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Member Worker
Profile: Ted Mousseau
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Meditation and Mediation
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by Andrew Elder
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Ted Mousseau may be new to
Honest Weight, but the ideals behind the Co-op have been part of his
life for many years. The collaborative community spirit appeals to his
background in union mediation, while the connection to good health and
harmony resonate with his meditative nature. His wife Carol has been an
Honest Weight customer member since the Quail Street days, but it
wasn’t until recently moving to the area that Ted was able to join
himself. And now that he’s a member of the Board, he’s making up for
lost time.
A native of Canada, Ted was a pilot for Canadian Airlines, where he was
active in the Pilot’s Association (he retired in 2000). He met Carol at
a conference in Elmira in 1997, and they married the following year.
Ted transferred from Vancouver to Toronto, and Carol from Albany to
Buffalo, where they joined the Lexington Co-op.
During his travels as a pilot, Ted helped establish the Federal Green
Party of Canada in the 1980s. “It was all a part of a changing
consciousness,” Ted recalled. That changing consciousness also led to
the couple becoming certified as meditation instructors shortly after
9/11. In 2007 they moved to Latham, where Carol works for the Center
for the Development of Human Services. “I was ready to retire, but she
wasn’t!” says Ted, who found an outlet for his energy and interests at
Honest Weight, working for Membership Coordinator Nate Horwitz. It
wasn’t long before a few Board positions opened and Nate asked Ted if
he might be interested. Needless to say, he was.
Ted is a new member of the Facilities committee, and also serves as the
Board liaison to the Nutrition and Education committee. A mediator by
inclination, Ted enjoys helping people work toward a common goal.
“There are always differences in any community; everyone has different
ideas of what a Co-op should be,” Ted observed. “But it’s all about
bringing people together. Our new store is giving everyone a chance to
have their voices heard and contribute to the process.”
Education is another aspect of the Co-op that greatly appeals to Ted.
“Education is key these days, as people realize the importance of
nutritional food and what the old ways of thinking have been doing to
them,” he says. “There’s going to be more need for places like the
Co-op; we have an important role to play in the broader community.”
When asked what he loves most about the Co-op, Ted was quick point out
the management at Honest Weight. “The team features highly competent
managers who are responsible for applying our cooperative values to our
operations. They are the spirit of the place,” he said. “But the food,
the philosophy, and the people are all great.”
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