Jamila Medley, executive director of PACA is interviewed on Everything Co-op

Jamila Medley, executive director of the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance (PACA)is interviewed on Everything Co-op on December 13, 2018 on Everything Co-op. Host, Vernon Oakes and Jamila discuss how PACA has used the cooperative business model to support businesses, and grow the cooperative economy. They also discuss the structure of PACA and how the organization continues to uncover ways to support their cooperative members organically, as their needs surface. Jamila Medley is a passionate advocate and educator for the advancement and growth of the cooperative economy. Her career has been devoted to supporting mission-based organizations in the nonprofit and cooperative sectors that serve diverse constituencies. In her work with existing and start-up co-ops, she provides support for leadership development, cooperative economics education, navigating group dynamics, and creating adaptive systems to support group process and learning. Medley has been a presenter at several conferences and events, such as: CommonBound, Co-op Impact Conference, and the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia's Best Practices Forum. She has presented on a range of topics, including the intersections of race, class, displacement and food co-ops; creating and sustaining democratic workplaces; and building an analysis around relationship-centered cooperative development. Jamila holds a M.S. degree in Organizational Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania and earned her B.A. degree in Urban Studies from Connecticut College. She is the Philadelphia Community Fellow for the 2018 Shared Economics in Equitable Development Fellowship, serves on the board of directors for Media Mobilizing Project, and also works as a consultant with CDS Consulting Co-op. To learn more about PACA, CDS Consulting Co-op or Jamila Medley visit https://philadelphia.coop/about-us/staff/