leadership, people & Culture:
presenters & Workshops
john crane
general manager – portland food co-op
John Crane has been working in the cooperative space for over 25 years, having spent the last ten years as the General Manager of the Portland Food Co-op in Portland, Maine. John also serves on the steering committee for the Cooperative Maine Business Alliance, is Board President of the Neighboring Food Co-op Association, and serves on the Risk Management Committee for National Co+op Grocers.
norman gonsalves
HR and community Engagement manager – portland food co-op
heather foran
Education and Training Manager – Cooperative Development Institute
Heather Foran is the Education and Training Manager in CDI’s Business Ownership Solutions (BOS) Program. She coordinates training and coaching with worker-owners after a worker buyout to build their cooperative and make the most important changes they want to see in their workplaces.
Laura King
Leadership Coach, Facilitator, Consultant – Columinate
Laura King is a leadership coach and change partner who helps individuals and groups lead through complexity. She has decades of experience in cooperative leadership and brings a grounded approach to team dynamics and interpersonal communication. Her innovative, mindful and embodied practices guide the way for individuals, boards and teams to cultivate trust and collaborative practices. She savors time spent in Maine, calls Vermont home, and offers leadership learning circles and retreats across the US and Canada.
Jonah fertig-burd
consultant, facilitator, & coach – Interrooted
Jonah Fertig-Burd is a consultant, facilitator, coach, farmer, cook, and artist. He owns InterRooted, a practice supporting individual, organizational, and systemic transformation rooted in love, nourishment and cooperation. He is a peer advisor with the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives and a farmer and co-owner of Celebration Tree Farm Wellness Center, a multi-stakeholder cooperative in Durham, Maine. Previously, Jonah served as Community Partner for Food Systems at the Sewall Foundation, Director of Cooperative Food Systems at the Cooperative Development Institute, and co-founder of Local Sprouts Cooperative Café. He currently serves on the boards of the Cooperative Fund of the Northeast, Maine Inside Out, and Land in Common.
heather burt
consultant – FireTree Consulting
Heather Burt spent the last nine years as the General Manager of Rising Tide Co-op in Damariscotta. During her tenure, she led a team to nearly double sales, weather Covid and its multitudes of impacts, and did it through collaborative leadership. Prior to Rising Tide, Heather was the Executive Director of FARMS, a farm-to-school program in Lincoln County.
Heather’s mission is to use food as a vehicle for positive change and community resilience and the last thirty years reflect this passion. She has left her role at Rising Tide and has started FireTree Consulting to further this mission and bring her cooperative leadership experience and certifications as a Forest Therapy Guide and a Grief Educator to her work.
rachel lyn rumson
consultant – 207Permaculture L3C
Rachel Lyn Rumson is a clear-thinking process consultant specializing in participatory methods for management, learning, and governance. With extensive cross-sector experience in business, education, nonprofits, and community development, her heart-filled work is grounded in practical knowledge of living systems. Rachel holds a master’s in Applied Behavior Science, a bachelor’s in Sociology, and advanced certifications in permaculture and soil science giving her expertise in leadership development, ecological design, and community building.
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