HGC Owner #64 - Joe grew up in Northern MN, where he also volunteeredat Natural Harvest Food Co-op, which is now in its third building. The co-op is where he met his wife Maggie. They have two girls, one dog and chickens. They enjoy gardening and developing the land around their home. They like to cook at home and have primarily followed a gluten free and organic diet. Joe enjoys spending time outdoors and has also spent a lot of time in the BWCA. Joe also enjoys listening and playing music (mainly guitar).

In 2005, Joe joined Ciranda, a leading supplier of organic and fair-trade food ingredients. He was drawn to the company's focus on organic and its appreciation for the livelihoods of those depending upon its work. He has since developed a deep understanding of organic supply chains, strong industry relationships, and extensive expertise related to organic food and agriculture.

In Joe's most recent role as Ciranda's Head of Sustainability, he oversees the company’s sustainability initiatives and impacts. Prior to this role, Joe led Ciranda's sales and commercial operations for more than 15 years and has worked extensively in supply chain management, including supplier relations. While having traveled to many areas of the world, Joe has shared meals with farmers around the globe and listened to their challenges and hopes.

As a longtime advocate rooted in organic, he currently serves on the Organic Trade Association's (OTA) Political Action Committee and Sustainability Committee. Joe enjoys serving on Hudson Grocery Co-op’s board which allows him to channel his passion and support a great cause bringing local and sustainable food into his community.

HGC Owner #49 - Erik, his wife Susan and their three young children have lived in Hudson since 2007. Erik is a business operations leader with a wide range of experience in healthcare, computer system administration, distribution, marketing, and customer service. Erik enjoys exploring and discovering new foods at farmers markets, ethnic grocers, and natural food stores and co-ops. His interest in locally sourced and sustainable products was sparked during his youth when he frequently accompanied his parents to pick up milk at small goat and dairy farms in rural East Texas. It is important to Erik that our community has a member owned co-op that listens to the input and needs of its members and provides a variety of diverse, sustainable, and locally sourced products. Erik serves on the board of directors of his local congregation and as the administrative director of a humanitarian mission in Uganda.

HGC Owner  # - Paul earned a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Economics from Luther College and is a Graduate of the School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Paul is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
Paul serves on the boards for Ciranda, Hudson Library Foundation and Crown Bank – Edina. He retired in March 2024 after 45 years in the banking space as Chief Financial Officer of various sized community banks in the metro area. This summer he lived a retirement bucket list dream by working for White Eagle Golf Club in Hudson.

In 2020, Paul was named 2020 CFO of the Year by Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. He was recognized for increasing the profitability at Crown Bank by developing an investment portfolio strategy and guiding his leadership team through a three-month process to develop a three-year strategic plan and worked to improve morale at the company.

Fun Fact – I am a native of Shell Lake, WI and several years ago the local newspaper published a list of the 25 “athletic legends” of Shell Lake High school over the past 25 years. The little-known fact is that my name was on that list! Now, before you all go making me out to be an Olympic caliber athlete, Shell Lake has a population of 1,000 and the average class sizes are 40-50 students. That’s why they had to go back 25 years to find 25 alumni who would qualify. It has made for good storytelling over the years.

HGC owner #625 - Hannah is a filmmaker with her husband Tim. Since launching their business in 2012 she has worked with various organic farm and humanitarian organizations to help them tell their stories, connect with their customers and encourage growth. Hannah enjoys using her professional talents to further the goals of organizations that share her missions of sustainability, simple living, planet health and human rights. She believes firmly that community involvement is the best way to make the world a better place.

When not working on her small business Hannah can be found in her ever-expanding backyard garden growing everything she can, foraging for wild foods and medicine, enjoying the bees in her backyard apiary, reading a good science fiction novel, or in the kitchen experimenting. As an ex-pastry chef and chocolatier, desserts definitely hold a sweet spot in her heart. Hannah enjoys world travel and has enjoyed opportunities such as teaching at a film school in China, road tripping across Morocco and working on farms in Hawaii. Exploring these communities and learning about their food systems, flavors and localized challenges has had a huge impact on how she views food in her own community.

HGC owner #71 - Judy Freund and her husband, Jim, have lived in Hudson since 1976.  They have two adult children.  Judy worked for the public schools in River Falls, Wisconsin, for 20 years before leaving in 2000 to provide professional development for teachers focused on international education.  Judy and Jim consider themselves environmental champions, supporting the SCVF Environmental Fund, Carpenter Nature Center and numerous other environmental groups.  She is a founding member of 4 non-profits, including Sustain Hudson, which promotes sustainability policies and practices; Friends of International Education (now Global Wisconsin), Team Ghana and Tropical Wings.  She is currently on the board of Tropical Wings.  She is a member of a number of civic groups, including the Hudson Daybreak Rotary Club, serving as the District Governor of District 5960 in 2011-2012.  Judy considers herself to be one of Hudson’s top cheerleaders!

HGC owner #672 - Erica moved to Hudson with her husband and two children two years ago. Growing up, Erica's family always had a small vegetable garden, a practice she maintains with her own children today, and is likely what instilled her passion to find local, healthy foods for her family. You can frequently find Erica and her family enjoying the community's local parks, farmer's markets, and restaurants. She enjoys hiking and exploring new places, settling in with a good book, and experimenting with new recipes to share. She has always found food to be a powerful way to bring people together in community, by bringing somebody a meal when they are in need or inviting others to her home for a meal and conversation. The mission of HGC to be a community owned and centered store resonates strongly with her values and she is excited for the potential HGC has to serve the Hudson community.

Erica spent 9 years at Target Corporation in a variety of roles, inclusive of Inventory Management, Supply Chain Strategy, and Pricing and Promotional Strategies. She looks forward to bringing this experience to HGC as we move towards opening our store.

HGC owner #231 - Buck has returned to the board to serve for the purpose of opening the store. He sees the opportunity to be the only community owned grocery in Hudson. Buck also sees the challenges that face any startup in this competitive field.

He has skills in business analysis and communication; formal training in facets of business including personnel management and budgeting; education consisting of a BSME from MIT, management intern at New England Telephone, Navy Civil Engineer Corps officer training schools, JD from Harvard Law School and many continuing education courses in management and in law; professional experience starting and running businesses, including hiring and firing and volunteer experience on boards of directors and committees for numerous local nonprofits like the hospital, the school board, the county board, The Phipps, conservation groups, churches and the Valley Foundation.

HGC owner #627 – James R. Johnson, J.D., is a litigation attorney with more than 35 years of legal experience serving western Wisconsin and Minnesota. He has practiced with Lommen, Abdo, Cole, King & Stageberg, P.A. since 1990 and has been a shareholder since 1997. His work spans mediation, insurance defense, personal injury, construction, real estate and zoning, and government law. Earlier in his career, James served as an Assistant District Attorney and as a Judicial Law Clerk for the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, experiences that shaped his commitment to public service and effective governance.

A longtime Hudson resident, James and his wife Jean, a clinical psychologist, raised their three children in the community and remain deeply engaged in civic life. He has served four terms on the Hudson School District Board of Education and has been board president since 2014. His community involvement also includes leadership roles with Hudson Daybreak Rotary and Bethel Lutheran Church, along with ongoing volunteer work as a mediator and legal clinic volunteer in the St. Croix Valley.

As a board member, James will bring extensive governance experience, legal insight, and a strong commitment to community service to support Hudson Grocery Co-op’s long-term stability and continued impact in the St. Croix Valley.

HGC owner #558 - Amy, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, has expertise in marketing, integrative functional nutrition, food distribution, and public health. Raised on a Wisconsin dairy farm, her passion for health and nutrition began early, leading her to working in the organic industry. This firsthand experience has instilled a deep appreciation for the importance of healthy food and the significance of supporting local farms.

As an advocate for better-for-you food, in her current Customer Experience role at CIRANDA, downtown Hudson, she connects with natural product brands across the country with aligned missions to learn market trends and hear from the industry current issues or concerns.

Amy resides in Hudson with her husband and two adult children. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring local state park trails, fishing on the St. Croix River, participating in fitness classes, and preparing healthy meals for her family. Over the years she has been actively involved in community initiatives like Sustain Hudson, Hudson Hockey Program, Hudson Grocery Cooperative, and has led sustainability and community involvement efforts at CIRANDA.

By serving on the board, she aims to leverage her expertise to foster a culture of well-being and economic strength in the St. Croix Valley. She believes that this symbiotic relationship between the store and local producers is vital for enhancing long-term food security within the community.

HGC owner #10015 – Janet Phipps, MBA, ACC, is a leadership development coach, corporate trainer, and speaker with over 25 years of experience helping leaders and teams enhance communication, collaboration, and organizational effectiveness. Her background spans financial services, high-tech, and corporate sectors, contributing to strategic planning and team development. During her time at AgriBank, where the mission “We Support the People Who Feed the World” continues to resonate with her, she gained insights into agricultural finance and rural infrastructure that align with the values of sustainable food systems central to cooperatives.A Hudson resident since 2021, Janet lives with her husband and their adopted son. They relocated for a calmer pace and a better quality of life. Previously a member of the Eastside Co-op in Minneapolis, she valued having a voice in store operations and joined the Hudson Co-op to support community-based food access. Locally, she serves on the ICF Wisconsin board and as a Hudson Chamber Ambassador. She also served five years on the Minneapolis Women’s Rotary, including one year as president.Originally from Dallas, Janet’s interest in food and community began with childhood visits to the Dallas Farmers Market with her grandmother and continued through her early appreciation of higher quality food at one of the first Whole Foods Market stores in the 1980s. These experiences reinforced her support for nutrition, local producers, and sustainable food systems. Outside of work she enjoys traveling, music, art, sustainable wine, and lifelong learning. As a martial arts mom, she can often be found cheering for her son at competitions.As a board member, Janet will contribute her leadership experience, strategic insight, and community-focused perspective to support the Co-op's continued growth and long-term stability in the St. Croix Valley.