Board of Directors

Carla Johnson

My name is Carla Johnson, and I am currently serving the second year of my second three-year term on the Just Food Co-op Board of Directors. I am honored to serve as Board President.
My husband and I returned to Northfield in the fall of 2020—coming home for me and discovering a new community for him. I previously lived in Northfield from 1976 to 1990 before moving to other communities for work. After retiring, we chose to return and make Northfield our permanent home.
In retirement, I have stayed active as a yoga instructor at FiftyNorth, I enjoy swimming and learning new forms of art, volunteer in the community, and continue learning how to make good use of free time. Family is central to my life, and living in Northfield allows us to spend meaningful time with our son, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren.
My involvement with food co-ops began in 1979, when I helped start Northfield’s first cooperative buying club. It has been a privilege to come full circle and now serve Just Food Co-op, witnessing its growth and evolution over the years. I am grateful for the opportunity to support a strong, community-owned grocery that reflects our shared values.

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Laurie Brackee

I am excited to be joining the Just Food board. Having lived in Northfield since 1986, I remember the days of not having a co-op in town. What a difference Just food has made for me professionally, for our family and the greater Northfield community.
My husband and I both worked at Carleton College for twenty years and raised our two kids here. I worked in the president’s house as Operations Manager. A big part of my job was planning, purchasing and preparing meals and events for groups of two to one hundred. I relied heavily on Just Food and local farmers for most of the food I prepared. Whatever special dietary needs there were, the co-op was there for me.
Our family has enjoyed many ways of getting involved in Northfield. I have played euphonium in the Northfield Community Band and Tuba Christmas, attended Fifty North aqua classes every morning, and have volunteered in many Northfield non-profits through the years.
I will learn many things in the next three years on the board and appreciate the great resource Just Food is to the community.

Thomas Drucker

I am in my first year as a member of the board and recognize how much there is to learn. My wife and I retired to Northfield in 2021, and we were sure we had made the right choice considering the warm welcome of neighbors. We had been living in Whitewater, Wisconsin, and had joined the Co-op there, even though it was just on a drawing board. Even this many years later, that’s as far as it has gotten, we were overjoyed to find a Co-op in Northfield in operation and served a useful purpose.
My wife’s been active primarily with All Saints Episcopal Church (across the street from our house), while I’m on the boards of the League of Women Voters of Northfield/Cannon Falls and the Cannon Valley Elder Collegium (for which I’ve been teaching). My academic specialties are history and philosophy of mathematics, but CVEC has allowed me to teach in a variety of areas.
Favorite activities include tennis, table tennis (at 50North), and chess, while interests include Sherlock Holmes, Gilbert and Sullivan, and Lewis Carroll. My chief distinction is having played on the University of Wisconsin’s national championship College Bowl team in 1986. I’ve served as executive director of a Jewish congregation in Pennsylvania, but did not pick up enough background on Jewish foods to be useful to the Co-op.

Brandi Adelmann

I have lived in Northfield since 2014. I was honored to join the Just Food Cooperative board in 2024. As a JFC board member, I hope to help JFC continue to deliver access to diverse goods to the Northfield community and foster a best-in-class employer culture.

In my free time, my husband and I enjoy golf, college football (Go Longhorns!), supporting local businesses and spending time with our pups. In addition to serving on the Just Food Cooperative Board, I enjoy volunteering for Northfield Meals on Wheels, Project Fairy Godmothers, and Hosanna Church.

Leona Openshaw

I retired from Just Food coop in 2023, having worked in the Produce Department since the store opened in 2004. I joined the JFC board in January 2025, so I’m starting my second year. Last year I served on the Outreach and Education committees and participated in the search process for our new general manager, John Russell. We are now in the process of restructuring our committees, and I look forward to expanding my knowledge base and facing new adventures for the board and the store.
I moved to Northfield in 1999 and dearly love this small college town. I belong to a walking group, book club, Italian study group, choir, and attend classes offered by the Cannon Valley Elder Collegium. I appreciate being able to walk and bike around town, frequently attend events at the two colleges, and I patronize local businesses whenever possible.
For me, Just Food contributes greatly to the quality of life here in Northfield, and I hope to help us deepen our roots in the local community and expand the products and services we offer, always prioritizing quality, sustainability, and the best possible workplace for our employees.

Brenda Kragseth

I have been serving on the Just Food Board of Directors since 2024. I am currently a member of the Events and Finance committees. My family has been involved in the food co-operative movement since the late 1970’s.

I enjoy traveling, gardening and reading. I work at St. Olaf and am happy that I can work locally. I am passionate about service to the community, environmental sustainability and access to local food resources for everyone. I am grateful that I can participate in the democratic process at JFC. My husband, son and I have lived in Northfield since 2005 and have been long time members of Just Food Co-op.

I am delighted that I have the opportunity to offer my skills, talents and time to the Just Food Co-op community.

Stacey Sandler

I am in my second year of my first three-year term on the Just Food Board of Directors. I also serve on the Board Engagement and Governance Events Committee. For the past eight years, I have worked part-time at the co-op as a customer service representative, curbside shopping supervisor, and cashier. When looking for a part-time job, it was important to me to find a place that aligned with my values. Just Food checked all the boxes—environmental stewardship and sustainability, support for local farmers, strong community connections, and access to high-quality, diverse foods. The co-op is more than just a grocery store; it’s a gathering place where people come for connection, whether sitting to enjoy a meal from the deli, a place to study, or catching up with friends. Outside of my role at the co-op, I am a teacher at Prairie Creek Community School and mom to two adult children (both of whom have worked at the co-op). I enjoy the outdoors, reading, and time with family and friends. I have called Northfield home since the spring of 2007.

Claire Rafferty

I am excited to begin my second year on the JFC Board of Directors, having recently been elected to a 3-year term. Last year I served as head of the Events Committee and served on the Education Committee. I am passionate about food coops, particularly their connections to local producers and their strong sense of community, as well as their positive impact on the environment. I was a member of Harmony Food Coop in Bemidji for over 40 years.

I am relatively new to the Northfield community. My husband and I moved here 6 years ago to be closer to family after 43 years in Bemidji (we are originally Californians!). One of the first things we did after moving here was to join JFC, and have found it to be a wonderful place. I am a retired psychotherapist and worked for 40 years in Bemidji in private practice.

Now that I have more time, I participate in various French activities, play a lot of tennis, take fitness classes at Fifty North, read, hike, and spend time with our young grandchildren. I also belong to a Northfield walking group. JFC is a tremendous asset to the Northfield Community, and I am excited to contribute to its continued growth and success as it reaches out to an even wider community.