial sustainability, encourage business ownership and increase residential real estate ownership in Black neighborhoods.