On April 30th, Rek Kwawer will step down as NASCO's Director of Operations. Rek started at NASCO in 2014 and has enjoyed getting to work with such a variety of co-ops and co-op members. She is stepping down for personal health reasons and hopes to be working with the co-op movement again soon. Rek plans to remain involved in NASCO by presenting workshops at NASCO Institute.
We have been proud of the progress that Rek has driven with her time on staff. It is with deep appreciation that we share that Rek will be stepping down.
We'll miss you, Rek!
At the same time, we are proud and delighted to share that we have hired Katherine Jennings as NASCO's Director of Operations. Katherine will be starting training in early May and will join us full time in Chicago in June. You can reach Katherine at katherine@nasco.coop.
Katherine writes:
Hello everyone! My name is Katherine Jennings and I'll be starting in early May as the new Director of Operations for NASCO! In that role, I am excited to help maintain the stability and continuity of all NASCO operations by supporting efforts in governance and administration, as well as human resources and strategic planning.
My love for cooperatives started in 2011 when I moved into Ad Astra, an UKSHA cooperative and NASCO property in Lawrence, KS. Within my first week at Ad Astra I knew that I had happened upon something special, but I had no way of knowing how big of an impact it would have on my life. Over my four years at Ad Astra I served in many roles including membership coordinator, house treasurer, and garden coordinator. I also had the opportunity to serve on the UKSHA Board of Directors as a house representative, Secretary, and Vice President. After moving out of Ad Astra, I stayed involved with UKSHA first as a Community Board Rep and then as one of two Executive Staff.
In addition to my work with cooperatives, I have spent the last five years working at the regional food bank in Kansas and learning about the nonprofit sector. I am thrilled to be able to utilize my experiences to advance the mission of NASCO and can't wait to meet you all!!
Welcome to the NASCO team, Katherine!