Beeland Co-op. (File photo/northeastNOW Staff)

By Ben Tompkins

Northeast business

Parkland and Beeland Co-op to share same general manager

Jul 20, 2022 | 4:11 PM

The Parkland Co-op and Beeland Co-op Board of Directors have signed a management agreement with Todd Svenson for him to serve as general manager (GM) for both associations.

Svenson is currently the GM of Beeland Co-op in Tisdale and will now serve as GM for Parkland Co-op in Porcupine Plain on a one-year interim agreement.

“I am proud to take on this additional responsibility,” he said, in a press release. “I look forward to working collaboratively with the board of directors, our team(s) members and the community(ies), as I transition into this new role.”

For the past 15 years, he’s been the GM in Tisdale and brings a wealth of experience and community knowledge to the role.

He will be taking the position from the recently departed Cory Leichert, who served as the GM in Porcupine Plain for 14 years and has taken a new role with Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL).

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“With a new vacancy and the need to fill the role quickly, we decided to create a management agreement with Beeland Co-op and Todd,” said Paul Upton, board president of Parkland Co-op. “He is familiar with our organization, our community and the Co-op model. He also understands the landscape and can collaboratively strengthen and grow our Co-op. We felt this was the right fit and we look forward to working with him.”

Under the management agreement, the governance model will continue to stay status quo for Parkland and Beeland Co-ops. The two associations will operate separately and Svenson will be accountable to both boards on operational business activities.

“Todd has been an excellent advocate and leader for us and is deserving of this opportunity,” said Robert Haller, board president of Beeland Co-op. “We have confidence in him that he can continue to provide quality leadership for the team here, as well as Parkland.”

The management agreement went into effect on July 19 and will continue until the beginning of August, next year. After the one-year agreement is up for review, the Parkland Co-op Board of Directors will meet to discuss future steps.

Svenson told northeastNOW, despite the two stores being separate entities, they already had a history together and are built with the same ‘small town grassroots’. Because of this, he is expecting a relatively smooth transition.

“Some of it will benefit one side and some will benefit the other… I think there’s gonna be lots of good come out of it. We’ve got good management, we’ve got good people in both Co-ops and we’ll rely on them to continue to do the jobs that they do every day, we just trust them.”

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter @BenTompkins_8