2021 Candidates for Board of Directors

CAROLINE GAYLER

Caroline is a native Texan and moved to Fredericksburg in January 2021 from Washington, D.C. She attended TCU for her undergraduate degree in Strategic Communications and has a Master of Science in Global Health from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Caroline has worked for a variety of health-related non-profit organizations including Children’s Medical Center Foundation (Dallas, TX), March of Dimes National Headquarters (Arlington, VA), and currently is the Director of Development at the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America.

She has also worked as a global health consultant for international organizations including Project Soar and Partners for Development. She is passionate about health and empowerment of women and girls as well as health equity. Caroline currently serves as a volunteer for CASA DC, is a member of the Junior League of Washington DC, and is completing her certification in childbirth education to help educate women and families in a volunteer capacity.

RICH LAROCHELLE – Incumbent Director

Rich is a founding director of the Fredericksburg Food Co-op and has been deeply involved in the essential aspects of helping to make the Co-op a reality for Fredericksburg– from raising funds to recruiting new members to planning events to volunteering at the Farmers Market and representing the Co-op before numerous community groups. Rich has been a board officer since the Co-op was incorporated in 2015, including serving as board chair for 3 years, vice chair for 2 years and as board treasurer this year.

Rich worked for cooperatives for 40 years prior to moving to Fredericksburg in 2014 with his wife Linda who is an accomplished artist and retired art teacher. Rich was Senior Vice President at the Cooperative Finance Corporation until retiring from there at the end of 2013, and Legislative Director at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association where he worked for 12 years. He continues to serve as the Board Chair of the Cooperative Development Foundation, a national c(3) organization that supports the creation of cooperatives as a way of positively impacting economic and social problems. Rich recently joined the board of the national Food Co-op Initiative which provides essential assistance to communities seeking to start a food co-op. Rich was inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame in 2017. Rich is active in volunteer activities and has been an Adjunct instructor on Cooperative Business at the University of Mary Washington (UMW). Rich and Linda have two sons, including Jeremy who is a professor at UMW and David who lives in California and is an IT professional. They are the proud grandparents of a wonderful 9-year-old.

TONI LIPE

Toni has lived in Virginia most of her life. She moved to Fredericksburg from Northern Virginia in 2020 and is thrilled to be here. Toni currently serves as the Business Manager of ChangeFusion LLC, a management consulting firm, with federal, state, and local government clients. She has held positions at large, small, and international companies including Southern States Cooperative, Computer Sciences Corporation, Liberty Power, IrisGuard, and Culinaria Cooking School.

She has a BS in Business Administration and an MBA from George Mason University. Toni believes that being proactive with our health is critical and that the Food Coop serves as our community hub offering healthy options and education for nutrition while retaining strong relationships with local farmers, producers, and businesses. Her personal interests include sewing, knitting, weaving, and cooking. She was president of a knitting guild in Manassas for nine years. Toni loves volunteering with this enthusiastic Food Coop community and looks forward to its continued growth.