By Dana Ellis
Katie Marty joined the Ralph K. Morris Foundation board of directors beginning January 1, 2023. Her nomination to a three-year term was unanimously approved by the board in a December, 2022 meeting.
Katie comes to the board of directors with a wealth of knowledge about the cooperative system. She is a former recipient of funding from the Ralph K. Morris Foundation to support her attendance at the Farmers Coop Conference and the ACE Institute, and she is excited to help others.
Katie joined Collectivity in 2023 as their Cooperative Director and Consultant to direct cooperative initiatives. She is passionate about the positive economic impact of cooperatives and the big impact they offer for transforming extractive business practices. Her introduction to co-ops was in supporting an agriculture co-op which formed to equitably share resources and decision making power. Seeing the potential of the cooperative model in action, Katie founded Aynah, a nonprofit introducing young people to cooperatives through experiential learning. Katie’s recent work has been building a more just local food system by collaborating with community organizations focused on racial, social, and food justice in her role as Community & Event Coordinator at Mississippi Market Food Co-op.
Katie holds degrees in business and Spanish, certificates in cooperative development and abolitionist training, in addition to serving on the Ralph K. Morris Foundation board. She has called St. Paul home for over seven years and lives in the West 7th neighborhood with her husband, two young children, and beloved dog Nina. Katie is also passionate about minimizing waste, hiking (ideally daily), and eating good bread.
A full list of the Board of Directors of the Ralph K. Morris Foundation can be found at https://www.ralphkmorrisfoundation.org/about