Lynn Benander

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Lynn Benander has worked since 1996 to develop sustainable energy resources in the Northeast based on a community-ownership model.  She has worked with membership groups in New England and New York representing more than two million people, interested in building affordable sustainable energy resources. As Manager of Co-op Power, she is currently working to 1) build a ten million gallon a year biodiesel processing facility owned by a 2,000 member regional energy cooperative and 2) develop affordable, sustainable energy products and services for Co-op Power's members and supporters.  In the future, this cooperative will go on to partner with communities around the Northeast to build solar, wind, alternative fuel and other community owned renewable energy resources in the region. Co-op Power currently provides a wide range of energy products and services, including discounts on biodiesel for home heating, conservation and efficiency products, burners and furnaces that run on recycled vegetable oil, solar hot water and solar electric installations, and renewable electricity.

Previously, as President and CEO of the Cooperative Development Institute and the Northeast Federation of Cooperatives, Ms. Benander provided consulting and interim management services to dozens of cooperative development projects each year.  She has a passion for building member owned and controlled businesses that strengthen local economies.  She has supported the development of consumer, producer, and worker-owned cooperatives in the region, primarily in energy, agriculture, and food-related businesses.  Working together with a strong staff, Ms. Benander raised more than $30 million in development grants, equity and financing for new business development and provided strategic planning and technical assistance support to hundreds of cooperative development projects in the Northeast.

Ms. Benander has lead the development of national cooperative education and training programs – Marketing Our Cooperative Advantage, Effective Board Leadership, Making Cooperative Membership Meaningful, and A Technical Course on Cooperative Development for people interested in starting a cooperative.  She facilitated strategic planning and business development planning for dozens of businesses and non-profits. Ms. Benander developed and ran a national professional development certificate training program for cooperative development centers in the US for four years.  She worked with a team of volunteers to develop web resources for building consensus and making decisions within membership groups.  She has developed and facilitated several online communities and taught classes in online facilitation.

Ms. Benander ran a successful consulting business providing strategic planning, education program design, and business planning support to non-profits and cooperatives for five years.

Previously, Ms. Benander taught Mathematics at Greenfield Community College and taught Professional Development Courses for Teachers of Mathematics through Mount Holyoke and North Adams.  She has completed graduate Mathematics coursework and holds a Masters in Education from the University of Massachusetts.

Ms. Benander has served on numerous cooperative and community boards and on her town’s school committee and finance committee. She serves on the board of a national biomass non-profit, Biomass Energy Resource Center, in Montpelier. She is one of the coordinators for the Northern Tier Sustainable Energy Sector, supporting economic development efforts along the Route 2 corridor in W. Mass.  She is an advisor to the Pioneer Valley’s Clean Energy Planning Process.  She also serves on the Coordinating Council for the Eastern Conference on Workplace Democracy.

She lives with her husband, mother, and four of five children in Shelburne Falls, MA.  Her family belongs to the Salmon Falls Land Association, a co-housing group committed to sustainable energy, sustainable agriculture, and community.  The common building and 4 kilowatt solar electric array are up and two of the four passive solar homes are built. She and her husband plan to build on the land next year. She loves gardening, dancing, and making music with lots of friends and family.