A record number of Channel Islanders have put themselves forward for the two vacancies on the Board of The Channel Islands Co-operative Society.
Five candidates are standing for the one position available in Jersey and six are vying for the one position in Guernsey. The successful candidates will be elected by Members of the Society at the Annual Members Meetings, which will be held in Jersey on Tuesday 16th May and in Guernsey on Wednesday 17th May 2017.
‘As a Channel Islands business, which is wholly owned by islanders, we are delighted that so many high calibre candidates have put themselves forward for the board of directors. We see this as testament to the importance of the Society to island life,’ said chief executive officer for The Channel Islands Co-operative Society Colin Macleod.
‘The Society believes that it is vital the Board of Directors reflects the community which we serve and all of those who have been nominated would make a valuable contribution to the future of the Society.’
The election will take place at the end of the Annual Meeting of Members (AMM) in each island, which will also confirm the minutes of the 2016 meeting, receive the Board of Directors’ report for the 52 week period ending 8th January 2017 and the audited financial statements for the same period, and declare the dividend payable to Members. Members are entitled to attend and vote at the meeting but the Society has also put in place options to vote for those unable to attend.
For the first time, the Society is offering online voting to those Members who registered during March and it is also once again offering in store voting in the Grand Marché stores in each island the week before the AMM.
In Jersey, the Society’s president, Ben Shenton, who has been on Board since 2005, is seeking re-election and is one of five candidates. The others are head of fundraising at Jersey Zoo Rachel Shaw, finance director for Jersey Heritage and treasurer of Jersey Arts Trust Philip Thomas, chartered accountant Lynda Vautier, who has worked in the finance industry for more than 30 years, and Christine Walwyn, director of resources and school support for the Education Department.
The Jersey AMM takes place at Hautlieu School at 7.30pm on Tuesday 16th May with registration from 6.30pm. Instore voting will be available in Grand Marché St Peter and Grand Marché St Helier on Wednesday 10th May between 9.30am and 5pm.
In Guernsey, nutritional therapist Carol Champion is seeking re-election after six years. She is nominated along with former deputy Mike Hadley who has 25 years’ experience in retail and pharmacies, chartered surveyor Mark Ogier, Martyn Roussel, who has 20 years’ financial services experience, Mike Tidd, who has worked in financial services and been a volunteer pilot for Channel Islands Air Search for 24 years, and former head of the Guernsey Enterprise Agency Peter Walters.
The Guernsey AMM takes place at Les Beaucamps High School at 7.30pm on Wednesday 17th May with registration from 6.30pm. Instore voting will be available in Grand Marché St Martin’s and Grand Marché St Sampson’s on Thursday 11th May between 9.30am and 5pm.