The NASCO Cooperative Hall of Fame, created in 1989, honors the best of our movement. We use the Hall of Fame as a means for NASCO member co-ops to provide broader recognition to individuals who have made a truly significant impact. This year, a committee of former Hall of Fame inductees and current NASCO board members selected two individuals to join the Hall of Fame:
Ben Pearl will be inducted under the category of Local Hero for his dedication to supporting cooperatives in Davis, CA for the past twelve years. Ben guided the Solar Community Housing Association through multiple expansion projects, helped to prevent the closure of The Domes Co-op, and built alliances between various cooperatives, bridging between local co-ops and external institutions. Ben was nominated by April Kamen and Justin Ellerby.
Brian Donovan will be inducted under the category of Leader for his commitment to strengthening and growing the cooperative movement in Austin, TX for over a decade, through his work as General Administrator of the University of Texas Inter-Cooperative Council and as founding Executive Director of the Austin Cooperative Business Association. While in Austin, Brian worked tirelessly to support individual co-ops, led ICC Austin through growth and change, and built strong ties between co-ops through the ACBA. Brian is continuing this work in in Detroit, MI, as a co-founder of The Cooperation Group, a nonprofit whose mission is to assist in the economic self-determination of people who desire a more inclusive economy.
The induction ceremony will take place on the Saturday evening of NASCO Institute, October 31, 2015. Please join us in celebrating Ben, Brian, and all of our movement leaders and heroes.