NameTitleterm beganterm ends in
Adrienne Armstrongpresident2015/10/182026
Tom Fine2012-12-022026
Alyx Kendzierski2013-10-062025
Anita Levinsecretary-treasurer2012-12-022024
Monika Perry2022/10/232025
Sándor Halász2018/10/182024
Hermann von Grafensteinvice-president2012-01-302024

Follow this link to leave a message for the board.

The directors, in their own words

Monika Perry

Elected in 2022

Adrienne Armstrong

I am a life-long resident of Toledo, Ohio. I have been a vegan for almost 20 years. This is how I came to know the co-op. I have been a member off and on since 1998. I have two wonderful children who are also vegan. I have been an elementary-school art teacher for 15 years. I had the great privilege of co-owning and operating a health food store and restaurant for a short time. I believe these experiences will help me in this new adventure!

Tom Fine

I have been a life-long resident of Northwest Ohio and am an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toledo Medical College (formerly Medical College of Ohio) where I have been employed for more than 30 years. I have been a member of Phoenix Earth Food Co-op for the last 3 years and served on the Relocation Committee. I also shopped at the Earth Food Co-op, the predecessor to Phoenix.

I have previously served on a number of boards both local and international, including the Ide Center, the Zepf Center, the Ohio Mental Health Counselors Association, and the International Rest Investigators Society. I have held officer position in several of these organizations.

I would like to see Phoenix earth Co-op achieve financial security by increasing its membership base and annual sales.

Sándor Halász

I was elected to the board in 2008. Since then I have been on the board through one trouble or another, learning ever more about the business of being on a Board of Directors, of which I was largely ignorant—now I fully appreciate parliamentary procedure, and the principle that however much the board is to the coöp, the members that compose it by themselves are nothing special.

I consider continuity and institutional memory very important.

Alyx Kendzierski

I have volunteered countless times at a wide variety of occasions, and feel as though it is my duty to contribute what I can, when I can to my community and its members. I was an active participant in the Girl Scouts from kindergarten through junior year in high school, and through the organization was able to organize and carry out hundreds of programs and events that were the sole benefit of others (although we did get awesome badges for it).

I credit my time as a Girl Scout for providing me with the knowledge and experience to work both with a team as well as independently in real-world scenarios with the goal of organizing and executing ideas that benefit the community both at home and abroad. I earned the Girl Scout equivalent of the Eagle Scout Award (in Boy Scouts) for coordinating a day-camp for young girls to raise awareness and educate them about animals, their diversity, their role in our global ecosystem, and how crucial it is for us to protect them and their environment.

I also volunteer at the Collingwood Garden, the Ashland Garden, as well as a courier for the Old West End Historical Times monthly paper. I am well-versed in everything from customer service to operating computer systems to organizing inventory to clerical work and have experience in all of those areas. And, I really, really love Phoenix and support the principles it stands for.

Anita Levin

I have been a member of this coop since inception. I also was a leader in a local food buying club for many years. Prior to that I was an organizing member of Common Grounds Food Coop in Madison, WI, and served as the ordering supervisor. I volunteer often and am very community minded. I have lived in Toledo the past 26 years.

I am at a turning point in my career and find I will soon have the time to commit to the Phoenix Coop. I am a practicing attorney and nurse. I think I have skills and insight that will be beneficial to the future development of the coop.

Hermann von Grafenstein

In the past I have contributed to the Co-op's outreach efforts by co-developing and maintaining the Co-op's website, by organizing tables at events and by donating to advertising efforts. I have been the Board's secretary for three years and in that capacity have taken responsibility not only for record keeping, but more generally for ensuring continuity and follow-up. As president I will make an effort to improve transparency of the Board's actions, seek input from members and increase their active participation in Co-op affairs. My goal is to strengthen the Co-op community and help the Co-op find a stable path towards prosperity and growth.