Please join us in welcoming Sophia Meshinchi, Keara Broome, Erin Larmondin, Danica Southerland, Pavin Johnson, Aaron Woods, Liza Mamedov, and Bronwyn Walls. to the NASCO Board of Directors.
(Pictured in order from left to right, top to bottom Tomi Chung, Keara Broome, Erin Larmondin, Aaron Woods, Danica Southerland, Sophia Meshinchi, and Bronwyn Walls.)
Keara Broome
My first exposure to co-ops was becoming a member of the ICC of Ann Arbor in 2021, and almost three years Keara Broome (she/her) is a recent alum of both the Inter-Cooperative Council of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan. She is excited to continue to serve on another board, to learn more about cooperative development, and to better support NASCO's work in the world of cooperative housing. In her spare time Keara enjoys backpacking, reading, and ceramics.
Tomi Jinhuang Chung
My name is Tomi Jinhuang Chung and I'm excited to be serving for another time on the NASCO Board. At NASCO, I have served as President, Treasurer, and Collective Liberation Congress Chair. My current areas of interest at NASCO include facilitating connections between Large Student Housing Coops, advancing NASCO's anti-oppression and movement building bandwidth, and supporting NASCO's strategic planning functions. I first got involved in group equity cooperatives through the Berkeley Student Cooperative, where I held numerous roles and was President for two years. Currently, I live at the University Housing Cooperative Association (UCHA) and volunteer as a Board member. I am a full time doctoral student at UCLA studying critical human geography, with a focus on Black-Asian spatial, political entanglements. In my free time, I organize for Palestinian liberation and working women's liberation, I hang out with my elder cat, and I chat with my partner.
Erin Larmondin
Erin Larmondin (she/her) is the Co-operative Development Manager at Waterloo Co-operative Residence Inc. She is a proud WCRI alum, and has been a coop member for over 5 years. Erin holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Waterloo and is a candidate for a Masters of Philanthropy and Non-Profit Leadership at Carleton University. Erin’s knowledge, passion, and involvement in the NASCO’s Internship Network and the Co-operative Leadership Cohort bring an irreplaceable lens to community and engagement. In her free time, Erin likes taking her dog Bonnie on walks, traveling, and trying new recipes.
Sophia Meshinchi
Sophia (She/Her) is a member of Sherwood Cooperative in Seattle, Washington. Previously, she lived for three years in ICC co-ops in Ann Arbor, MI where she served as the Vice President of Education. She is currently pursuing her Master's in Social Work at the University of Washington where her work has focused on restorative justice and evidence-based behavioral health practice. Sophia is excited to continue her work supporting cooperative development and education as part of NASCO's board.
Danica Southerland
Danica Southerland (she/her) is a member of COUCH cooperatives in Champaign, IL. Danica is a returning member after food boarding for a period of time, but was eager to scratch the itch and re-joined Champaign-Urbana's cooperative housing movement. She is currently pursuing her masters in Social Work at the University of Illinois and works as a barista making coffee for the townspeople. In her free time she enjoys fabric art and baking various goodies with her housemates.
Bronwyn Walls
Bronwyn (she/they) is a proud alumnus of College Houses and the Inter Cooperative Council of Austin. As a student co-oper, Bronwyn attended her first NASCO Institute and immediately felt the power and importance of NASCO's ability to build deep connections within the cooperative community, grow the cooperative movement, and facilitate the political education of young people who want to create alternative ways of relating to the world. Bronwyn served as NASCO's Director of Community Engagement from 2019 - 2023 and now works with social justice funders to liberate wealth for social movements.
Aaron Woods
Aaron Woods (any pronouns) is a PhD candidate in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, where they are exploring the intersection of science and art through their study of the brain. Their cooperative journey began in Madison, WI, and Minneapolis, leading them to Austin, TX, where they became deeply involved in the cooperative movement. Aaron served as board chair at the ICC Austin co-op Helios during a critical period and now resides in The Pink Palace, a co-op fostering black and brown queer creatives. They are part of NASCO's Cooperative Leadership Certification, aiming to expand access to communal living. Alongside their academic and cooperative endeavors, Aaron is an avid artist, believing in the power of science and art to foster love and awareness.
We are also saying farewell to Della Moran, Bryant Hepp, Taliesin Ramos, Nicole Wires, and Shelby Bohannon. Thank you for your service and your contributions to NASCO!