I hope this finds you well! I have many exciting things to announce.
Please read all of the following, as it directly affects many coop operations:
1. We have hired a new Alternative Fuels Specialist. Her name is Jamie Ernst,
and she comes to us from Corvallis, OR where she worked for AmeriCorps heading
a non-profit focused on ending poverty. She has an extensive background in
managing a non-profit and organizing volunteers. She will be an excellent addition
to the PrairieFire family. She is new to biodiesel, so please be patient as she learns
all the ends and outs of our organization and fuel.
2. Jeff's last day will be August 22nd. Please stop in and thank him for his countless
hours growing this coop. We would not be as successful as we are, were it not for
his knowledge, hard-work, and commitment to the coop.
3. Beginning August 25th, we will have an alteration in fueling hours. Fueling will be
available the following hours: Monday, 3pm-7pm, Tuesday 9am-3pm, Wednesday
9am-7pm, Thursday 9am-3pm, Friday 11am-7pm, and Saturday 10am-4pm. This is
a large increase in the availability of fueling, due to the fact that the restructuring
of the office manager job has allowed us to officially offer fuel any time Jamie is
working. ***Please note, however, if you come at a time that Jamie is not there,
you are cutting into Luke's ability to work on cars. Therefore, we ask you stick to
the fueling hours now that they are drastically increased.
4. No more asking for fueling volunteers on weekends! That's right, Jamie will take
care of all Friday and Saturday fueling hours. No more having to call ahead or
worry a volunteer doesn't show up or wasn't found. Fuel on weekends to your delight!
5. We will still need fueling volunteers for the following hours: Monday 3-5 & 5-7,
Wednesday 3-5 & 5-7. Please consider taking a regular shift and spreading the
load around.
6. The coop is trying to break into three distinct wings: 1. a fueling coop;
2. a non-profit organization for education relating to biofuels; 3. a diesel engine
repair shop. Jamie will oversee the first two, and Luke will oversee the third. To
advance this, you will see Luke taking on many more responsibilities including
scheduling shop repair and completing service receipts.
7. To further this separation, the shop will have a different phone number than
the coop. To reach the fueling coop or the non-profit, please call 441-5454. To
reach the shop, please call 441-9566. This will be effective as of August 25th.
We are very excited about the future of the coop, and we thank you for your
continued support!
Shawn Bass
PrairieFire BioFuels board member
