Since our January 31 informational meeting with more than 300 people who expressed resounding support for this venture, we‘ve established a Steering Committee, created a volunteer database, kept a regularly updated website, and been in contact with several cooperative development support organizations.

     Our 9-member Steering Committee includes long-time Hilltown residents as well as newcomers.  We are farmers, lawyers, parents, community leaders, dancers, business owners, social-change activists, artists, bankers, “foodies,” public interest advocates, and community builders.  (See who we are below)

     We are volunteering our time, expertise, and creativity because we support the Old Creamery and we believe that people can accomplish more by working together than they can on their own. Our work will continue until the formal Cooperative structure is in place.

     The Steering Committee has met several times since early March. We’ve organized four working groups: (1) Business/Operations, (2) Community, {3) Governance, and (4) Finance.  For more detail see What‘s Happening at the Coop

We‘ve also established three advisory groups providing legal, technology, and sustainability guidance to the working groups.

     As we move forward, we plan to work with community volunteers, professional consultants, and a variety of Coop development organizations to ensure success. We’re excited to be on our way and pledge to keep you included and informed as we move forward.

Anytime you see an area or activity that you are motivated to contribute to let us know in person, or Update your record in the data base at any time by modifying the Comments section.  You can also get in touch with any Steering Committee member to let them know your thoughts.

Joseph Best is a public interest attorney in private practice specializing in immigration and nationality law with a focus on humanitarian relief, waivers of inadmissibility and family based petitions.  Prior to attending Villanova Law School as a public interest scholar, Joseph received a MA from NYU’s graduate Institute of French Studies specializing in French political and social thought, and a BA from St. Joseph’s University in International Relations.   After living in France and Belgium for two years, Joseph moved to Manhattan where he worked in AIDS policy and research administration.  Thereafter, Joseph created and ran a Manhattan based French antique import firm and subsequently worked as a real estate broker specializing in the sale and restoration of historic homes.   Joseph has spent his entire adult life as a community activist engaged in issues from HIV and AIDS to LGBT civil rights and marriage equality, environmental issues, land use planning, historic preservation and urban revitalization.   Joseph is on the board of Community Education Project, an adult Latino education program in Holyoke, MA, the advisory board of the Berkshire Immigrant Center of Pittsfield, MA and the newly formed steering committee of the Old Creamery Coop in Cummington, MA.  In May, 2009, Joseph was elected to the Worthington Town Planning Board.   Joseph and his spouse Raeph Laughingwell are in the process of re-establishing and expanding the operations of their 18^th century farm in Worthington, MA which provides free-range pasture fed eggs locally.   

Send an email Visit http://www.bestesquire.com/

Chris Corsac lives in Worthington with her partner, writer Erin White, and their two children, Grace (5) and June (2).  Chris is a full-time partner and parent who moonlights as a lawyer in a large, multi-national corporation headquartered in Pittsfield.  She specializes in a wide variety of substantive corporate legal areas, including commercial litigation, intellectual property disputes and government relations.  Prior to moving to western Massachusetts in 2001, Chris worked in private practice with firms in New York, NY and Philadelphia, PA where she litigated cases involving issues such as securities fraud, the First Amendment, white collar crime, contracts and other commercial disputes.

Chris is an avid cyclist who has a passion for the New York Times crossword puzzle, travel, the beaches of Cape Cod, learning new things, dancing around the house with Grace and June on Sunday mornings, micro brewed beers and cheese.  She is a long time customer of the Old Creamery and is honored to be a part of the Coop Development Steering Committee.  She looks forward to working to expand the joys and responsibilities of store ownership to the community.

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     I am one of the owners of The Old Creamery, along with my partner and spouse, Amy.  This year we are celebrating ten years of hard work and serious play here at the Creamery and thirty years of hard work and joyous play as life partners.  We have lived in Cummington since 1986 in a house that we built on 50 beautiful acres.  Rarely a day goes by that one of us doesn’t say “Aren’t we blessed to live here?” 

     My years at the Creamery have been the most growthful, challenging, and enriching of my life.  Besides learning about how to own and operate a retail business, I have learned about community service, conflict resolution, love, repair of dozens of different things, exhaustion, joy, answering 2 phones at the same time as having 3 in person conversations, the power of smiling at someone, and simple pleasures. 

     Feeding people feels like a calling to me.  I was brought up with my Italian Gram. and my Dad greeting me by putting something wonderful to eat in to my mouth and saying “Here, eat this.”  Nothing brings me greater joy than feeding people that I care about or people that are in need of kindness and nurturing. 

     Amy and I are very deeply connected to our land and grow as much food as we possibly can, eat well during the growing season, and preserve as much food for the winter as is possible during our all-too-short one day off. We look forward to having more time to spend on our land and with our dear friends.  

I, David Hurwith, live in Worthington and try to be of service to others.  I have been making dances for many years.  My work has been performed at major theaters in the United States and Europe, for feature films, and department store windows.  My involvement in the world of finance has developed my belief in the urgent need for social and economic justice, which can be confusing and frustrating at times, but helping a local, thriving and necessary business become locally owned and sustainable makes sense.  Yogi, my dog, has mixed feelings about the extra time I will spend at meetings and on the computer.

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Michael and his partner Anna Hanchett operate Manda Farm in Plainfield where they raise rare and endangered species of pigs, turkeys and cattle as well as dairy goats and heritage vegetables in season.  Prior to taking on this “retirement job” Michael spent over thirty years working in large Computer and Internet Services companies where he held many different management position in area like Product Line Management, Marketing, Field Service/Technical Support, Call Center Management, Data Center Operations, Order Processing and Distribution, among others.  His most recent position was Sr. Vice President of Operations for the Internet services company Genuity Inc.  Michael was one of the first to jump in when he heard about our Co-op idea and continues to enthusiastically apply his talents to our effort. 

Send an email Visit www.mandafarm.com

Marty Leaf is an attorney and has over five decades of experience in creating and representing successful joint ventures and business relationships among major companies in the U.S. and internationally.  A frequent lecturer in universities and professional organizations, his practice includes managing litigation globally, dispute resolution, complex contract negotiation, intellectual property rights and establishing corporate ventures in high tech, management consulting and in the food industry, as well as representing persons in the creative and performing arts.  He has been included in the publication "The Best Lawyers in America" consistently for the past twenty-seven years.  He is also listed in Who‘s Who in American Law and the Directory of Experts (Ethics).  Marty served as Special Assistant District Attorney for Westchester County from 1974 to 1975 and as Village Attorney for Hastings-on Hudson, N.Y. from 1969 to 1982. He has created many not for profit and charitable foundations and, among others, served on the Boards of  Pro Musicis, Echo Hills Mental Health Clinic, Trailblazers Inc., Buckminister Fuller Institute, National Black Theater, John Denver‘s Windstar Foundation, Council on Mid-East Affairs, World Sikh Center, Concert Arts Society and Peace And Art International and has been the delegate to the United Nations NGO (The Hunger Project). He and his late wife, Louise were founding members of Temple Beth Shalom in Hastings-on Hudson, a religious organization serving all faiths and orientations. He has owned property in Windsor, MA since 1963 and has been a full time resident for the past ten years.

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Kimberly Longey has lived in Plainfield since 1986. She is a long time customer of the Old Creamery and Is very excited about the prospect of working to return this important community resource into cooperative ownership.  Kimberly has more than 24 years experience building, growing and re-inventing non- profit and for profit businesses. She currently serves as Managing Director of Free Press, a national public interest organization working to reform the US media system so it supports, not thwarts, our democracy. Kimberly has strong strategic thinking, financial management, project development, and fundraising skills.  Prior to starting Free Press she served as Deputy Director of Proteus Fund and Executive Director of Hilltown CDC and held numerous elected and appointed local government positions. Kimberly currently volunteers as a director of the Frances Fund and treasurer of the See Forward Fund, two related philanthropic organizations promoting justice, equity and sustainability with thought leadership and grant making. She also serves on the steering committee of WiredWest, a new community based organization working to build a fiber to the home high speed internet service for our region. She holds a master‘s degree in community economic development from the University of Southern New Hampshire. When she’s not working she’s paddling her kayak, moving rocks from one place to another in her garden or planning her next trip to Italy. 

Send an email  Visit www.kimberlylongey.org 

Hattie Plehn moved to Worthington in 1996 and is a retired lawyer.  She has served on many boards of community organizations in this area, including the Hilltown Community Health Centers, the Hilltown Community Development Corporation, Safe Passage, the Greenwood Music Camp, the Worthington Library, and the steering committee of the Highland Communities Initiative (HCI).  She has also done volunteer work for groups such as the New England Wildflower Society, the West Cummington Congregational Church, the Trustees of Reservations, and the Worthington Garden Club. She is very excited to be working toward the creation of a community-owned coop that will continue to strengthen the spirit of community in this area and will honor and carry on the work of Alice and Amy.           

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     I, Amy Pulley, have co-owned and managed the Old Creamery with Alice Cozzolino for nine and a half roller coaster years. I bring to the co-op development process my intimate knowledge of who eats Necco wafers and who prefers Chocolove 65% dark chocolate bars. I know where the snow shovels and brooms abide as well as where receipts and invoices for the past nine years can be reliably located. I can tell you how much produce the Creamery sold on July 5th, 2004 or any other sales figure of the past 3,000 days. I have been abundantly blessed by the privilege of getting to know and love so many of the precious, talented, caring individuals who frequent the Creamery or sometimes just pass through. Inside these four walls I have witnessed more acts of kindness and generosity than I can count and this gives me faith in the quality of the co-op we can create together. The wind in my sails is my desire for the emerging co-op to move forward through the coming years with community service and environmentally responsible values guiding our vision.

     When not at the store, I love being in my sorely neglected but beloved garden or out in the woods and fields watching birds and being delighted, surprised and awed by the more than human world. When Alice is with me in any of these pursuits, my world is perfect.