January 4, 2024

As the Cooperative Hall of Fame approaches the celebration of its 50th Anniversary in 2024, we at Everything Co-op celebrate our very own host, Vernon Oakes, who will be amongst this year’s inductees.

Team members Justin Franks, Rob McClinton and Pat Thornton, share their thoughts about Vernon Oakes, including those shared with the Cooperative Hall of Fame selection panel shown below:

"Vernon Oakes' boundless compassion for others and his unwavering dedication to personal growth and learning have set him apart as a shining example of empathy and continuous development within the cooperative community, making him a truly deserving inductee into the Co-op Hall of Fame. "Justin Franks — Web Development Digital Strategy

Vernon Oakes is the embodiment of the seven co-op principles, living with a sense of fairness and justice, committed to equality, and evangelizing the values of cooperation among all humans. He makes me, and others, embrace the cooperative movement for no other reason than to see if living with its values and principles as our north star, as Vernon does, will make us as good, kind, and decent of a person as he is.Rob McClinton — Strategy & Partnerships

I firmly believe that Everything Co-op is so successful because Vernon has put the Spirit of Cooperation first and foremost in All we do. Vernon has conducted more than 375 interviews that are posted on the show's website at everything.coop. His objective to educate the masses about cooperatives will serve the cooperative community for many generations to come. Thus, he has indeed created a rich legacy of service. May the Cooperative Hall of Fame Selection Committee induct into its cadre of Heroes, one of the most ardent co-op advocates of all-time, Vernon Oakes.Pat Thornton, Producer