Cooperative Development Foundation Announces New Board Members

The Cooperative Development Foundation (CDF) is delighted to announce the addition of three new members to its Board: Vanessa Bransburg of the Democracy at Work Institute (DAWI), Jeffrey Connor of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), and Leslie Hagele of CoBank.  

“Over the past year, the CDF Board of Directors developed an exciting strategic framework for the next five years,” said John Holdsclaw IV, chair of the CDF Board. “We are pleased to welcome these three inspiring co-op leaders to the CDF Board table as we begin to translate our strategy into impact.”  

Vanessa Bransburg is the Co-Executive Director for Operations and Programs at the Democracy at Work Institute. She oversees all programmatic and operations strategies, including organizational culture building, professional development, and progress toward organizational goals. Previously, Vanessa was the Director of Cooperative Development at the Center for Family Life (CFL) in Brooklyn, NY for 8 years. While at CFL she expanded the program's capacity by tripling the number of staff, spearheaded the worker cooperative incubator program for hundreds of immigrant and low-income residents, established the NYC Cooperative Development Initiative to support NGOs looking to become cooperative incubators, and was one of the founders of the NYC Network of Worker Cooperatives. She also has a background in community organizing and clinical social work. Vanessa has an Masters in Social Work from Columbia University, a BA in Sociology from UCLA, and is an immigrant from Argentina. Upon joining the CDF Board, Vanessa writes:

“The cross-sectoral cooperative work that CDF is driving is critical for building an infrastructure that prioritizes community needs, workers' livelihoods, and a shared economy. I am proud to be joining as a Board Member of CDF, and look forward to supporting the organization to drive forward its new strategic plan.”

Jeffrey Connor serves as NRECA’s chief operating officer. He has a background in public policy, communication, politics, coalition building, and 14 years of experience on Capitol Hill. In Congress, Jeffrey served as communications director and chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R-Mo., from 2003 to 2013. He was also communications director for U.S. Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb. Jeffrey was also an associate staff member of the House Appropriations Committee, where he guided the work of the Subcommittee on Financial Services for Chairwoman Emerson following the 2008 U.S. financial crisis. He helped expand the reach of several nonpartisan policy caucuses in the U.S. House of Representatives. Jeffrey is a native Nebraskan and a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis. He lives in Northern Virginia with his wife, Emily, and their two children. He is also Board Chair of CDF’s sister organization, NCBA CLUSA, the apex cooperative association. On joining the CDF Board Connor writes:

“There’s no more important characteristic of cooperation than the ability to bring people together to support the communities they serve. CDF is steeped in a tradition of cooperation among cooperatives. I’m proud to be part of this powerful force for cooperative development, strong governance, and leadership according to the cooperative principles. CDF makes incredibly important investments in cooperative ownership for self-governed businesses that solve local challenges by creating access to economic opportunity and giving people a voice in their community.”

Leslie Hagele serves as the Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility at CoBank. Before CoBank, Leslie spent 11 years at Capital One where she spearheaded numerous community impact initiatives, including the management of a multi-million-dollar grant portfolio, workforce development and education program design, disaster relief, employee volunteerism, and foundation operations, as well as serving in a chief of staff role to a senior executive. Her professional background includes time at Feeding America, one of the largest hunger relief organizations in the United States, as well as on the community relations team of the Tampa Bay Rays, a Major League Baseball franchise. Originally from South Dakota, Leslie comes from a family deeply rooted in production agriculture. She lives in Denver with her husband and their two young children.  Upon joining the CDF Board, Hagele writes:

“In my experience, successful cross-sector collaboration stems from a dedication to amplify local voices and establish trust through authentic partnership – principles that align closely with CoBank’s mission and cooperative structure. I look forward to joining the CDF board to advance capacity-building efforts that enable sustainable, community-led change by advocating for the cooperative model.”

CDF recognizes and honors Richard Larochelle for 14 years of CDF Board leadership, including eight years of service as the Board Chair. We are also grateful for Christina Jennings’ leadership on the Board and acumen as our Treasurer and Deb Trocha’s insights and wisdom as a Board member.  As they rotate off the Board, we thank them for their contributions to CDF and the broader cooperative business community through their service and leadership. 

Also serving on the CDF Board in 2026 are: 

• John Holdsclaw IV – Rochdale Capital and National Cooperative Bank, Chair

• Larry Blanchard – TruStage, Vice Chair 

• Adria Powell – Cooperative Home Care Associates, Secretary 

• holly jo Sparks – Spartan Housing Cooperative, Treasurer 

• Devin Fuhrman – Nationwide Insurance

• Michelle Schry – National Co+op Grocers  

Interested in joining the CDF Board of Directors? Keep an eye out for the opportunity to apply as new seats open up later this year.

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