The Davis Food Co-op Board of Directors proudly announces that the vacant General Manager position has been filled by Interim General Manager, Laura Sanchez.
Filling in as the Interim General Manager since May 2020, Laura has successfully guided the Co-op during a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically impacted the store’s operations. The Board of Directors received hundreds of applications and conducted numerous interviews, but it was she who stood out among them all as the best fit for the position. Following the approval of Laura’s new position at the Board Meeting on December 18, 2020, Co-op Board President Sharon Tobar welcomed Laura to her new position with this statement:
“In a year of so many challenges, Laura has been a strong and steady guiding hand. In her prior two years of experience at the Co-op. – first as Store Operations Manager and most recently as Interim General Manager — Laura has demonstrated the leadership skills, operational expertise, commitment, and vision that we need to take the Co-op to the next level of excellence. We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship.”
Laura has worked in retail over the course of 20 years. Throughout 14 of those years, she was at Target Corporation in the Sacramento and Roseville areas. She held several Executive Team Lead roles that included Guest Experience, Salesfloor, Logistics and Operations. She started with the Co-op in December of 2018 as the Operations Manager and was ultimately named as the Interim General Manager when the position became vacant. In regards to her time in this position, she noted:
“In my time as Interim General Manager, I have learned that it is important to stay true to the values and the Ends that the Davis Food Co-op is based on. What makes the Co-op so special is that it is owned by the community and is here to truly serve its community”.
With experience in the role under her belt, Sanchez is eager to set goals that will allow the Co-op to thrive for years to come:
“We want to continue our focus on enhancing the skills, training, and spirit of our workforce – on whom the success of the Co-op depends. We will continue the upgrades of our store facility, develop new on-site solar and battery energy storage to enable operations during grid outages, and further expand our product offerings in response to the needs of our Member-Owners. With the ongoing pandemic, the community needs us now more than ever, and we will be ready to meet those needs.”
Laura Sanchez’s first official day as General Manager of the Davis Food Co-op was January 1, 2021. No longer holding an Interim status and looking forward to the new year, Laura wanted to take the opportunity to thank everyone who has played a part in the transition to this new role:
“On a personal note, I am so grateful to the Board and community for their confidence in me and our amazing staff. I’m looking forward to 2021 as a truly great year in the evolution of the Davis Food Co-op.”
Shared with permission from the Davis Food Co-op. The Davis Dirt thanks the Davis Food Co-op for its continued support!
