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Renee Ryan
Board President
Renee has been a West Chester resident for 26 years and has fallen deeply in love with everything that makes West Chester a unique community, from the people and businesses, to the history and the landscape.
Renee has held careers in the culinary, hospitality and event management fields over the last 20 years, working as a Certified Cheese Professional and Manager with Whole Foods, a Cheesemaker and Marketing Specialist with Yellow Springs Farm and the Market Manager and Event Planner at Highland Orchards. In 2018 she found her passion in Real Estate Sales and Investing. She is currently a realtor with the Gary Mercer Team at Keller Williams.
When Renee is not working she is and has been immersed in the volunteering and outreach, developing mutually beneficial relationships and fostering a sense of community with those she meets.
Judy Carrino
Vice President
Matt Shea
Secretary
Matt graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a Master of Health Administration and an MBA in 1995. He worked at The Hickman, a retirement home in West Chester, as the Business Manager until he started Temple University’s doctoral program in general and strategic management in 2005. After graduation, Matt was hired by West Chester University’s business school where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in strategy, compensation management, and business & society. Matt has taught social entrepreneurship in the Leadership Chester County program for four years; the program prepares professionals to serve on not-for-profit boards.
Matt and his wife moved into the borough in 2003. They have three daughters and the greatest dog in the world (and two cats).
Nelly Freed
Treasurer
Nelly has a degree in chemistry from Drexel University with post-grad studies at Heidelberg University, Germany. Her professional career was mostly in the healthcare industry including Director of Health Services for the Red Cross, clinical diagnostics sales and over 25 years in oncology clinical research. She has been involved in community volunteer work since moving to West Chester in 1978. Food, wine and travel are her passions! She has contributed to 5 cookbooks and has participated in the same gourmet dinner group for over 35 years. With regards to the West Chester Co-op, she has helped organize an annual meeting and organized and ran the 2018 Bake Off at Holy Trinity. She has worked the table at the Growers Market, and over the past 2 years, she's volunteered at the Co-op store. She currently serves as treasurer, finance and fundraising committee Chairperson.
Gary Coutu
Director-at-Large
Gary serves as the Chair of the Department of Geography and Planning at West Chester University, as well as a Full Professor specializing in Geographic Information Systems. He has taught at WCU for 15 years. During this time, Gary has developed a number of new academic courses and programs and taken this knowledge into the community. Before coming to WCU, Gary was the Department Chair of the GIS and CAD Department at Temple College in Texas. Gary was an Assistant Research Scientist at Texas A&M, where he received his PhD in Geosciences.
Gary and his wife live in the Borough, support local businesses, and walk everywhere. They love living here and enjoy the strong sense of community and pride.
Tim Drake
Director-at-Large
Tim works as an independent financial planner to help people build and aligh their finances with what they value for a fulfilled life. Prior to that, he worked at Vanguard for 20+ years as a marketing strategist and project leader in their financial advisor division. A long-term resident of Chester County, Tim now lives in West Chester Borough and enjoys staying active outdoors, playing volleyball, cooking great food from the WC Co-op, playing guitar, and spending time with friends and family.
Michele Goodwin
Director-at-Large
Michele and her husband Eric have been calling West Chester home for three years and now can’t imagine living anywhere else. After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she jumped into her banking career with First Union National Bank and First Union Brokerage Services, Inc. as a Branch Manager/Assistant Vice President, eventually taking a role in Training and Development as a Senior Project Manager and Training Designer. She also has experience working as a Conference Coordinator and Event Planner. Currently, she is in the early stages of opening a small distillery with her family in North Carolina. Her 81-year-old father is the Master Distiller.
She has been a member of the West Chester Co-Op since July 2020. She volunteers two days each week with the GoBox and in-store shopping and serves on the Member-Owner Recruitment Event Committee, fostering collaborations with many of the our wonderful West Chester businesses.
Sherri Jarvis
Director-at-Large
Sherri Jarvis owns a small local business called Botanical Bubbles. She creates handcrafted soaps, lotions, salves, lip balms, and more. Sherri is studying Herbalism and loves learning about local plants. Botanical Bubbles participates in several local Farmers’ Markets and as she has gotten to know the growers and producers, it has enhanced her desire to promote locally sourced food and businesses. She strongly believes that our community is made stronger when you know the people from whom you purchase your goods.
Sherri homeschooled her three children and I has taught high school science with a non-profit homeschool cooperative for the past 16 years. She also teaches an Entrepreneurial course for middle school students with Hope Beyond Borders, a non-profit organization in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. Sherri believes strongly in promoting educational equality and helping the marginalized people in our community.
Sherri energetically serves on the Member Owner Recruitment Event Committee and leads our Saturday presence at the Growers' Market.
Sarah Black
Director-at-Large
PHOTO & WRITE-UP COMING SOON!
Mike Kievit
Director-at-Large
PHOTO & WRITE-UP COMING SOON!