Annual Meeting & Board Vote
Year in Review, a Look Ahead, & Board Vote
This year's annual meeting will be held on Wednesday November 11th at 6pm. We will begin the meeting across the street at 146 W South St, then will enjoy snacks and time together at 140 S Walnut St after. This will be an important time for any interested cooperative members to get together, spend some time hearing about the year in review, and discuss the year ahead. We will continue getting to know each-other, members and the board. There will be a time to chat and enjoy a few snacks together.
Below is more information on the board members that are up for election and re-election this year. Voting is open to all co-op members through Monday, 11/9/26.
Read about our Board Member Panel!
*The Yes or No vote is for the full panel as a whole.
Prospective Board Member Panel up for election & re-election:
Libbie Buehler is a project manager at Westfield Insurance and an abstract and illustrative artist based in Wooster. She has a passion for creativity, community, and the things that make a place feel like home. Local Roots has held a special place in her heart since her early visits to Wooster while dating her now-husband, and has always been a beacon of warmth, connection, and joy that she's enjoyed watching grow. Libbie currently serves on the Boards of Trustees for Main Street Wooster and the Wooster Country Club. In her free time, Libbie enjoys camping, nature walks, and life at home with her husband and two poodles.
Matthew is a managing partner at Berlin Mineral Company and helps to oversee the company’s agricultural land use in Wayne and surrounding counties. He’s been involved in decision-making regarding green energy projects, both conventional and organic farming, and doing title research regarding property ownership. He lives near Fredericksburg with his wife Amanda and their two kids Julian and Camille. Organic agriculture and cooking have always been a priority for Matt and Local Roots has been a consistent source of inspiration and ingredients since they moved back to the area in 2010. Aside from a large garden, Matt has planted 2 acres of heirloom and bittersweet cider apple trees as well as a quarter acre of hybrid wine grapes. Matt believes strongly in local food and that everyone should have access to the daily beauty that can be created through learning about ingredients, culture, and cuisine.
Mark Pirogowicz lives in Wooster with his wife and 3 kids. Walking downtown and stopping by Local Roots is something the entire family enjoys (the kids mostly enjoy the suckers by the register). With over a decade of experience working in various Analytic and Intelligence roles, Mark has enjoyed working alongside the Local Roots team and other board members to offer help in driving the future of the co-op
Zac has spent 23 years working in local food systems in Ohio and nationally. In 2003, he co-founded a café that grew into a national production company sourcing largely from Ohio farmers. Since then, he’s worked with food businesses on local, ethical sourcing and growth, led urban farming and produce processing initiatives in Cleveland and Akron, and worked with shared use commercial kitchens. Today, Zac co-owns Ohio City Pasta and serves on the boards of the Oberlin Food Hub, Local Roots Wooster, and Loiter East Cleveland.
Robert A. Stutzman is an associate with the law firm of Logee, Hostetler, Stutzman & Lehman where he engages in the general practice of law with an emphasis in the areas of residential and commercial real estate transactions including development and land use, company formation, business planning and governance, employment law and estate planning. With the recent rise of deep shale drilling in Ohio, Robert has counseled landowners, businesses and governmental entities regarding the ownership of mineral interests and the leasing of oil and gas rights. He has also assisted landowners with the sale or donation of conservation easements. A graduate of Wooster High School, Robert received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from Bluffton University in 2008. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from the Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 2011. While in law school, Robert served as President of the Environmental Law Society and as a Certified Legal Intern in the Community Development section of the school's Milton A. Kramer Law Clinic Center where he assisted both profit and non-profit entities in the areas of real estate, business formation and development, and corporate governance and regulatory compliance.
I am married to my lovely wife Michelle and we have two wonderful girls, Mallory and Claire. We live in NW Wayne County. I am the Director of Safety and Compliance for the OSU College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Science based in Wooster. I oversee Legal Compliance, research regulatory compliance, OSHA, environmental compliance, and facility security. I graduated with my law degree from Capital University in 2007 and was admitted to the Ohio Bar the same year. My undergraduate degree is from OSU (BS in Microbiology). I am also a special deputy with the Wayne County Sheriff's Office. My wife Michelle and I are producers at Local Roots, managing our small lavender farm, Four Oaks Farmstead. We grow lavender and perform value added processing to produce bath and body goods, relaxation products, and culinary items. We also raise babydoll southdown sheep for their fiber.