The directors of REI-CO-OP to be held accountable
Current Board Members (as of late 2025/early 2026)
Chris Carr: Board Chair Term expires 2027
- Mary Beth Laughton: REI President & CEO (ex-officio board member).
- Karen (Kari) Glover: Term expires 2026 (does not run again)
- Edward (Ted) Philip: Chair, Audit & Finance Committee, term expires 2026, candidate in 2026 Chair of United Airlines
- Sharon Philpott: Term expires 2026 (does not run again)
- Patricia Lopez: Term expires 2027. Former CEO High Ridge Brands
- Doug Mack: Chair, Nominating & Governance Committee, term expires 2027.
- Lisa Bougie: Appointed, non elected, late 2025, term expires 2028 (if she keeps her seat as she was coopted after the defeat of the bord candidates in May 2025 but not confirmed by a vote of the membership. The bylaws amended sometimes before their cooptation erased the obligation to obtain a confirmation vote by the membership. One can understand that after such a defeat the Board did not want to expose again its nominees to a vote but that does not make this maneuver legal and it could be challenged, challenging as well the 3 persons who accepted to become directors without a vote of the membership. Venture partner at Alante Capital
- Eric Sprunk: Appointed non elected, term expires 2028. Former Nike COO
- John Vandemore: Appointed non elected, term expires 2028. CFO Skechers
Recent Leadership & Election Updates according to AI
New CEO: Mary Beth Laughton officially succeeded Eric Artz as President and CEO in early 2025 following his retirement.
- 2025 Election Conflict: In May 2025, REI members voted to reject the board's uncontested slate of candidates for the first time in the co-op's history, amid a "Vote No" campaign led by the REI Union.
- Board Appointments: To resolve the resulting vacancies, the board utilized its (conveniently modified) bylaws in September 2025 to appoint Lisa Bougie, Eric Sprunk, and John Vandemore. Their positions must be ratified by a member vote in the next annual election. That did not happen.
- Compensation: Board directors receive an annual salary of approximately $125,000, with additional stipends for the Board Chair ($50,000) and Committee Chairs ($25,000).
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