Sara Keene

Place of employment: Ecology Action Center (Program Coordinator)

Place of employment: Dreams Are Possible (Educator)

Place of employment: PrairiErth Farms (CSA Distributor)

Place of employment: Bloomington Election Commission (Election Coordinator)

Education: BS from ISU with a Major in Renewable Energy, and a Minor in Environmental Studies.

How many years have you lived in B-N? 7 years. My husband, Drew, and our two daughters moved here with the intention of only staying for a few years, but quickly realized how much we loved this community, so we recently bought a house here.

Owner number: #1612

Why do you want to serve on the Board of Directors of GTG?

Green Top Grocery has made such a significant impact on my life, my family’s lives, and my friends’ lives, but we are not the only population that needs to be impacted by local, healthy food. As a member of the Board of Directors, I would ensure that Green Top is actively working to impact the lives of low-income and more diverse members from our community.

What are you passionate about? How could we see that passion in action in your day-to-day life?

I am passionate about helping others by being a servant leader. There are many places in my daily life where you can see my passion exemplified. As often as I can, I volunteer with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Veggie Oasis, Ecology Action Center, and Green Top Grocery. For the last 3 years I have volunteered at Bloomington Junior High School as the P.T.O. Treasurer. I encourage my children to also volunteer. I think it is important to teach our youth the importance of helping others.

I am currently enrolled in the Multicultural Leadership Program (MCLP) and I work for two local non-profits and a local organic farm. For the last 4 years, I have been an Election Coordinator for the Bloomington Election Commission. Being on the Green Top Grocery Board of Directors would help ensure that I am able to continue helping our community through servant leadership.

Describe an experience where you worked on a team. What did you offer the team? How did you compromise for the team’s benefit?

I have been a part of many teams, but one that stands out for me is when I travelled to Panama on a Study Abroad trip as an Honors Student at Illinois State University. Being the oldest student on the trip, many of the traditional students looked to me for guidance. Being in a foreign country, it was important that we all stayed together as a team, regardless of likes or dislikes. I encouraged people to try new things and comforted those who needed it. Going into the trip, I could have easily chosen to just be a student and not take on another role with the students, but I saw that they needed someone to give them something the Advisor on the trip was unable to give them. I believe the team benefited from me taking on that extra role.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us? Do you have other experiences that you see as being related to the work of the Board?

I have served on many Boards in various positions. My experiences with previous Boards have been instrumental in developing my skills as a valued member of the team. I am familiar with the structure of a Board and I understand the importance of participating in a Board, rather than just being a body. I do not take this position lightly. I consider a nomination to the Board of Directors a selfless position where I will guide my opinions and my votes with the community’s best interest.